Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from China.
A severe and ongoing drought throughout southwestern China continues to affect more than 25 million people and 8 million hectares of arable land, with extreme conditions seen across Yunnan and other provinces that meteorological experts are attributing largely to climate change.
In March, Supreme Master Ching Hai conveyed her love and prayers as she donated more than US$4,000, requesting that our Association members go help the most desperate and the neglected.
Combined with contributions of about US$1,400 from our Chinese Association members, the total US$5,500 could acquire approximately US$39,400 in urgent items in the United States, based on China’s overall cost of living.
Covering their own travel expenses, our Chinese Association members traveled to remote parts of Yunnan Province where they delivered crucial water supplies.
Per Supreme Master Ching Hai’s request for updates, the following is a report from our Association's relief team.
April 20, 2010 Most Benevolent Master,
Re: Drought relief in Yunnan Province This year, Yunnan encountered its most serious drought in 100 years. People and animals are short of drinking water in many places, and spring harvests have seen huge losses. On March 29, we purchased 1,200 barrels, or 24 tons, of mineral water plus 13 large containers
of bottled water.
We arrived with two truckloads of water in Luliang County’s Qujing District, where 1820 people in some 400 families had been desperately short of water for several months.
The relief team also delivered water to Xingren Primary School for the youngest children and families most in need. The villagers asked us to convey their gratefulness for the much- needed water. We also distributed SOS flyers on the vegan solution for such climate impacts, with many villagers asking for more flyers to share with their relatives and friends.
Our offer to build new wells at two primary schools, which would benefit many children as well as local people, was warmly welcomed by the local government.
Both Qujing and Baoshan District governments also requested our continued assistance in building more wells, which are the villagers’ main source of water.
Thank you Master for your loving care and blessing to these drought victims. We wish that all people return to the natural way of living to restore our planet to harmony.
With all our love,Yunnan Relief Team
VOICE: We thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for allowing us to share these details, as well as our Association’s Foreign Group for providing this report.Our gratefulness to the local Chinese governments for their efforts to assist residents in coping with the drought.
We also appreciate Supreme Master Ching Hai’s unconditional support of the vulnerable and our Association relief team’s giving service.
As we pray for the security and well-being of the Chinese people, we look forward to the day when the ecosphere is fully replenished through our wise and gentler stewardship.