Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) – Jinde Charities, the Chinese Catholic charitable organization, working alongside foreign collaborators (Caritas of Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, Australia...) has launched a Lenten Prayer campaign for the earthquake victims. The statement available at www.jinde.org, says: “since the great earthquake on May 12 of last year, Catholics throughout the world have donated over 20 million Yuan, through Jinde Charities, for aid materials and moral support. And they continue working towards reconstruction...Lent is a time for conforming ourselves to Jesus, a time to offer sacrifices. Along with our collaborators, we are launching an appeal to all Catholics, asking them to continue offering their prayer and support for the earthquake victims still living in precarious conditions.” The Catholic community is among the few whose workers have remained at the site, helping the Chinese earthquake victims.
A representative from Caritas of Germany and an Australian volunteers returned to the earthquake zone at the end of February, along with workers from Jinde Charities, to analyze progress and reconstruction, reaffirming their collaboration with Jinde Charities. They visited 4 of the districts that suffered the most in the quake, as well as the moral support stations set up by Jinde Charities, verifying the location of a portable water source at over 1,500 meters above Wen Chuan, the epicenter. They have also responded to the request made by farmers from Chen Jia Ba, asking that they send seeds and fertilizer. At the beginnings of March, Jinde Charities distributed seed and fertilizer to 6,500 farms in 7 villages, equal to a sum of 100,000 Yuan (nearly 8,000 Euro), providing enough to sow 20,000 mu (1 mu = 666,67 mq). They also provided 400,000 Yuan for 1.2 tons of seed and 50 tons of fertilizer this winter. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2009)
