MACAU (UCAN) — Church relief agency Caritas-Macau is marking the first anniversary of the devastating Sichuan earthquake with a photo exhibition and charity program
to highlight the plight of survivors. The massive quake almost a year ago left 80,000 dead and attracted worldwide media attention. Caritas-Macau was part of the relief effort, had has raised about 4 million yuan (about US$586,000) in Macau to rebuild a school. It is now holding a photo exhibition that will run until May 12 at a Caritas community. It features about 80 photos showing the heart-rending scenes left in the wake of the 8.0 magnitude quake that tore apart lives and homes in southwest China. The exhibition also includes pieces of debris from and items associated with the aid program. These include a pair of shoes and a quilt that Caritas donated to victims, as well as the “hope handkerchief” sold to raise funds for the quake-hit areas at a candlelight vigil organized by Caritas-Macau a month after the disaster. In one corner of the library, visitors can write a message of support that Caritas staff will deliver to the survivors as a sign that their plight has not been forgotten. The exhibition has already touched many hearts. Chan Sut-ieng, 10, told UCA News that the plight of the people in Sichuan had made her so sad that she is donating part of her pocket money regularly to help them.
Many of the pictures have been provided by government departments in Wenchuan, the epicenter of the earthquake.