Introduction
In August of 2010, severe rains, floods and mudslides swept through Sichuan and Gansu Provinces in central China. In Gansu Province, mudslides killed 1,500 people and destroyed 700 homes. In Sichuan, mudslides damaged 13 cities and destruction of infrastructure left many remote areas isolated without electricity or potable water.
Give2Asia immediately began supporting relief efforts in the affected communities. Give2Asia raised and granted US$35,000 to two projects and grantees are now working to restore and improve education in the affected communities. Thank you to each donor who made this possible.
Beijing Red Cross Foundation
When the mudslides came through Wenshuan County, the Yanmen and Yinxing Primary Schools had only just been rebuilt after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Separated by only one kilometer, the two schools collectively educate over 800 children, mostly boarding students. The flood and mudslide crippled the newly rebuilt schools, leaving them without enough electricity for heat and without safe drinking water. Boarding students were forced to drink tainted water and endure frigid temperatures, resulting in students falling ill and dropping out of school.
The Beijing Red Cross Foundation received a combined US$96,000 from the Give2Asia China 2010 Flood Relief Fund and the Marvell Charitable Fund at Give2Asia to renovate the electric and water systems of these schools, providing a safe educational and living environment for students.
Beijing Western Sunshine Rural Development
In Gansu Province, the mudslides and floods of 2010 severely affected local education, destroying one schoolhouse and killing a local teacher. Even without this tragedy, the community faces many obstacles to quality education. Schools have no physical education, music, art, and in some cases, books. Often, teachers themselves have only completed middle school.
A US$19,000 grant from Give2Asia allowed Beijing Western Sunshine Rural Development Foundation to bring eight college-educated teachers and improved educational materials to six schools in Gansu Province. In addition to teaching, volunteers helped lead seminars on math, Chinese, English and reading to 11 local education officials and 200 local teachers.
Once in their new schools, volunteer teachers identified serious malnutrition among many students in addition to a lack of proper winter clothing. In response to these issues, Beijing Western Sunshine Rural Development used funding from Give2Asia to start the Nutritious Breakfast program to provide an egg for each student at breakfast. It also launched the You Can Shine program, which collected 6,388 pieces of new clothes and shoes for students.