On 12 May 2008 an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck Sichuan province in southwestern China. As the only UNV volunteer serving nearby, I felt an obligation to contribute, so I volunteered to help the victims near my duty station as a field interpreter.
What follows is a diary of my work with the Red Cross in the Mian Yang area and the role of volunteerism in dealing with this major crisis. (Note: diary written 'blog style' in reverse order.)
Liu Lei, UNV volunteer
See also a Chinese language blog: gushuivolunteer.blog.sohu.com
02 June 2008, 23:06
Earthquake Diary: 1 June by Liu Lei
Sunday is International Children's Day, and this year people around China have one common concern: children in the earthquake-hit regions. We know that many children suffered in the devastating quake but there are still many of them who survived, and they are eager to get back to study and playing with their friends. Children are the most vulnerable group in our community and much attention needs to be paid on them.
Read
02 June 2008, 22:56
Earthquake Diary: 30 May by Liu Lei
The best way to prevent epidemics in quake affected areas is to guarantee the safety of drinking water and the treatment of waste. IFRC has paid much attention to that and sent a health delegation to follow it up. Today I will go with the British ERU to Jiulong and Banqiao Townships of Mianzhu City, which were destroyed by the tremor, to investigate where to locate the water purification system and set up mobile toilets in order to ensure sanitation.
Read