April / May 2011

Special Report

The 3^rd Anniversary of the Wenchuan Earthquake

The disaster nightmare of the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008 is still fresh in people’s memories. When the earthquake happened, we got involved with the earthquake relief and rebuilding immediately, to help the homeless people. We delivered tents, sleeping bags, quilts, clothes and food to the people, and contributed funds and medicines to the government in order to support more people. In that unique moment, we visited the victims and hoped that our little contribution could let them understand that DORS as an organization, and every staff member, is in solidarity with them.

Rebuilding homes was the wish of every household (which) affected by earthquake. DORS has funded construction materials for the affected villagers, and all of them are now living in new houses. They all are grateful to the nation and the community, but who knows whether they still think of the hopeless moment when the disaster came and all had been destroyed.

 

Going to school is the wish of the children in the earthquake affected area. Lots of children have been able to go back to school under the assistances of government and our charity. DORS has supported teaching facilities for 5 primary schools so as to enrich the school life for the children. Those who played with us and took photos with us have grown up and have their own secrets, what we could do at the moment is to wish them growth with happiness.

In this terrible natural disaster, we saw the fragility of life and its weakness. The Earthquake has given us a severe blow, but also brought us lots of gratitude and motivation because of the help and care from the entire world. We came across a lady who ran a noodle shop and had lost everything because of the earthquake. DORS supported her to get through the disaster. She told to us: “I was so desperate as the house was destroyed and I had no income source. I even had no change of clothing at the time. Thank you very much, and I will never forget the two wearing glasses’ DORS staff, they are the ones who gave me support with patience and enthusiasm”. How encouraging praise is. Each time, when we receive people’s gratitude, recognition and praise, we told ourselves that: we should maintain our good work, in order to deserve the people’s thanks.

Project Progress

Integrated Income Generation Project:

Field Study: The walnut grafting technician from Yanyuan County told the villagers of Ranmo and Daying villages that there are was a lot of room to improve their walnut trees’ management when he came to assist the Ranmo and Daying villagers to graft the walnut trees. This has inspired villagers of these two villages to visit Yanyuan County and learn local walnut trees management techniques.  We agreed to sponsor the villagers from these two villages to visit Yanyuan County when they approached (to) DORS and applied for it. When the representatives of the two villages came back from the trip, they organized a workshop to share with other villagers about what they had seen and learnt from this study. They expressed their willingness of having more opportunities of going out to study as they all felt this field trip was very beneficial. They also wish to have enough knowledge to better cultivate their walnut trees therefore to have a fruitful achievement to receive others’ visit. Left: Li Wengao from Daying Village (stood) beside a walnut tree on the visiting site.

Walnut Trees management technique Training: We have been looking forwards to improving villagers’ management technique and upgrading the walnut trees species so as to increase the yields of walnuts therefore to increase villagers’ income. Therefore, after carrying out the walnut trees’ grafting for the villagers, we conducted a walnut tree management technique training in the village. We also discussed with demonstration households about how to enhance villagers’ awareness to emphasise the walnut tree cultivation management as well as the management approaches.

Animal Husbandry Project of Shiquan Village: In May, DORS invited the head of Veterinary Centre of Animal Husbandry Bureau Mr. Jun YU to provide an animal husbandry management training for villagers who rear animals. The training contained: the main features of cattle and sheep, common diseases and its prevention. Mr. YU also answered questions (of) which villagers raised and were worried about and about some problems which had occurred. Mr. YU advised villagers to plant rye grass, which could feed animals during winter but also could protect our environment. People have large interest in it. Villagers have learned a lot of knowledge about how to use animal husbandry through this training.

Detoxification potato: We discussed the detoxification potato cultivation techniques with project participants of Daying and Ranmo Villages, it also included: the basic knowledge of the detoxification potato, daily management technique, the impact of post growth diseases and its prevention and so on. We reiterated the importance of the prevention of the post growth diseases to the villagers and provided them with relevant preventive pesticides.

Reconstruction of Dujiangyan: funded by DORS, and implemented by Urban Construction College of Sichuan Agricultural University, the 3 villages’ reconstruction projects of forest, cultivation, tourism for Dujiangyan Hongkou township have reached some milestones. We will continue to watch it.

Education Project:

Shiquan Village Primary School’s Environmental Protection Activities: In order to develop children’s good habits of hygiene and taking care of our environment from their early age, DORS assisted Shiquan Village Primary School’s children to hold a series of activities. We taught children “Cleanliness and Health Song” and organized role play game with children so as to explain to them the environmental protection knowledge: keep cleanliness starting from me, the effect of the forest, what are the hazards of waste, wildlife protection and so on. Mr. Dai from the school organized children to clean the school surrounding environment.  Right: Children were clapping hands, singing cheerfully

Shiquan Village Primary School Nutrition Project: Shiquan Village Primary School is located on the mountain of 1800 meters above sea level. Children have to have their breakfast before 8 am and take at least 1-2 hours mountainous walks to reach school before 10 am. After class at 3 pm, they all need to walk another 1-2 hours back home. During the lunch time, the school has no facility to provide any lunch for children. Some children have to buy some snacks for lunch, and some have to suffer hunger. In order for the children to have enough nutrition in their lunch for their afternoon study, DORS decided to purchase one micro-wave oven and some lunch boxes for the school. Children could bring some food from their home and warm up in the school for their lunch. All children cheered up when they saw the oven and lunch boxes.  We especially explained to the teachers how to use the micro-wave oven, the caution and cooking procedures. We believe that the hot food could give our children feel warmth like in the spring during the coming winter .

