International Volunteers Join Fight Against Epidemic

PR82774

CHENGDU, China, Feb. 5, 2020 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

Tongzilin residential community, one of the most concentrated expat communities

in Chengdu, with about 4,300 expats from more than 30 countries and regions.

Thomas Deshors, 26, is one of the international volunteers participating in the

investigation into the epidemic situation in Tongzilin residential community.

Deshors started his "drop-in" visits to a residential community in Chengdu,

capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province Friday.He has already mastered

his work routine: first, ask the health condition of residents and take their

temperature; then, ask them where they have been recently, especially if they

have been to Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province and also center

of the novel coronavirus outbreak; last but not least, share with them knowledge

about protection against the virus and learn about their troubles.

"I think a foreign face is more friendly to foreigners," Deshors said.

The community lacks enough staff who can communicate with foreigners in English.

Many foreigners living here have thus volunteered to help community workers.

Tongzilin International Community Center, a platform to provide service for international

residents, was established in September 2018 and an international volunteer alliance under

the center was also founded to enable the expats in the community to participate in

the governance of the community, said Zhang Jiarong, Party chief of the community.

By the end of 2019, there were over 50 volunteers from different countries in the alliance.

During the ongoing fight against the epidemic, the alliance called on the volunteers to lend a hand.

On Jan. 26, a post online attracted the attention of many foreigners in Chengdu.

It read, "urgent need for anti-epidemic volunteers. In response to the recent epidemic

development, the community is eager to recruit English-speaking volunteers to carry out

anti-epidemic communication for foreign residents."

Ren Lijuan, a volunteer from Tongzilin Community International Volunteer Service Team

who is in charge of the recruitment of volunteers, said about 160 people applied on

the night when the online post was published, of whom nearly half were foreigners and

many were new faces. On the afternoon of Jan. 27, the community started the drop-in visits.

"Before the visits, we conducted training for the selected Chinese and foreign volunteers

and provided them with masks and disposable gloves. In particular, we emphasized that

volunteers should first protect themselves and maintain a certain distance from the residents,"

Ren said.

From Jan. 27 to 29, the volunteers helped conduct the investigation covering

most of the foreign residents in the community.

Mario Rodriguez, an Ecuadorian pilot with Sichuan Airlines, just returned to

Chengdu from Harbin on Thursday with his wife and three children.

"Everything is good so far. We're taking precautions," said Rodriguez, adding

that he and his family members stay at home and have enough food.

Though it is difficult to buy masks, his friends and company are offering help.

Similar drop-in visits have been carried out recently in many communities with

concentrated numbers of foreigners in the Chengdu high-tech zone and Jinjiang

District. Community workers and volunteers have collected the foreigners' demand

for masks, disinfectant and other necessities and are trying their best to help.

"We are all joining in, both Chinese or foreigners. I hope that while protecting their health,

we can also bring warmth to these foreign friends," said Chen Lirong, director of the Tianhua

community residents committee in the Chengdu high-tech zone.

Source: Tongzilin Residential Community