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Time to return to normal life

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-31 07:29

While generous and sincere donations from all over the country ensured a timely "blood-transfusion" to the quake-hit northern Sichuan areas, it is time now to think about "blood-producing", says an article in Beijing News. The following is an excerpt:

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security announced on Sunday that it will, between July 27 and September 10, help to solicit information on posts, which can offer some 1,000 yuan ($147) as monthly salary with free accommodation.

These will be for some 1,000 job seekers from the quake-hit areas so that they can earn a living in the city after having suffered deadly shocks, both mental and economic, from the May 12 earthquake.

Though the biggest-ever donations gave a strong support to the surviving victims in fighting against the calamity, they may fall short of supporting full recovery and reconstruction of the disaster-hit areas in the long run.

In fact, besides the public and official help, victims need to stand on their own courage and efforts to re-build their lives after any natural disaster.

However, blaming the disruptions of normal work and life on the quake, some victims, who have been granted funds for their daily expenses and temporary residences, just idle around all day long or spend time away chatting or playing mahjong.

Currently, the urgent need of these victims is jobs that will help them regain confidence in themselves, defy their fate and rebuild their dreams for happiness.

Like what Beijing has done, we should also formulate policy incentives in doing so in many other places. On the one hand, the number of victims is very large, and on the other, the quake-hit area as an undeveloped region in the country does not have many occupations.

(China Daily 07/31/2008 page8)