By Gustavo Castillo | Project Assistant Intern
Hello GlobalGivers,
At first glance, you may seem very different from a person living more than 6,000 miles away. Tastes, sights, ideologies, and beliefs vary across the world. However, in the seemingly fast seconds when you clicked the “donate” button, your desire to help and a survivor’s relentless hope erased your differences and gave you two more in common with each other than anyone else in the world. All the way from China, we bring you updates and stories of success from different organizations that are arduously working in the region:
Xintu Center for Community Health Promotion, S. H . conducted training for 20 township mental health workers from the Yaan prefecture. As a result, a severe number of stakeholders in the field of mental health and community rebuilding were very interested in this participatory training course. After numerous discussions, the participants agreed on a need for a new community organization in Yaan that will create a long term plan for a mental health program. Fortunately, Shanghai Xintu will be capable of playing a vital role to smooth the process in the new establishment for the organization.
Also, Xintu will plan two training courses on mental health needs to explore community solutions, which will be the first step in establishing a community-led organization that is dedicated to promote mental health in the Yaan prefecture.
Mercy Corps was able to immediately assist families in the region by providing them with basic needs like water, hygiene kits, and other emergency items. The organization is also focusing on three projects that seek to ensure the psychological well-being of children affected by the earthquake. After all, young children tend to be more vulnerable to the traumatic effects of a catastrophe of this magnitude.
As for the previous programs established, Mercy Corps was able to finalize and print the “My Earthquake Story” workbook and Caregiver Guide for their Comfort for Kids Program (C4K). The Moving Forward Program, which works closely with older youth, has been able to reach 4,000 elementary and middle school students. “Rebuilding for the future”, a program to promote stable access to early education, has found 10 pilot schools to serve as models for the project.
The organization also provided school supply kits to 48 schools in the Tianquan and Baoxing regions, which benefited approximately 9,000 students. Thanks to these supplies, these students will continue the education that was taken away from them since the earthquake. These supplies include age appropriate textbooks, toys, games, art supplies, calculators, an electric musical keyboard, a computer, printers, projectors, tables, and desks.
Almost eight months ago, the lives of these people were shockingly disrupted by an unexpected event. However, equally unexpected was the solidarity they received from GlobalGivers around the world, who allowed GlobalGiving’s partners to quickly mobilize and offer immediate support and relief to the areas affected.
We will keep you updated in the following months; however, feel free to let us know if you have any questions or thoughts in the comment section below. If you would like to make a donation, please click on China Earthquake Relief Fund
Thank you.
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When a disaster strikes, recovery efforts led by people who live and work in affected communities are often overlooked and underfunded. GlobalGiving is changing this reality. Since 2004, we've been shifting decision-making power to crises-affected communities through trust-based grantmaking and support.
We make it easy, quick, and safe to support people on the ground who understand needs in their communities better than anyone else.
They were there long before the news cameras arrived, and they’ll be there long after the cameras leave. They know how to make their communities more resilient to future disasters, and they’re already hard at work. GlobalGiving puts donations and grants directly into their hands. Because the status quo—which gives the vast majority of funding to a few large organizations—doesn’t make sense.
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