HK$40 disaster relief bag that makes the difference between life or death
Teaching survival skills to people in disaster-prone areas needn't be expensive, Chinese University's relief team is proving
Cheap and simple supplies like a whistle, sugar and salt or even a family photo could be the difference between life and death in the event of a flood, earthquake or other natural disaster.
That's the message a team from Chinese University's centre for disaster and medical humanitarian response is delivering to mainlanders living in rural areas prone to natural catastrophes.
As well as teaching simple skills that save lives, the academics and students give families a rescue and relief bag to grab should disaster strike.
The team has visited 21 villages in eight mainland provinces since 2009.
For a recent visit to the flood-prone village of Hongyan in Sichuan province, the team was joined by Professor Jennifer Leaning, an expert in disaster response from Harvard University's school of public health.
"We tell the villagers that it's not just a matter of fate. You can do something to save yourself and families," Leaning said.
The universities are working together to offer humanitarian response training in Hong Kong to medical professionals and others preparing to join relief efforts, including exercises which simulate the aftermath of a disaster.