Two years after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit China’s Sichuan province claiming almost 70,000 lives, World Vision continues to walk hand-in-hand with affected communities to assist in restoring normal life.

To date, World Vision has provided assistance to more than 2.1 million people in the hardest hit provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu.

As part of the recovery efforts, World Vision has focussed on education, health, housing, community infrastructure and livelihood development, with 27 school buildings constructed. Over 7,900 households have received subsidies from World Vision to rebuild their houses, while various community infrastructure projects like road construction and water system have also been carried out in villages.

As a child-focused organisation, World Vision is also concerned for the emotional needs of post-quake children. 22 Child Friendly Spaces have been set up, providing a safe environment for children to play, learn and share their experiences.

“Every time when we talk about the quake, even the adults could not stop their tears. But children usually have a simpler mind. You would find them easier to recover, given that you can play with them,” says Wong Chingyee, a World Vision staff member in Qingchuan. “Now they are able to focus again on something children normally care, such as academic results.”

To reduce future risks that children may face in a disaster, World Vision has carried out over 30 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities and will continue to teach disaster preparedness knowledge at schools and communities.