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HSBC's visit to Sichuan in 2009
In the wake of the devastating earthquake on 12 May last year, HSBC immediately began to raise funds for the reconstruction projects, donating a total of HK$220 million to the Hong Kong Red Cross - made up of contributions from HSBC, the Hongkong Bank Foundation, customers, HSBC employees and the general public from Hong Kong and 13 other countries and territories. This amount represented the single biggest donation that the Hong Kong Red Cross has ever received for disaster relief.
Almost a year later, in April 2009, Vincent Cheng, Chairman, HSBC in Asia Pacific and Teresa Au, Head of Corporate Sustainability Asia Pacific Region led a delegation of HSBC representatives to Sichuan to have a first-hand look at the ongoing reconstruction projects supported by the funds.
Summary of donation allocation
Projects highlights
Statistics from Sichuan's Public Health Department show that 823 people required amputations as a result of the earthquake. Hong Kong Red Cross partnered with the Deyang Disabled Person's Federation to establish the Deyang Disabled Person's Federation and Hong Kong Red Cross Rehabilitation, Prosthetic and Orthotic Centre last July.
HSBC has allocated HK$20 million to support the Centre's prosthetic and orthotic as well as psychological support services. The support will last for about five years to benefit patients with 1,500 prosthesis instalments, 6,000 times of artificial limb maintenance, 1,200 times of psychological support service, and 250 times of in-depth counseling.
HSBC donated HK$14 million to rebuild 2,625 houses in four towns in Sichuan. Fengshun Village, at the northernmost part of Jiangyou City in Sichuan, is one of the areas covered.
Almost all the buildings in the village collapsed during the earthquake and those left homeless faced living in cold, damp wooden shacks. The hilly terrain represented a major problem as it seriously affects the transportation of building materials. Staff from the Hong Kong Red Cross discovered some wooden houses built during the Song Dynasty that had not collapsed. These houses were built using 'post and lintel' constructions which offered considerable earthquake resistance and were suitable for rebuilding work in the rest of the village. Furthermore, the village's rich timber reserves made the plan more economically efficient and reduced transportation time.
More than HK$60 million from the HSBC donation has been used to rebuild ten town- and village-based schools, including the Xiaode Qingdao Nursery in Mianzhu, Deyang. The new 21,000 sq ft school building will open soon.
More than HK$63 million from the donation has been allocated for hospital construction - making up of 8 village-based hospitals, 98 town-based hospitals and one temporary central hospital and benefitting more than 380,000 of people.
The temporary central hospital opened in Yanmen Town last September. The town's original hospital was seriously damaged and was forced to provide emergency medical services in tents. A local doctor recalled that even some serious patients could not be admitted because of the lack of space. HSBC donation was able to fund a new temporary central hospital to provide enough accommodation for all seriously ill patients as well as advanced medical equipment.
Medical standards will receive a further boost when the construction of a new RMB2 million hospital is completed with funding from the HSBC donation.
The Sichuan earthquake shocked the world with its magnitude and the sheer scale of human suffering that it caused. The subsequent outpouring of care and concern from people in Hong Kong and around the world was remarkable. HSBC was proud to be able to use our distribution network to raise funds for those in need after such a devastating disaster.
Sandy Flockhart
Chief Executive Officer
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation Limited
"Contribution from HSBC has been of great help to the centre. I hope it will be a model for other rehabilitation centres to provide a full range of medical and counselling services to victims of other tragedies."
Peter Tsang
The prosthetic therapist in the Deyang Disabled Person's Federation and Hong Kong Red Cross Rehabilitation, Prosthetic and Orthotic Centre
"Our school collapsed and children were turned away and sent home. We were glad that children could return to school again following the building of the temporary nursery. Some children live very far away but they love studying."
A teacher at the Xiaode Qingdao Nursery
Hong Kong Red Cross progress report on HSBC donation (9 May 2009)
Learn more about HSBC Sichuan earthquake relief
Last updated on 28 May 2010
Vincent Cheng, Chairman of HSBC in Asia Pacific talks with Liao Yaoyao who is learning how to walk with her prosthetic limbs.
Tailor-made prosthetic limbs help amputees stand again.
These houses which were built using 'post and lintel' constructions offer good earthquake resistance.
Teresa Au, Head of Corporate Sustainability Asia Pacific Region, and Patricia Ling, Deputy Chairman of Hong Kong Red Cross visit the temporary central hospital supported by donations from HSBC and raised by HSBC.
Vincent Cheng (1st left), Teresa Au (1st right), Patricia Ling (2nd left) and Lady Wu (2nd right), Director of International and Relief Service of Hong Kong Red Cross visit the nursery school children bringing gifts of plasticine.
Students swift answers to maths games show that the disaster has not stopped them from studying hard.
Teachers in Sichuan are looking forward to the new school buildings that will provide a more comfortable learning environment for their students.
Community Investment projects
With the support from Hong Kong and countless others from around the world, the Sichuan earthquake victims are now building for a better future. We would like to express our deep appreciation to the Hong Kong Red Cross for their professional work in the disaster-stricken areas of Sichuan and also to the people of Hong Kong for their generous support.
Vincent Cheng
Chairman
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation Limited
