“To be honest with you, I don’t think we’re going to be able to build the ward for babies born with disabilities,” began Sr. Zhai’s letter to us a couple of months back “or even provide them with a temporary shelter. The room that we currently have for the children we take care of is falling apart and the window frames have been covered up with plastic bags. Needless to say the situation is untenable and the plastic doesn’t hold against the storms that sometimes poor into the children’s bedroom. We also have a problem with space in that the rooms are not only too small but we often have to squeeze more than one child into a single bed. We have received generous donations of bed sheets and clothes, but in the wintertime these thin lairs just aren’t enough to keep the children warm. When it comes to feeding the youngest we don’t always have powdered milk for them and have resorted to feeding them a congee made of wheat flower mixed with sesame oil and salt. For the older children we feed them noodles 3 times a day not having anything else to offer them. In total we are currently caring for 33 children at this centre and we need help.”
Sr. Zhai and her team at Tian Ai had hoped to expand their cradle of care for local orphans, but faced with the harsh realities they portrayed to us above they became aware of the need to take things step by step. They went on to tell us how they not only covered 33 children in their own care on a daily basis, but recently had also successfully carried out 2 broadly based community projects; one involved teaching mothers how they could support the educational needs of their children attending high school, and the other recruited local university students to help in community outreach such as care for the elderly. For a budding organisation this level managerial skill is impressive and something that BRICKS can help them build upon – which is exactly why they wrote to us.
Constrained by their office costs, staff fees and religious status in a closely watched environment, their growth (or even stability) is a challenge. To build upon the love and care with which they already carry out their work, these sisters are looking for a level of training that would benefit their current model. Over the coming months we will be discussing with them on a regular basis the best ways to improve their current systems of practice so as to better serve the children in their care. We also want to see them further develop their community outreach projects whilst maintaining monetary stability in their organisation.
To achieve these goals fundraising will become a huge part of their work and BRICKS will draw from its experiences to give them the know-how needed to raise its funds. For this reason, we appeal to you and anyone you know would be interested in supporting the orphanage and Sr. Zhai’s work to make a donation. Not only will this give better living conditions to the children of Tian Ai, but it will also encourage the sisters to see the great value of internet based fundraising techniques.
Thank you
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- Yu Shu Earthquake Appeal
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- Xin Yue Center
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