(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-30 08:21

CHENGDU: A desk of the nursing department of the Huaxi Hospital in southwest Sichuan province bears the sign Xun Qin (seeking families). Volunteers man the desk, sifting through files containing the personal information of patients.

"We work from 8 am to 8 pm, receiving people looking for their relatives. We have been very busy, although in the past few days it has been rather quiet," a volunteer surnamed Deng, said. He works for a technology company based in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

Deng is just one of many thousands of people who are doing voluntary work. Although their backgrounds might be different, they all have one thing in common - to the help quake victims and their families.

"We are very happy that a lot of people have found their relatives, but we have had to face some difficult situations at times. Many people have come to the hospital to enquire about their relatives, some have been lucky, others not so," a volunteer from Sichuan University, Ji Yuandong, said.

Ji said about 30 volunteers from the university are working at Huaxi Hospital.

A 49-year-old restaurant owner, Su Yushuang, is also one of them. Following the earthquake, she suspended her business and left her home in Liaoning province for Sichuan.

"I've been a care worker for years. At the hospital I train other volunteers on how to take care of patients.

"I grew up in poverty. I never went to school, however, I am living a happy life thanks to our country's development. I am very honored to help at such a critical time," Su said.

Yan Changfeng, 41, from Guiyang, Guizhou province arrived in hard-hit Hanwang two days after the quake to help out. He is busy disinfecting piles of debris and moving the injured to hospitals.

Back home, Yan's wife has launched a donation drive and their son is selling flowers to raise funds.

Yan is willing to sell his collection of paintings and calligraphy to help build new schools in the disaster regions.

"The only thing we can do is to help relieve some of the pain," Yan said.

Among the volunteers, are people from the "Post-1980" generation, long been accused of being selfish and apolitical.

At Chengdu airport, 14 volunteers from Xinan (Southwest) University for Nationalities are helping to transfer patients.

"At first we helped transfer relief supplies, but these days we are also helping to take victims to hospitals. We're all children born in the 1980s. At home I don't even carry a water bucket, but here I do all kinds of things," Luo Lan, 22, said.

Some other volunteers are driving jeeps between the mountains, transferring relief supplies or carrying journalists to the hardest-hit areas. Some of them are professional race drivers.

Zhang Yaohui, director general of the cultural relics bureau in Guanghan, has called for the setting up of an earthquake museum.

Xinhua

(China Daily 05/30/2008 page4)