Gebchak Wangdrak Rinpoche is the custodian of 35 children left orphaned after the devastating 2010 Yushu earthquake. Please help these children by making a contribution towards their education and well-being. In the Gebchak Gonpa section please add your gift in the “Earthquake Fund” field. If you are a USA resident and wish to send a check in US dollars, please follow the information for checks here.
Social Action
Epicenter within Yushu county. Map based on OCHA/ReliefWeb.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Yushu County in southern Qinghai province on April 14, 2010. The capital of Yushu, Jyekundo (སྐྱེ་རྒུ་མདོ་), was flattened by its overwhelming force. According to the Xinhua News Agency, 2,698 people were confirmed dead and over 12,000 were injured in the area.
Gebchak Gonpa, a few hours drive away to the south, suffered increased damage to its old temple, but luckily all nuns remained safe. In Jyekundo Wangdrak Rinpoche alongside many other rescuers worked in freezing temperatures searching for survivors, recovering bodies, attending to the living, and praying for the deceased.
Rinpoche’s unwavering kindness and compassion includes taking responsibility for 35 children left orphaned by the disaster. The quake struck at breakfast time, killing many children while they were in their school canteen. Other children who were still walking on their way to school were spared by being outdoors.
News of the Yushu earthquake aftermath has mostly disappeared from mainstream media, and yet this tragedy will continue to impact the region for a long time. A year later, the city is still an expanse of blue tents and much of the basic infrastructure remains weak.
Wangdrak Rinpoche with orphan, Anyuk Chunga. She was found in the arms of her dead mother after the quake. Her father did not survive.
Wangdrak Rinpoche’s great wish for these orphans is for them to be safe, fed and clothed, to receive a rounded education and to remain in the area where they were born. Each contribution makes a massive difference for these children through the creation of a nurturing safe-haven, and one day – a school!
Please visit the Gebchak Flickr site for more images.
2011 photos here.
Watch more video here.
Read our NewsBlog for updates on the orphans.