Left: Children walked to school carrying (with) firewood. (For) Those who have read DORS’ newsletter No 94 would be familiar with this photo. We expect that this is a way which could bring children warmth carrying the firewood away during this winter.   

Activities for Children’s Day (1^st June) of Shiquan Village Primary School: June is the children’s cradle, is the children’s happy garden. Children have wonderful remembers of June. All children are looking forwards to having Children’s Day every year. In late May, DORS and Shiquan Village Primary School’s children celebrated the Children’ Day together in advance. The children performed dancing and singing and we all have enjoyed “Ping-pong crossing river” and “Touching the elephant’s noses” games with children. Children were very happy to play games especially when they received gifts from us. We were reminded of our childhood by children’s naïve smiles, (of) which also took us back to the past. Right: Could you feel the happiness from our children?

Healthy Village Project:

Mo Duo Village Drain Construction: Villagers were very active to build their drain, all of them including elders and youths were involved in the construction work which lasted for over 10 days. Every one was busy to keep their own environment clean and they all thought it was worthwhile for them to work on that. For the project post maintenance, villagers were willing to follow what they had drawn up at the beginning. In order to have enough room for vehicles passing, the households along the road gave out their own steps, trees, wall and bamboos voluntarily for the drain construction. They all said: we would like to give our land as long as our children could walk on the clean cement road.

Above: Villagers from Hamlet 7 of Mo Duo village were building the drain; everyone was doing their own work according to the job division.

Healthy Village Cultural Activities for Youth Day in Moduo Village :

Moduo Village invited the Cultural and Sport Bureau, Women’s Federation and Yongli Township to attend this cultural activity celebration. Government leaders from each department expressed their congratulation and blessing for Moduo Village’s development. DORS also took the chance to summarise the village projects and to demonstrate our projects to the government leaders and villagers.

Villagers performed drum, dancing, choir for the audiences and received lots of applause.  Mr. Jiang, director of the County Sports Authority, gave a talk show and gave us lots of fun. (Left) . The Indian Dance brought the activity into climax. A song of the “Grateful Heart” by the Women’s Federation expressed the villagers’ gratitude to the government and to all people from the world who have been giving them support since the disaster of the earthquake happened.

 DORS performed a song of "Sunshine always comes after the storm,"(see right) to encourage people to build their healthy village. The most attracted items were the 2 opuscula written by Mr. Deng Guohua from Moduo Village and performed by villagers themselves, one was called “Visiting Moduo Village”, which connected the Healthy Village Project into the show. Another called “Smart Wives Selection”, which talked about the objective, procedure and achievement of the Smart Wives Project. Although it was a sunny and hot day, all audiences and actors were very active and busy on the stage, and looked forwards to having the next activity. 

Mo Duo Village Green Apple Cultivation Management: April, we organised a training for Green Apple Cultivation Management for Mo Duo villagers. The training included Apple Flowers’ pollination, flower thinning and pruning during spring season, fertilization, disease prevention management and so on. The training was intended to train people to acquire relative technique of the apple cultivation management therefore to improve apple’s yield through controlling the diseases and better use of pesticide.

In May, DORS arranged a field trip for villagers to Liyuan Town Dashu village to learn the (apply) bagging with plastic technique. Prior to this trip, under the assistance from Officer Mr. Zhang Chongqing of Community Partner, DORS had organized a specific workshop on soil and watering management, the effect of biogas slurry and the hazards of pesticide for local villagers. Above: Villagers from hamlet 8 of Mo Duo Village were applying the apple bagging with plastic technique.

Mo Duo village waste management: In order to have a clean and hygienic environment, after discussion with the Mr. Xiao the principal of Yongli Township Primary Centre School, we decided to conduct environmental cleanliness campaign for students so that they could go back home to talk to their parents and clean their own environment. With the assistance from the teachers of grade 3, two campaigns were held in the school. The first campaign was held during the morning exercise time. A teacher illustrated the environmental protection knowledge and emphasized the effect of the waste sorting and waste hazards for all students. The second campaign was for the students to learn the song of “Cleanliness Song”, which has nice lyric. Students were very interested to learn and perform it. We would continue to work with school to increase students’ awareness of protecting our environment and through the students to influence their parents to keep our environment clean.

Biogas and fuel – efficient Stove Projects: In April, DORS went to the village and discussed with villagers about the project construction materials, technique, completion time, funding criteria, construction safety and responsibility and so on. We would proceed with this project and adjust the work arrangement according to the registration situation and the situation of the participants.

Ecological Sty and Toilet Projects: In April, the demonstrated toilet project was completed in Mo Duo and Cha Lin Villages. The demonstrated Ecological Sties were on the preparation. People were looking forwards to seeing the impacts of these two projects.