I used to think I had good French until I drove a car from LeHarvre to Lourdes. I discovered that, while I could rabbit on about the “plume de ma tante” etc, at a fair pace, when it came to the inner workings of the automobile, I was dumbstruck. I barely knew the word for petrol, let alone all the terms that have become commonplace since the man on the Clapham omnibus started driving a model T Ford. One could blame my teachers, but at the time I was learning French, I had no need for such words and didn’t bother to learn them. Now that I need, them, my grey matter seems unwilling to absorb them. That is, as they say, life.Continue Reading »
Bishop Joseph Li Liangui, Bishop of Xianxian (Cangzhou) Diocese, Vice-chairman of Jindes’ Board of Directors, arrived in Shijiazhuang at 4:40 p.m. from the disaster-stricken area in Sichuan Province. Although he was still suffering from the effects of influenza, he gave up his rest for this interview. As a representative of the clergy both at home and abroad, and as a friend of Jinde, he expressed his care and concern to all the victims in the disaster areas. Between 19th and 23rd of May, he visited the first line relief workers and the religious sisters who were serving these victims. The interview was recorded as follows:
Reporter: What is the greatest impression you gained from your visit to the first line workers in the heart of the disaster area?
Bishop Li: The earthquake at Wenchuan has shaken the hearts of all the Chinese people. Jinde Charities has collaborated with various local churches in a joint effort to provide material relief, and to assign religious sisters and volunteers to undertake relief works. This is a very good operation and as I visited these volunteers and nuns, it was very clear that they have been doing a great job. The victims were willing to talk to the sisters, pouring out their grief and sorrow and trusting them as friends.Continue Reading »
The flat screen at the front of the bus seemed to demand our attention. It normally carried advertisements or the rather dull news programmes that one easily ignored. Today however, it broadcast live picture from the earthquake zone. The media are all covering the story as it happens, with unrestrained access for both domestic and foreign journalists. To those used to blanket coverage of disasters, the style, and sentimentality even, of the reporting may seem rather clichéd, but for domestic viewers to have such unrestricted access to the chaos of a horrible reality as it unfolds, is new and very different. Even on a hot and sticky Beijingbus we were riveted.Continue Reading »
From Faith website: Jinde webpage (May 23) In accordance with the urgent needs of the disaster areas, Jinde Charities, in active collaboration with Caritas Germany and the government of Germany, will supply Sichuan disaster areas with big sized civilian tents of high quality.
Mr. Wolfgang of Caritas Germany, stationed in Jinde disaster office of Chengdu, told Faith reporters: “The 4,050 tents worth 8,700,000 RMB are contributions from Caritas Germany and other Caritas and the government of Germany. Our original plan of May 21 was to deliver the tents in two batches, on May 24 and May 26 but in order to facilitate the procedure of hand-over and distribution to the victims; the two chartered planes will now arrive together at Chengdu airport on May 27.”
Fr. Paul Han, vice-director of Jinde said, “On the same day, May 27, the tents will be transported to the disaster areas and distributed to the victims with the help of the Disaster Relief Command Headquarter in Sichuan” Fr. Han also added “The authorities respected and accepted Jinde’s proposal of distribution, 1000 tents to Dujiangyan, 800 to Luoshui town of Shifang city, 550 to Mianzhu city and 800 to An County.”
The Disaster Relief Command Headquarter at Sichuan made the following remark: “Several millions of people are homeless, living in temporary set-up tents and it is raining all these days. It is really a timely intervention for Jinde Charities and its partners to supply these tents as they definitely will benefit the victims.”
Ms. Hu Li Min of Jinde Disaster Relief Office in Chengdu told Faith reporters that there would be a short hand-over ceremony in Sichuan Charity Association Headquarter field office and the respective representatives will be present.
Here is a news clip from a news program in Germany reporting about the work of Caritas International and Jinde Charities in the quake affected areas in Sichuan Province.
On May 19, 2008 Bishop Joseph Li Liangui of Xianxian Diocese and vice-chairman of Jinde Board of Directors held an emergency meeting at Jinde. He later flew that evening to the worst hit areas in Sichuan province accompanied by Fr. Paul Han, vice-director of Jinde Charities and Mr. Wolfgang Gerstner and Ms Christina Grawe of Caritas Germany members. They arrived in Chengdu, provincial capital of Sichuan at midnight and were met by Fr. Li Zhi Gang, administrator of Chengdu Diocese who arranged for their board and lodging.
Early on May 20, despite of the long journey and aftershock tremors, Bishop Li, with the help local people went to Sichuan Deyang city and Shi Fang city to visit the sisters who were giving services to the victims of the disaster. In the afternoon, the team returned to Hongbai town of Shi Fang city, 30 km from Wenchuan, the quake epicenter. They were not able to go visit Wenchuan as the road was blocked.Continue Reading »
The Chinese government has declared the dates May 19-21 as the national days of mourning for the victims of the May 12 Earthquake that rocked Sichuan Province and its neighboring provinces which has claimed more than 32,000 lives so far. The Olympic torch relay has also been suspended during the mourning period. Rescue efforts become dim as the second week of China’s worst disaster in many generations approaches and dozens of aftershocks have been felt throughout the region furthering the damage and diminishing the possibilities of rescue to the few remaining survivors in some of the devastated areas. China’s state run news agency, Xinhua, reported that a magnitude 6 aftershock last Sunday killed 3 people, injured 1,000 more and caused further damage to houses and roads.
The World Health Organization has urged health, relief and rescue officials not to be distracted by the false belief that corpses were a health threat and instead focus on the survivors which are in current lack of clean water, food and medical supplies. WHO also warned of the spread of epidemics.
In the afternoon of May 13, staff of Jinde Charities contacted Fr. Wang Fuxuan, parish priest of Dujiangyan, who could only mutter continuously “It’s appalling, it’s appalling”
According to Fr. Wang, at 8 a.m. he went with another priest to Dujiangyan to find out more in particular about the church and his parishioners. There were many obstacles on the way and for safety reasons ordinary people were not allowed to enter many places. The difficult journey took about 7 hours. Fr. Wang told Jinde staff that 80 % of the houses of Dujiangyan are no longer habitable. At present the people stay in their cars or in tents while others just take shelter under the eaves of houses in better conditions. The continuous rainfall makes relief works more difficult and increases the sufferings of the people. Fr. Wang has yet to make contact with his parents in Pingwu. In some places, people are without food or drink. A school building in Juiyuan town collapsed and casualties among the students are serious. The more seriously hit areas are Wenchuan, Beichuan, Dujiangyan, Shifang, Mianchun and Pingwu. The rescue teams have just succeeded to reach Wenchuan but communication and roads are still in the process of being restored. At present rescue work in Dujiangyan is progressing in an orderly way but because there are still after quake tremors, the people are still living in fear and they need to be calmed down. As most of the houses have collapsed, re-construction work would be a big problem. Jinde Charities hopes to offer help as soon as possible.
The 7.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Sichuan last Monday has left 22,000 people dead (as of Friday, May 16), many of which are children.The death toll may rise to 50,000 according to the government. About 4.8 million people are left homeless because of last Monday’s earthquake. Thousands of men, women and children are heading on foot for evacuation centers and refugee camps in Mianyang, a city near the epicenter, saying that they are leaving their villages for good. The Guardian provides a good look at how the survivors deal with grief, anger and hope as they slowly come to terms to the realization that the people they need the most in crises like these, are the ones that they are grieving for.
