HELP YUSHU RECOVER

Scenes that we long to see : Tibetan folk dancing in front of a school building won't be possible for quite some time due to the April 14 earthquake (this photo from a neighboring county).

*** Update : Latest news : Premier Wen told the Director of the Children's Home that the children will be prioritized for shelter. Shelters are now set up on the horse festival grounds and tents have arrived.   Please pray for the Director's wife as she was injured in the earthquake and is now in hospital in Xining (10 hours from Yushu) where we are doing all we can to support her. ****

Help Yushu Recover

Helping Yushu RecoverAs you know, the earthquake in Yushu has caused immense heartache. The extent of devastation in Yushu is utterly unimaginable and the constantly climbing figures of fatalities, severe injures and missing persons is just heart-wrenching. We were supposed to start co-managing the Yushu Children’s Home with the local government later this year, and 5 of our staff were origionaly scheduled to be in Yushu this week.  I ask your prayer for everyone there.

Thank you for your e-mails, calls and prayers regarding the children and our staff in Qinghai.    Thankfully all of the children in the Huangnan and Xining Children’s Homes and Rehab Center were spared.

We have already met with the Civil Affairs Department, Poverty Alleviation Office, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultant of Conference (CPPCC) of Qinghai. One bright note to come out of those meetings was that it seems the commitments the government has received are sufficient to cover Yushu’s infrastructural damage.

The Need
A huge need that troubles me is the physical and psychological damage survivors endure long after the bridges, buildings, roads and utilities are restored.   I was very concerned about this when I witnessed the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake with the China Earthquake Relief Project and Hong Kong Christian Council.  I believe we have learned enough to know that now is the time to make plans to address this problem least survivors needlessly suffer more than they have to.

What does this involve ?  The first step is to acknowledge that the pain that survivors are enduring is not the sort that a ‘short-term bandage’ approach will fix. For this reason Christian Action is looking to help with Yushu’s long term after-care.  This will include medical and rehabilitation programs, trauma counseling and related services.

The Plan
Christian Action was scheduled to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new orphanage together with the Yushu Government this week.  Our commitment to helping remains and in light of the earthquake we are examining a Rehabilitation Center modeled after the Children’s Rehabilitation Center we co-run with the government in Xining,  but with services for all survivors.

To accomplish this donations are needed in order to get additional qualified staff.  We will be drawing on our 13 years of experience in Qinghai running poverty alleviation, housing and clinic programs, education and Children’s Homes, all in close collaboration with the Qinghai government. In particular we will draw on our experience with Qinghai’s first and only Children’s Rehabilitation Center, which we have co-managed with the Qinghai government since it’s opening in 2007.   Most of all however, we would ask for your prayers for wisdom.   These services will soon be in huge demand and we need to ramp up with additional, suitably qualified manpower.

How you can Help

Please pray for the victims; please spread the word and please give. The situation in Yushu is very fluid and we could easily receive additional requests from the government.  Please rest assured that every good faith effort will be made to use your funds to Help Yushu Recover. Thank you!


1. To Donate online click the HELP YUSHU RECOVER button

2. In Hong Kong; Direct transfer deposits can be made to:

Bank Name: Hong Kong Bank
Account Name: Christian Action
Account No.: 004-002-1-330600

Bank Name: Bank of China
Account Name: Christian Action – Charity Services
Account No.: 012-887-0-006108-7

3. International telegraphic transfers: Click here to download the PDF

4. If you would like to volunteer your time and expertise, please also contact us by sending an email to ccd@christian-action.org.hk

For more updated information, please subscribe to this blog.

Thank you

Siew Mei

Help Yushu Recover