Bricks participated in the recent Beijing Marathon last October 18. Two runners from Bricks, Aidan Duffy and Joseph Loftus ran the full marathon and half marathon respectively to help purchase 60 orthopedic beds for Senior Home in Xintai, Hebei Province. Bricks thanks all the people who have donated for this project.
Here are some pictures from the Beijing Marathon. Unfortunately, Aidan and Joseph are not in it.
The hoarding was rather ambitious given the simplicity of the circumstances. The hole in the wall below the sign did not match its extravagant claim. In fact the frontage of the restaurant was the back wall of an older, now demolished, building. Mr. Li has simply broken a door through to a covered yard, set up tables and continued his dumpling business. Ingenious perhaps but hardly suggesting blue blood. I did not see a health and safety certification but I am confident that if one had been refused, a small gift would have smoothed the path to certification. Judging from appearances I very much doubt that Mr. Li is really the dumpling King.
Mr. Li’s rather artless claim could not be considered as false advertising even in the most rigorous of regulatory environments. Unfortunately in China, the kind of confidence one has in advertising claims even by established brands is often misplaced and the supervision lax in the extreme. Until recently, I had taken a rather indulgent view of fake brands, since in the markets famous for such items, one gets no less than what you pay for. Government campaigns against the practice seemed more token than real, judging by the speed with which things returned to “normal” after the campaigns were over. For years people have been talking about the problem I did not appreciate the complexity of the issue.
A recent scandal has put the issue into a different perspective. A mysterious illness that has so far killed 4 babies resulted from wholesale contamination of the food chain. Reputable companies have been found to have sold milk powder which had been contaminated by fraudulent whole-milk suppliers. Local officials were prepared to bury the issue, and a New Zealand business partner had to go through convoluted diplomatic channels to inform the Chinese Central Government of the problem. Now a very thorough and transparent cleanup process is in play, but not before credibility in the milk supply has completely disappeared. The latest addition to those affected is Starbucks China who has very publicly announced a shift to new source for its milk products. It seems brand reputation and good enforcement of regulation are no laughing matter.
Government health standards are set centrally and are often in line with international best practice. They are rendered toothless however by endemic cronyism at the local level. In the case of the Milk Scandal, there are standards, but the petty criminality of two brothers in Hebei have undermined confidence in the national milk supply system and taken the edge of the feel-good factor engendered by Olympic successes. When the economy was less integrated, the impact of such fraud was minimal, but in a rapidly expanding and globalizing economy, small-scale corruption in the provinces can have national impact. The willingness to ignore the poor compliance record at a local level, is no longer sustainable when the consequences are so devastating.
I would bet that Mr. Li dumplings despite his claims, are not that good, but China is not going stay awake nights worrying about it. Nationally branded companies who proclaim their quality on hoardings across the country while delivering tainted product into the market place are a different matter. Of equal concern is the failure of government agencies to address the problem until pressure to do so came from the highest level. Pulling off a brilliant Olympics is not the only mark of a developed country. Brand confidence and a good regulatory framework are important also. I think I will be drinking my Starbuck’s Latte black until both of those are firmly in place.
Due to the generosity of donors the Standing Tall programme has been able to guarantee the funding of 6 of the children at the centre. We are delighted with the response to this Appeal and thank those of you who have donated already. We still have some way to go to reach our target of €9,000 before the end of the year. Sr. Wang recently sent us a video of the children at the Therapy Centre and we hope it will help you to see the True Colour of what is being done there
It costs €370, (₤350 or $550) for one child for one year
Support “Stand Tall” with a donation of any amount and allow a poor family have the joy of seeing their child take the step towards independent living.
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Bricks recently launched its 8th Brick for the Great Wall Appeal. In line with Brick 8, Bricks has decided to help fund raise for this project through the Beijing Marathon this coming October. For more details on the fundraising effort and on Brick 8, click on the relevant picture links below.
6 months ago, Bricks was approached by the Director of Hou Dong Yu Seniors’ Home in Hebei Province asking to help the home improve its indoor plumbing. Through the help of Bricks’ generous donors, each room now has better sanitation facilities.
Bricks will be announcing two new projects this August. One of our projects is Xintai Home for the Elderly which is run by 4 sisters from the Xintai Diocese. There are 60 residents in the home and they badly need proper orthopedic beds. To know more about the project, click on the picture link below.
Hou Dong Yu is in an idyllic setting nest to a reservoir and is unusually mountainous for Hebei Province. The home is an occasions of quiet and rest for the 14 elderly women and men who live there. Built on a philosophy of mutual support and self help, the home offers a protected environment where the residents can continue to follow the rhythms of the farming life with which whey are familiar, but which they are no longer able to follow on their own.
The “Bricks” project was a very simple one, to introduce indoor toilets to the 4 three-bed units which are the norm for the home. In theory a simple idea and much needed, (the alternative is a common toilet outside the main gate with no water,. In practice the project required a complex adjustment to the plumbing in order to keep within regulations and still provide the residents with practical benefits. Building a septic tank was the most difficult aspect of the project. There is no sewage system in the Houdong yu area and disposing of waste so near to a reservoir required a well designed septic tank. The site is on a hill, and placing a tank low enough to allow gravity to take care of the flow meant digging back into the hill side. The result might not look much, since most of it is underground, but ensures that improving the facilities does not impact negatively on the environment.
A second concern was the provision of suitable toilets. The space available in each room was not sufficient, (adding this facility meant the loss of one bed in each room). Giving the residents privacy and ease of access had to contend with cost and space demands in a limited space. In the end each unit is accessible and has supports so that even those with only some mobility can use the toilets without help.
A complexity, which will resolve itself in time, is that the current residents are not used to indoor plumbing and even though it is difficult, many still prefer the outdoor option. A cold winter, and increased familiarity will take care of this problem! However it does point to the challenge which caring for the elderly poses in poor communities. Basic standards are increasing rapidly, and Residential homes must adapt to the changing expectations of society. But if society change rapidly, individual seniors don’t, it takes sensitivity on behalf of the staff to allow current residents to feel at home, in a Home which must adjust to the times. It looks odd to have some of the residents shuffle out to an outdoor lavatory when they have an indoor one available, but this is the anomaly of a rapidly changing society.
Thank you for your kindness in funding this project. The financial report is being translated and will be posted next month.