The Amity Foundation

Dear friends of Amity,

You may have learnt of the devastating landslide that affected China in Zhouqu County, Gansu Province. Since the outbreak of the disaster, Amity has continually responded to the situation. The following is a summary of our relief work in the past few days;

August 7-8
Torrential rain triggered a landslide that hit Zhouqu, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Region in Gansu Province on August 7，2010. According to the rescue headquarters, by August 12, 1117 were reported dead and 627 were still missing.

The torrential rain began lashing the county at about 11pm on Saturday (August 7) and runoff from the downpour built up behind a landslide on the Bailong River, which rungs through the county seat town (China Daily).

August 9

A coordination meeting was held at the Nanjing headquarters to launch another relief effort that included contacting a local partner in Gansu, preparing for a site visit, making an appeal to the public for help, as well as involving local media in Amity’s work. Amity decided to allocate CNY 2 million as an initial grant for the relief work.

August 10

 Ms. Tanhua, Assistant Director of the Relief Programme, together with Mr. Sun Qiang, reporter of Jiangsu News Radio set off for Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu on the August 10. All tickets from Nanjing to Lanzhou had been sold out and they had to take a detour to Shanghai in order to catch a flight to Lanzhou. Together with staff from Gansu Health Department based in Lanzhou, the team continued non stop overnight to Zhouqu, the landslide hit area.

August 11

The Amity team arrived in Zhouqu by noon and conducted an initial assessment. The team reported that electricity had been reconnected. The rain still continued, increasing the difficulty of an already treacherous rescue. Victims were sheltered in temporary shelters and  afraid of going back home, worrying about possible further landslides. At the moment, water and instant noodles could meet the needs of the victims. The social infrastructure is still in place, which should lay a firm foundation for further relief efforts.

News from relevant supporting agencies

Hong Kong SAR Government dedicated HK$3 million to Amity’s relief work through Amity’s office in Hong Kong.

Tencent, one of China’s biggest internet companies has offered CNY 1 million to support Amity’s relief work.

Some partners of Amity, including the United Church of Canada, Church of Scotland, United Methodist Church (USA)  have written to give their sympathy and solidarity to Amity in this situation.

We appreciate your care of, concern on and prayers for the victims in the landslide in Zhouqu.

With appreciations,

She Hongyu

The Amity Foundation Hong Kong held a dinner to celebrate the 25th anniversary of he founding of the organisation at the Salisbury YMCA in Hong Kong on 18 June. More than 260 friends from various organizations and Christian denominations in Hong Kong took part. It was a beautiful night as we shared our history, growth and vision with those who have been walking with Amity.

Click this link to watch a gallery of photos taken during the dinner. Four video clips were shown at the dinner and are now available online (The Amity Foundation; relief and rehabilitation work; rural clinics; water projects).

The urgent need for safe drinking water in China was the topic of a workshop organized by Amity and EED, the development agency of the German Protestant churches, at the end of May. More than 40 participants and speakers attended the two-day workshop, including Amity staff, faculty and students from Nanjing-based universities, experts on waste water treatment, Amity’s local partners from Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Guangxi, representatives from Beijing-based CANGO and environmental NGOs active in Wuhan, Hubei and Jiangsu provinces.

Continue reading ‘Workshop on safe drinking water’

The Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour showed its compassion for the poor peasants in Guizhou, China when they organized a Charity Ball on Saturday, 24 April 2010 to raise money to build clinics and to support village doctors who have been struggling against much impoverished conditions. With the theme “Hearty Dimes Shiny Night”, the Ball held at the Grand Ballroom, Regal Airport Hotel attracted a lot of philanthropists and well-wishers of the same persuasion.

Continue reading ‘Rotary charity dinner for rural medical care’

Yet another batch of emergency relief goods from the Amity Foundation, the 8th of its kind, arrived in the Yushu region of Qinghai Province on 7 May. 70 tons of flour, 45 tons of rice, 18 tons of noodles, clothes, candles and CNY 520,000 worth of drugs were distributed in several places the same afternoon and on the following two days. The distribution was made difficult by bad weather, but Amity staffers, helped by villagers and volunteers, ensured an orderly process.

The 7th batch of disaster relief goods from Amity was distributed in the earthquake region of Yushu, Qinghai Province, on 1 May. 30 solar power devices, 1000 quilts, 1000 bedsheets and 1000 quilt covers as well as 100 boxes of candles and 1998 cartons of milk were delivered to Longbao Township. 250 canisters of cooking oil and 20 tons of rice were delivered to the racecourse area of Jyegu, 150 more canisters of cooking oil to another part of Jyegu. Villagers and volunteers helped with the distribution. The next morning, the Amity team set out to more distant parts of Longbao again, where soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army cooperated with Amity staffers to deliver the goods to earthquake survivors.

Amity partner Global Ministries sent us a letter, which can be downloaded (PDF).

The 6th batch of Amity relief goods arrived yesterday morning, Monday 28 April, in Yushu. 12,000 liters of rapeseed oil and 9000 boxes of sanitary napkins were subsequently distributed to earthquake victims in Longbao Township. More oil, milk and rice as well as candles and 30 solar power devices are on their way from Xining.

A severe sandstorm has swept northwestern China, killing three in Xinjiang and making post-earthquake relief work in Qinghai more difficult. “This is the worst sandstorm I have ever experienced in my whole life,” said Amity’s Tang Chuanfang. “It is so strong that it’s impossible to keep one’s eyes open. We can only see two or three meters in front of us. We have kept our masks on all day long. Some tents have been blown away, some people were injured. It feels like we’re being blown away by the gale.”

On Sunday, April 25, a memorial service was held at Mochou Church in Nanjing. During the service, Amity staffer Kou Weiwei presented Amity’s relief work, which found great resonance among the congregation. At the end of the service, churchgoers donated a total of CNY 102,600 (ca. US$ 15,000) to support Amity’s relief work. Churches in Wuxi and Kunshan in southern Jiangsu Province have made generous donations, too, totaling CNY 70,000 (ca. US$ 10,250).

Amity’s relief work continues. In Xining, the Amity team finished purchasing goods for the 6th batch of relief materials, which will start its journey to Yushu tomorrow (27 April).

More than 10 days after the earthquake of 14 April, Yushu is in ruins but disaster relief work has made good progress. The town’s horse-racing ground, which is now the biggest settlement for people whose homes have been destroyed, resembles a big bustling village. Some 30,000 earthquake survivors have found temporary shelter here. The area is covered by thousands of blue tents. People here have access to safe drinking water and food, which you can see people cooking all over the encampment.

Continue reading ‘Qinghai earthquake: Life among the ruins of Yushu’