International Volunteers Join Fight Against Epidemic

CHENGDU,China,Feb. 5,2020 -- Tongzilin residential community,one of the most concentrated expat communities in Chengdu,with about 4,300 expats from more than 30 countries and regions.Thomas Deshors,26,is one of the international volunteers participating in theinvestigation into the epidemic situation in Tongzilin residential community.

Deshors started his "drop-in" visits to a residential community in Chengdu,capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province Friday.He has already masteredhis work routine: first,ask the health condition of residents and take theirtemperature; then,ask them where they have been recently,especially if theyhave been to Wuhan,capital of central China's Hubei Province and also centerof the novel coronavirus outbreak; last but not least,share with themknowledge about protection against the virus and learn about their troubles.

"I think a foreign face is more friendly to foreigners," Deshors said. Thecommunity lacks enough staff who can communicate with foreigners in English.Many foreigners living here have thus volunteered to help community workers.

Tongzilin International Community Center,a platform to provide service forinternational residents,was established in September 2018 and an internationalvolunteer alliance under the center was also founded to enable the expats inthe community to participate in the governance of the community,said ZhangJiarong,Party chief of the community.

By the end of 2019,there were over 50 volunteers from different countries inthe alliance. During the ongoing fight against the epidemic,the alliance calledon the volunteers to lend a hand.

On Jan. 26,a post online attracted the attention of many foreigners inChengdu. It read,"urgent need for anti-epidemic volunteers. In response to therecent epidemic development,the community is eager to recruit English-speakingvolunteers to carry out anti-epidemic communication for foreign residents."

Ren Lijuan,a volunteer from Tongzilin Community International VolunteerService Team who is in charge of the recruitment of volunteers,said about 160people applied on the night when the online post was published,of whom nearlyhalf were foreigners and many were new faces. On the afternoon of Jan. 27,thecommunity started the drop-in visits.

"Before the visits,we conducted training for the selected Chinese and foreignvolunteers and provided them with masks and disposable gloves. In particular,we emphasized that volunteers should first protect themselves and maintain a certain distance from the residents," Ren said.

From Jan. 27 to 29,the volunteers helped conduct the investigation covering most of the foreign residents in the community.

Mario Rodriguez,an Ecuadorian pilot with Sichuan Airlines,just returned to Chengdu from Harbin on Thursday with his wife and three children.

"Everything is good so far. We're taking precautions," said Rodriguez,adding that he and his family members stay at home and have enough food. Though it is difficult to buy masks,his friends and company are offering help.

Similar drop-in visits have been carried out recently in many communities with concentrated numbers of foreigners in the Chengdu high-tech zone and Jinjiang District. Community workers and volunteers have collected the foreigners' demand for masks,disinfectant and other necessities and are trying their best to help.

"We are all joining in,both Chinese or foreigners. I hope that while protecting their health,we can also bring warmth to these foreign friends," said Chen Lirong,director of the Tianhua community residents committee in the Chengdu high-tech zone.

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