The Supreme Master Ching Hai
By China Relief Team (Originally in Chinese)
On October 7, 2014, a powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake rattled Jinggu County in Yunnan Province, China. As a result, one life was lost, 324 people were injured, approximately 7,000 homes were destroyed, and more than 56,800 residents were evacuated. Due to the dangerous living conditions produced by the quake, many people had to live in tents.
After hearing of the event, Supreme Master Ching Hai lovingly instructed our local Association members to render aid and offered a US$1,500 fund. Our Yunnan Association members contributed an additional RMB 91,934 (US$14,962), formed a relief team and purchased supplies on October 19 and 20. Our team was fortunate enough to obtain 1,000 military comforters at a wholesale price and 140 sets of school uniforms thanks to the support of one of our Association members who worked in the clothing wholesale business. Then, on the morning of October 22, we rented a large truck and made a delivery to the most seriously affected area, Yongping Township.
Because the buildings in some of the local schools collapsed and some were being repaired, the students could not attend school. Therefore, we asked the Red Cross to distribute the uniforms to the students when classes resumed. Six hundred comforters were stored so that they could later be delivered to the victims in the more remote mountainous areas.
On October 23, with help from the Red Cross, the remaining 400 comforters were distributed high in the mountains to the welcoming residents of Menglong Village. After expressing their thanks, the villagers bid us farewell.
Next, we drove to a city in Jinggu County, where we asked the Red Cross to distribute, with God’s blessings, three computers we purchased for Luolianchun Primary School located in a remote mountainous area. For the more than 40 children with disabilities at the Jinggu County Special School, we purchased 1,000 kilograms of rice and 30 barrels of cooking oil. We also gave RMB 1,000 to the School and asked the staff to purchase fruit, vegetables and vegan biscuits for the students.
When we departed, all the children lined up to say goodbye and were reluctant to let us go. A government official told us that the people of Jinggu would forever remember the good deeds and be grateful. Through God’s grace, our relief work in Jinggu was completed smoothly.
Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her International Association for Earthquake Relief Work in Jinggu County, Yunnan Province, China
| Description | Amount (RMB) | Receipt |
|---|---|---|
| Comforters and school uniforms | 77,500 | A |
| Rice and cooking oil | 6,170 | B |
| Computers | 11,400 | C |
| Transportation | 5,042 | D |
| Cash contribution | 1,000 | E |
| Total | RMB 101,112 (US$16,462) |
The relief team members paid RMB 380 for their own travel expenses.
