The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation has granted the first batch of small funds for the post-disaster psycho-social programs of five organizations including Gansu Wenxian Post-disaster Rebuilding and Poverty Alleviation and Development Promotion Council, and the Doujiangyan Mother's Home.
According to Yang Qinghai, the deputy secretary general of CFPA, "Cheer Grows in Sports", a psycho-social program launched by CFPA and Nike in the area of the May 12 Earthquake has trained more than 700 teachers to be councillors in 13 counties including Mianzhu, Beichuan and Doujiangyan and this has benefited more than 20,000 students. Yang says that the program aims to stimulate the psychological self-healing potential of children affected by the earthquake and help them grow up healthily in addition to fostering their self-esteem, power of endurance, and team spirit through playing games and doing sports. This is also the reason why CFPA had decided to set up the small funds.
It is learned that to benefit more youth and raise the public's attention in post-disaster psycho-social programs, CFPA will grant funds of CNY50,000 to CNY300,000 fund to NGOs, and educational and psychological organizations which run these programs in the earthquake affected areas.
It is understood that the 2008 Sichuan earthquake not only destroyed millions of houses, but also had a negative effect on the psychology of children. As a result of the earthquake, many children have showed varied degrees of stress and response disorders and this has greatly affected their growth.
