Chengdu, China

I’ve finally arrived in China!

At present I’m visiting friend Meg in Chengdu. Meg and Kate (new friend; Meg’s flatmate & colleague) have graciously invited me to stay at their apartment and have been sharing their knowledge and experience in the world of micro-credit AND relief work.

Meg and Kate work for an NGO called Ecologia, which conducts a micro-credit program in rural China. Ecologia’s main partner is the Rabbit King (see previous blog entry). The Rabbit King provides poor villagers with the rabbits and training to start small businesses. Ecologia then grants small loans to eligible farmers so that they can grow their rabbit farm businesses. Money might be used to build pens, to buy feed-making machines, or to buy more rabbits.

With last month’s devastating earthquake, troubleshooting the new and immediate problems of farmers’ loss of shelter, food, water, etc. became a necessary piece of the puzzle.

Wednesday Meg and Kate let me tag along for a trip out to one of the villages they work with. I got to meet some of the rabbit farmers who have received loans from Ecologia. Among the lovely cast of characters I met was the Rabbit Prince, 17-year-old son of the Rabbit King and Queen.

One of the purposes of the day’s outing was to get estimates on the cost of reconstructing farmers’ homes. Many people are living in tents outside of their houses, because the buildings are standing so precariously—it’s an extreme safety hazard. These structures usually shelter large families, as well as any livestock the families depend on for their livelihood.

(Check out the links to the Ecologia and Sichuan Xuping Rabbit Co. websites for more info if you have the time and interest.)