Mr. Ma is 75 years old, and lives in Dazhaimen, in Xingtai County, Hebei. He became unbalanced due to his experiences during the Cultural Revolution and has been living as a virtual recluse ever since.

About the only one he allows into his home is a Catholic neighbour who has been looking out for him for more than 20 years and has gained his trust. Recently introduced government support gives him a yearly grant of 1,200 RMB (about US$180) but this goes nowhere near enough to covering his financial costs and is unable to substitute loving care provided for by family or friends.

Hou Dong Yu Elderly Services (a new charity) is trying to offer that kind of support by sending a volunteer twice a month to visit him. Having been introduced by his neighbour, Hou Dong Yu’s volunteers are allowed into his home and are trying to persuade him to allow them wash his cloths and tidy his home.

Mr. Ma’s situation is just one example of the drastic need for a sustainable network of home-based care services for the elderly all across rural China. Rapid urbanisation and the prosperity it has brought to the younger generations has often come at a sad cost to those left behind. Lacking both financial and emotional support, many have no stable source of income and should they be left without loved ones, life can quickly fall into a daily struggle with scarce relief. The presumption that families take care of their parents in China takes no account of those who have no children.

To target these needs, BRICKS is encouraging independent groups of volunteer carers in rural areas to reach out in a significant way. In order to allow elderly people without families to have a quality of life in their own homes for as long as possible we are building a network of carers that provides for their most basic needs. For RMB100 (€11/£10/$15) per person, per month all of these needs would be met with the vital accompaniment of regular contact with someone who knows them personally.

By tackling the Great Wall Marathon, BRICKS is helping to pioneer such sustainable methods of care to support Mr. Ma and others in his situation that we see carried out by Hou Dong Yu and three other such care centres in Handan, Shijiazhuang and Xianxian. We aim to raise the €10,000 necessary to cover 80 people under these four projects around China for one whole year. Any donation you can give will not only be a direct contribution to these people’s care, but also a greatly appreciated bit of support for our runners!

Thank you for your support.

Runners include:

Joseph

Henry

Aidan

Kathryn

Marie-Christine Finn