Hands On Disaster Response is now All Hands Volunteers

After 4 weeks in China, we are simultaneously:
1. Strengthening our relationship with our targeted project sites
2. Working towards securing permission to launch

The centralized bureaucracy and lack of a Chinese precedent for organizing NGOs, especially in a disaster context, adds to the challenge of this assessment.

Along with making connections with Chinese NGOs, we’ve also branched out our site assessments. John made the 10 hour trip to Bazhong, a cluster of rural villages built with mud brick construction on the very edge of Sichuan province. We’ve also followed reports on the situation in Gansu province from iboughtashelter.com, where they are now on the ground.

Operations director Marc Young will join me in Beijing this week for a round of higher level meetings, while John continues to pursue our connections in Chengdu. We’re planning a two-week push to try to move forward in both of our goals; thanks to our patient volunteers and supporters for your continued enthusiasm!

Due to the restrictive operating environment for foreign NGOs in China, we’ve shifted our strategy to finding a partner Chinese organization, with whom we can launch a response project open to both foreign and Chinese volunteers.

The past few days have been filled with meetings with various local and national Chinese NGOs and foundations. We present the work that HODR has done in other countries and how we can be effective in similar ways in Sichuan. The HODR model is very different from current NGO activities in China and so skepticism yields to curiosity, which turns into genuine interest in the opportunities we can create.

We plan to spend the next week establishing these partnerships. The operating environment in China is completely different from any country that we’ve worked in before, so these next steps are critical in determining whether a volunteer deployment is possible or not.

John Hancock
Project Coordinator

New assessment photos are now here!

On Sunday we joined iboughtashelter.com for their test build in Baiguocun, a village that has only a quarter of the tents it needs for its population of 2500 people. The fun, chaotic build was an amazing taste of what it’d be like to work in China. Men, women, and children pitched in, villagers showed up with all varieties of obscure and ancient tools which worked far better than our shiny new shovels and pickaxes, and we had as much of a workout from laughing as from erecting the durable, community-approved shelter!

We’ve narrowed down the list of villages that we’re interested in working in and are now trying to secure official permission to launch our volunteer base. While the lack of NGO infrastructure in China makes it challenging to receive such approval, we strongly believe that there are tangible, immediate ways that HODR volunteers can make an impact in the small villages affected by the quake.

John and I will split the rest of this week between scouting villages and obtaining permission to work in the area. We’re still optimistic that we can make a definitive project announcement by the end of this week. Thanks so much for your support; we’ll post again soon!

Stefanie Chang
Assessment Team Lead

It’s been a busy week here in Chengdu! Click here for a first look at the assessment, currently in progress.

Immediately upon arriving on Sunday, I met with reps from IFRC and Sichuan Quake Relief, a well-coordinated local expat relief effort. I’ve also made connections with a range of NGOs and local Chinese groups, all of whom have launched initial assessments in the affected areas.

Since Wednesday, I’ve been in the field visiting the areas around An Xian, Mianyang, and Mianzhu. In smaller villages with older construction, the devastation is complete – 90% to 95% of homes are collapsed or unlivable. John arrived on Thursday night and we’ve continued to assess and identify potential locations where HODR may be able to work. We’re amazed and touched by the gratitude and hospitality of the people we meet, who face such difficult circumstances yet always smile and shake our hands. Jodie, one of our invaluable local guides, said “In China, it is everyone’s dream just to have their own house. For so many people, now this is gone.”

The government is working hard to meet the shelter needs of people from the worst affected areas. A massive temporary housing operation is underway, with modular houses springing up in vast blocks in government-prepared lots. Local leaders have a strong understanding of the needs in their communities.

I feel confident that we’ll be able to reach a decision whether HODR can announce a volunteer project by the end of next week. Thank you for your interest and support; please continue to check back for updates!

Stefanie Chang
Assessment Team Lead