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SICHUAN, China: More than a month after the Sichuan earthquake, schools in some afflicted areas have resumed and many survivors are trying to get back on their feet again.
Seven-month-old Xue Jiaxin is considered the lucky star of the Cheng family. The family of four escaped the quake unhurt because of her.
She was supposed to be taking her nap that fateful afternoon. But because she was crying, the whole family went outside their home to play with her.
Today, they live in a 13-square-metre unit in Xingfu community with 1,400 others who had lost their homes in Dujiangyan.
Each of them receives about US$1.50 and 500 grammes of rice daily, on top of relief rations.
The settlement comes equipped with facilities such as convenience stores, public bathrooms, schools and even hair salons to make the settlers feel at home.
With a roof over their heads, many survivors are quickly moving on, going back to their old jobs or finding new ones. They said they want to rebuild their lives by being self-sufficient again.
Jiaxin's grandmother, Yang Huiping, is one of them. She signed up as a cleaner for the community immediately when she heard of an opening.
Madam Yang said: "I earn 600 yuan per month but it's not enough. We need to spend a few hundred yuan every month for my baby granddaughter alone. Now we feed her with milk powder mixed with rice. We have nothing left. Her aunt just bought her five tins of milk powder."
They were previously resettled farmers who sold their land to the government and made money by renting out their houses. After the quake destroyed their homes, they are now starting from scratch.
More temporary shelters are being built in the Xingfu community, and the second phase will house another 8,000 people.
The government's relief subsidies will last three months, until August. To help more survivors find work, a cooperation has been set up to provide employment opportunities for those who are most in need. - CNA/ac
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