Annual Report of HANDANewsletter 2014
1. To create an interactive sharing platform ofpeople affected by HD, and to enable them to understand more information aboutother peers and the outside world.
2. To show the life and spirit of peopleaffected by HD to the society, and to advocate “eliminate discriminationtowards people affected by HD, create a civil society together”.
1. Four issues of quarterly HANDA Newsletters with total copy of 7200,we have posted newsletters to 102 leprosy villages and 89 DermatologyInstitutes. The rest copy of newsletter were handed out on HANDA awarenessraising activities and government meetings. Feedbacks received from thevillagers that HANDA Newsletter has become one of the most popular readings forthem, it helped them to know the changes and situation in different villages. HANDANewsletter has become the most popular readings among villagers,
Words from villagers: “it enriches my life and keep meinformed of the changes from different places, if I didn’t get it timely, Iwould be feeling restless”.
“HANDA Newsletter offered me a platform to share myarticles among other peers and helped to improve my writing skills!”
The first issue covered the event on the InternationalDay for Dignity and Respect for March 11th.
1）In Guangzhou, on 9thMarch, to celebrate the 16th International Day for Dignity andRespect, HANDA together with 22 local NGOs jointly held the awareness raisingactivity in a downtown shopping mall. MC from Guangzhou FM 102.7 radio centrehosted the event covering interaction with audiences and disabled people bywriting up the friendly and respective words on the wall; story teller, dancingand painting, etc. Nearly 100 people including people affected by leprosy,physical and mentally disabled all sit at the square of mall quietly. With nosound, each of them hold a brush and painting colour, together drew a circlepainting with their imagination. Amazing painting was finished in 90 minutes,it attracted and surprised each participant and audience. This activity aimed to convey the concept--- “Weare all the same” as a way to reduce discrimination or prejudice in the societyon these vulnerable groups, to respect different forms of life, and todisseminate the idea of respect and dignity. While in Yunnan, on 15thMarch 2014, the 16th International for Dignity and Respect Day eventwas held in Dali, Yunnan. The event was organized with two parts: trail walkingfrom one village to another, participants got a chance to get into the villageand have close contact with the people living there, people have improvedunderstanding about leprosy and people affected. Charity sale and fund raisewith the theme of “to raise 100 hearing aids for the people living in leprosyvillage”. In total we raised RMB 27000 and 10 hearing aids.
2）There was one article written by villagerYang who had participated in the 5th HANDA Members Assembly inAugust 2013. He wrote about his experience being at the meeting and visit inGuangzhou city. Besides of this, we published 4 poems, calligraphy and riddlesprovided by people affected by leprosy,
3) Stories written by HANDA staff s(one in Guangzhou and one in Yunnan, all newly joined HANDA this year), theywrote about their stories having been working at HANDA for months. Volunteercontributed an article about their participation in Yunnan Fundraisingactivity: trekking 30 kilometers on bumpy roads to a leprosy village. Onevolunteer from Guangdong wrote about his first visit to leprosy village withthe team. “Reach out your hands to help those who are in need help, let’s makea difference to them”.
Contentof the second issue:
1) On 20thApril,to let the donors and public become fully awareof the operation and achievements of HANDA and promote more transparent andopen public welfare service, HANDA organized its work report meeting for theyear of 2013. Secretary General Dr. Michael Chen give presentation on thedetailed financial status (detailed breakdown of income, expenses), how HANDAhas managed these donations and to what extent the donation has made adifference to the beneficiaries. 5 HANDA committee members (people affected byleprosy) and more than 70 guests came to the meeting, and 3 invited specialguests Mr. He from CSR Asia, Mr. Long chief director from <fortune china>magazine and Secretary General Mr. Hu of Guangdong Qianhe Foundation all gavetheir comments from own perspectives on how to promote the NGOs financialoperation in a more transparent way.
