Woman works nonstop to aid afflicted villagers

It was noontime on Sunday. Inside a temporary shelter for villagers whose houses had been leveled by floods eight days earlier, some villagers lined up for lunch - instant noodles, a bottle of water, a package of pickles and a sausage. Volunteers cleaned the dining table after each person finished eating to make way for others.

Outside, three pickup trucks loaded with necessities, including disinfectant, food and water were waiting to be unloaded. Some residents were sitting in the shade of trees, engaging in small talk. Everything was proceeding in an orderly way.

Chen Jianjun, 37, who is in charge of the government-held settlement, was finally able to sit down for lunch at nearly 1 pm - instant noodles. She got up three times as she was summoned to arrange incoming relief supplies.

The settlement, located at Second Middle School of Yingli, Shouguang, in Shandong province, can house a maximum of about 6,000 villagers. They come from 24 communities.

Yingli is one of the towns in Shouguang that was most affected by Typhoon Rumbia and the flooding that came with it starting on Aug 19.

Thanks to timely evacuation, there were no casualties in Yingli. But more than 95 percent of the town's planted cornfields - the major agricultural product - was inundated. Forty of the 41 vegetable greenhouses were damaged.

Chen recalled learning of the potential flood danger on that first morning, and Party leaders in each village were told to notify villagers to evacuate.

"We went to each family to ensure that they understood the danger of flooding and told them they should prepare to leave," said Chen, who serves as deputy Party secretary in Yingli. "It's still summer vacation for students, so we chose the school as a temporary settlement. It has a dining hall and dormitories."

Early on Aug 20, the population of the settlement reached its peak.

"Since then, more than 100 people have come to work as volunteers, making my work much easier," Chen said.

Chen divided the volunteers into four responsibility groups - setting up tenants, distributing relief materials, overseeing medical matters and sanitation, and watching out for villagers' safety.

"She is considerate and helpful," said Wang Zhiqiang, a volunteer. "She often talks to the residents to understand their needs and, more important, to boost their confidence about rebuilding their homes."

All villagers have returned home as villages recovered. Chen, however, is too busy to go home for other work. She had been at the school around the clock for eight days.

"I'm afraid that once I leave, there will be emergencies. Villagers have suffered great losses, and I don't want anything bad to happen again," said Chen through dry lips.

"My husband understands me but my son misses me a lot. Every time we have a call, my son keeps calling 'Mama'. I miss him so much," said Chen, whose son is 8 years old.

Chen said she will not leave until the last villager goes home.