YAO JIN, China – We have collected our blueprints from the architect and we’re now in the process of getting final approval from the local government.

This has not been a simple process. Many hours have been spent in smoke-filled government offices discussing logistics and technicalities. Our plan has to fit in with the regional construction strategy and this has involved running from one government office to another getting various certificates and documents; but then, rebuilding an entire village should not be expected to be an easy task.

One of the documents required by the local government was a petition by the villagers stating they wanted our assistance. In our last meeting I saw that document being handed over. It was practically a work of art. Each villager had signed their name and then stamped their fingerprint in red ink next to the signature.

Over 200 red fingerprints signified that the villagers are eager for the project to happen. But we knew that from day one. We found Yao Jin in ruins and the villagers facing the mind-numbing prospect of having to live under massive debt for the rest of their lives. Most of the villagers were already living well below the poverty line, and then the quake pushed that line much higher. This project is not only providing the villagers with shelter, but it is also helping them to break out of the cycle of poverty.

After being away for a month, I am back in Yao Jin to relieve another Operation Blessing coordinator. Returning to the village was like coming home and it was great to see all of the familiar faces of the villagers. They were all very keen to slap me on the back, shake my hand and greet me with beaming smiles. It was quite touching. They know that when the OB team is in the village we are working toward rebuilding their lives, and I think somehow our presence offers some comfort to them.

It is harvest season and all of a sudden the village is much more colorful. Bright yellow corn is hanging up to dry everywhere and the villagers are snacking on apples and peanuts. The village leader proudly showed off a basket of red chilies that are destined to numb the villagers’ tongues in the spicy food that is particular to this region of China.

I visited with the villagers and found Mr. and Mrs. Chen Sheng Hua drying corn on what used to be the floor of their old home. Mrs. Chen laughed as she spread the corn out with a rake on what was once her kitchen floor. I’m continually moved by the resilience of these villagers. Mrs. Chen used to stand on that floor cooking meals in her home, and now she is standing in the open air preparing the only thing the Chen’s have left in the world; some corn they planted before the earthquake. The Chen’s granddaughter, Xue Ling, was keen to show me her new kitten. It was a flea-bitten, skinny, little kitten, but it is bringing joy to a young girl living in a disaster zone.

There is all kinds of new life in the village. There are baby ducklings everywhere, a new puppy, and a horse that has been brought in to help plough the fields. The midsummer heat has dropped off and the temperature is much more bearable. But it’s a reminder that we’re heading into colder seasons.

Our timing with the reconstruction is important for getting the villagers into safe housing before the midwinter cold sets in, so we are working as hard as we can to ensure construction begins soon. Amongst the approval process we have also started to arrange quotes for raw materials and will soon be breaking ground and, ultimately, breaking the cycle of poverty for the villagers of Yao Jin.

Tags: Asia, China, David Darg, Disaster Relief, Earthquake, OBI, Operation Blessing, Rebuild, Sichuan, Sichuan Earthquake, Yao Jin

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm and is filed under Asia, China Disaster. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.