To help the disaster-stricken people through this tough time, the faith-based Amity Foundation issued digital "baby vouchers" to the affected people to purchase baby supplies, while churches from Guangdong, Fujian, and Hubei have donated funds and supplies to Jishishan County in Linxia Prefecture, Gansu.
Starting on December 24, 2023, the foundation, in collaboration with the Chengdu Shouyu Charity Development Center, provided redemption cards to 200 families with infants and young children in the affected areas.
"During our research, we found that families with infants in the affected areas have a high demand for milk powder and diapers. However, brands and specifications vary from child to child, making it challenging to meet each person's personalized needs through traditional unified purchasing methods," said Tan Hua, director of Community Development and Disaster Management at the Amity Foundation.
In partnership with Tencent Charity Foundation, the Amity Foundation distributed digital "baby vouchers" to over 2,500 parents of babies born in 2023 in Jishishan County. Each assisted infant receives four vouchers of 50 yuan, totaling 200 yuan, which family members can use via electronic payment to buy milk powder, diapers, clothes, and shoes locally.
Following that, they intend to give these vouchers to every child born in 2023 in Minghe County, Haidong City, which also experienced earthquake damage.
Amity added that as of December 31, 2023, they had transported heaters, coal, cooking oil, lamb meat, vegetables, power strips, and more to the disaster-affected areas. This aid covered 10 locations in Gansu, including Dahejia Town, Shiyuan Town, and Liugou Township, and areas in Qinghai Province such as Guanting Town, Minhe County, Daowei Tibetan Ethnic Township, and Xunhua County in Haidong City.
In addition to Amity, churches in cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and others in Guangzhou Province initiated donation activities during Sunday services on December 24 and Christmas Eve events. So far, the provincial Christian Council, 21 municipal Christian councils, local churches, and the Charity Foundation of Guangdong CC&TSPM raised over 1.5 million yuan, said the provincial CC&TSPM.
Fujian churches have donated 600,000 yuan to the affected people, reported Fujian CC&TSPM.
Wuhan CC&TSPM in Hubei Province purchased winter supplies valued at 30,600 yuan (including quilts and cotton clothes) and delivered them to Jishishan County.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
