Update from Deyang: schools and children
Psychological counselling and school rebuilding are the two big challenges local educational authorities are facing. Before the earthquake, local government has embarked on a plan of bridging the gap of quality and access between urban and rural areas by building central boarding schools for the children from remote rural areas, who can study in Town Centre Schools with better facilities and teaching resources. Now the focus is on assessing how to rebuild schools quickly. It’s likely as the first step, temporary schools will be built in the central areas.
The earthquake has left more than 4000 children orphaned or without proper parental care. There has been huge waves of sympathy from families around China. Many of them also have expressed the willingness to adopt an earthquake orphan. International adoption is not high on the agenda.
Our local correspondents and volunteers also told me the distribution of aids is not even, largely dependent on accessibility. Towns and villages along the main roads have been well covered. However villages difficult to reach need more aids. Some self-organised volunteers with better transport, knowledge and equipments are doing well in filling the gaps.
Wendy Wu
CEO, Mother Bridge of Love
27 May 2008
May 30th, 2008 at 5:40 am
Hi Wendy,
We are small group of English and Chinese volunteers in Cheng Du. Recently we have been traveling to those areas not completely covered by the rescue effort. We have spent time in PengZhou county delivering medicines and other necessities to small villages.
We have funds, transport and until recently good information on where to go.However, now we are finding that information on isolated towns/villages is becoming scarce. This week we are planning to get out to DeYang or MianYang where the rural areas are still apparently short of certain items.
If you have any information on towns and villages that need assistance then please let us know.We can get there very quickly and deliver these items to make the lives of the people bearable until official and substantial aid gets there
Hope to hear from you soon,
Simon Edwards
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 am
hi, Simon
contact me please. i have visited the hard-hit regions in mounatins during past twenty days. I have some contacts who can help u in the love relay race.
Take care of yourself
Fu Jing China Daily journalist fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Hi Simon,
Many thanks for supporting Sichuan Children. As fujing replied, he should be able to pull out some local resources helping the delivery of the aids in particular to those isolated towns and villages in Deyang and Mianyang.
If you have any stories and information to share, you are always welcome to send to our media team. (uk@linkchinese.net)
Best Regards and take care,
Wendy