CHINA: Assessment Update #2

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