On 12 May at about 2:30pm, nine-year-old Li Yao and her family experienced the most terrible day in their lives.
Like every other day, Li Yao had gone to school with her friends after having lunch at home. Soon after the lesson started, they heard a strange noise underground and then the whole building began to shake. Li Yao rushed to the door screaming with other children.
At that moment, Li Yao felt someone push her from behind and by the time she realised what was happening, she was lying outside in the courtyard. Li Yao had fallen from the third floor as the school building collapsed around her.
Her parents, who survived the quake, rushed to the school and pulled her out of the debris. Her clothes were covered in blood, but miraculously she only suffered a few scratches on her face and legs.
The family spent the night following the earthquake huddled together under a tree in their township on the outskirts of Shifang City. “I have never experienced such a dark night. The earth kept shaking, crying and shouting never stopped in the whole night,” Li Yao’s mother explained.
Complete devastation
When dawn broke, survivors were faced with complete devastation. Their once prosperous township had been reduced to rubble. There was no water, no electricity, and no food in the town and the only road to the outside world had also been seriously damaged.
Li Yao's family decided to gather with relatives and walk out through the mountains to seek help. On the way they passed many dead bodies that had been dug from the ruins and lined up by the roadside. Blood mixed with rain water flowed onto the road. Every time they saw such a scene, Li Yao's parents covered their little girl's eyes.
After two hours’ walking, the exhausted family was picked up by a relief truck and taken to an emergency shelter in Shifang City.
School tragedy revealed
There were more than 300 pupils at school with Li Yao when the quake hit. More than 200 were killed, and some are still missing. In Li Yao's classroom only seven children whose seats were near the door were found alive.
"If not for the teacher pushing them out of the door, none of them would have survived," said Li Yao's mother, crying. "The teacher herself was buried in the ruin. She has a four-month-old baby to feed. My God, now that baby has lost her mum! Please remember the name of that woman - she was called Yang Hong, 23 years old!"
World Vision staff met Li Yao and her family when they were distributing child-friendly kits containing toys and stationery amongst survivors in Shifang City’s emergency shelters. As staff showed Li Yao the toys contained in the kit, a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes.
Soon after, Li Yao and some other children gathered in a corner to play with their new toys. "I like the cartoon notebook most," she said with a smile, "I will write diaries in it."
Aid worker’s diary: “The faster we act, the more lives can be saved.”
By Mei Mei Leung, World Vision relief worker
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
It took some time to reach Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province. Our flights were repeatedly cancelled but we were determined to wait it out.
The World Vision emergency response team has gathered from all corners of China because this earthquake has produced an appalling death toll – 20,000 and some reports say thousands more are buried under rubble.
When we arrived at Chengdu Airport we had to wait an hour before getting off the plane as pallets of cargo were being unloaded on the runway by the People’s Liberation Army. I saw much needed rescue items coming in. I felt encouraged about the work that I was about to become a part of. Those of us here in Chengdu understand the faster we act, the more lives can be saved. My team and I felt bonded by our sincere desire to help.
Hospitals around the country have been appealing for blood. Queues of people formed outside clinics, everyone aware there was something they could do. Even in cities as far away as Beijing, people were donating. It was through such small actions that I understood how much people were willing to share in the burden of helping those affected by this earthquake.
The immediate area around Chengdu was not affected, but still people are quite nervous about another quake. Telecommunications are still volatile. I have a lot of difficulty calling in and out on my mobile phone. I can imagine the disaster area is going to be far worse.
Tomorrow we head to Shisang County to do assessments and distribute hygiene kits. People who have been without soap and clean towels for a couple of days now will finally have a chance to bathe.
We are also bringing along child friendly kits filled with crayons and drawing books to give the children a chance to concentrate on something other than the painful memories of the past couple days.
World Vision is a Public Benevolent Institution and operates two funds which have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status with the Australian Tax Office.