2） One day city tours in Guangdong andYunnan. The trips helped to fulfilled the dreams of the villagers and feel theacceptance from outside. “I can’timagine having lunch in such a high-class hotel (five-star hotel in Guangzhou,who provided free meal for the villagers). If it wasn’t HANDA and warm hearted people’s support, we wouldn'thave the chance to be here!
3) In June, a group of local Lion’sClub joined the eye team to leprosy villages in Zhanjiang area and watched thework of the team. Eye doctor performed 22 cases of eye surgeries for the needypeople, and the cost was generously covered by the club members.
Besidesthe above mentioned contents, the quarterly progress updates (field work) werealso included.
Except printed Newsletter, we also posted the monthlyupdates via HANDA Weibo (Chinese twitter), Wechat. Our purpose is to let morepublic get to know our work, the needs and changes in villages. .
Content of the third issue
1. On 5th July the yearly HANDA fund raising event was taken placein Guangzhou. Depite the hot weather and the venue with no air conditioner,more than 60 people participated in this auction event. In collaboration withSian hospital, they donated 30 longan trees for auction. The purpose of thisevent was to raise funds for HANDA mobile prosthesis workshop, to help morepeople in need to stand up and live a different life. In total we raised about225,000 RMB
2. Summer camp: More than 100 university volunteers organized summer campfor the children in 14 leprosy villagers
3. A special wedding in leprosy village, new couple who were from differentleprosy villages, introduced by HANDA staff they got a chance to meet and fellin love with each. HANDA invited 15 public people to prepare and organize theirwedding in the village.
4. Highlights of HANDA activities
5. Articles written by the villagers from different villages in Guangdong,Guangxi, Yunnan and Hubei.
6. CCTV report on the rejection of 36 students from leprosy village bylocal school, after the media exposure, it immediately raised the social andgovernment attention. In November 2014, these students got finally accepted.
7. Donations breakdown and acknowledgement
Content of the forth issue:
1. The 6th HANDA Chinese Chess Contest was held in Domao leprosyvillage, Guangdong. Altogether 19 leprosyaffected people from 7 leprosy villages took part in the Contest. The theme“Chess Life, Endless Pleasure” implies that one never retract a move whenplaying chess just like one never walks backwards in his life, and that the funlies in the process not the result. The contestants enjoyed the game whileadhering to the principle “Friendship first, competition second”, whichdeserves approval and praise.
2. A special wedding. Two decedents of people affected by leprosy fromdifferent villages got married and HANDA helped to hold a wedding ceremony inthe village. The public was invited to participate and stories of leprosy villageswere shared in the tours. The first wedding in the past 60 years in Luduo washeld in Xishan leprosy village, Yunnan
3. On December 5, the 1st VillagersCongress of HANDA Yunnan was held at the conference hall of Yunduan HolidayHotel. For one thing, the congress aimed to elect seven villagers to form a“HANDA Yunnan Villager’ Committee” and to discuss and establish a managementsystem as a reflection of the villagers’ leadership and the mutual assistancebetween the leprosy villages. The 30 villagers from 25 leprosy villages casttheir votes to elect the members of the 1st HANDA Yunnan Villagers’Committee from 13 candidates. The new elected Committee consist of 7 members.
4. Story of sending 4 elders to reunite with their family members. Sincethey caught with the disease, they were forced to leave their hometown andnever seen their families. They finally got back to their home place and mettheir families, 3 were from Guangdong and 1 from Yunnan. Story captures thewhole process of going home.
Except printed Newsletter, we also posted the monthly worknewsletter, updates of project updates, needs and stories in leprosy villagesvia HANDA social medias, updates via HANDA Weibo (Chinese twitter), Wechat. Ourpurpose is to let more public get to know our work, the needs and changes invillages. .
Formore details please refers to <financial summary>.
On behalf of HANDA members and people who havebenefited from this project, we would like to express our great gratitudeto the generous support from Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation for its continuoussupport to this project. .
Yourssincerely
Dr.Michael Chen
Secretary General
HANDA Rehabilitation & Welfare Association
