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The novel coronavirus infection has become a serious concern worldwide and it is the common goal of every Chinese to fight the epidemic with concerted efforts. Under the leadership of the board members, the National Council of YMCAs/YWCAs of China (hereafter referred to as NCY CHINA) leads all local YMCAs and YWCAs to carry out activities in various forms, shoulder more responsibility and be persistent in fighting the pandemic to mobilize the community to the greatest extent. Facing the epidemic, NCY CHINA will never shrink or become fearful or absent and will contribute our efforts till the final victory.

 

 

NCY CHINA attaches great importance to the development of the epidemic and quickly takes the initiative to serve the society from a new perspective, which has become the highlight of China YMCA and YWCA’s work since the outbreak of novel coronavirus. On January 23, the NCY CHINA issued an notice Carrying Out Social Service Activities Under the Theme of “Love Our Communities and Fight the Epidemic” to local Ys, advocating that we should actively shoulder more responsibility in serving the society and carry out social service activities amid during in the fight while taking good self-protection. The initiative immediately received warm response from local Ys. They sent proposals and a warm reminders to service receivers and partners, reporting the epidemic from a scientific perspective, spreading "positive energy" and trying to help maintain social stability and prevent the public from being influenced by the "negative energy" dissipation of the information. By February 26, NCY CHINA, together with local Ys, has published 156 objective reports through Wechat. Up to now, none of the volunteers, the staff of NYC and local Ys in ten cities has been infected. All are safe and healthy!

 

At the critical moment of joint prevention and control, volunteers and staff from local Ys in cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Wuhan, Hangzhou, took the initiative to go to the community and work at the front line with resolute efforts for epidemic prevention and control. To fight against the epidemic, local Ys adopted a variety of measures including donations and social services, etc. And they also organized volunteers to fight against the virus through various forms such as painting, poetry composing, video recording and so on to cheer for the medical group at the front line and the whole nation as well!

 

Wuhan YMCA and YWCA, located at the epicenter of the epidemic, assisted NCY CHINA to match the available resources, and orderly send protective materials raised by NCY CHINA and other local Ys to front-line hospitals and communities that were in urgent need. Meanwhile, Wuhan Y spared no efforts to cooperate with the government in disease prevention and control.

 

In view of the "post epidemic" period, NCY CHINA advocates providing psychological consultation and counseling for citizens in need. In the future, NCY CHINA will carry out explorative services from new perspectives, such as enhance people's awareness on self-protection and capacity-building; strengthen the understanding of physical well-being and infectious disease prevention and control, habituate people to healthy living patterns that stress on good manners, hygiene, and science; advocate strongly for respect of nature, protection of wild animals and participation in eco-friendly activities; guide people to maintain a positive, optimistic, rational and peaceful mentality and help the public to form an objective way to depict social public order.

After the outbreak of novel coronavirus, NCY CHINA actively contacted our overseas counterparts and informed them of the great efforts in epidemic prevention and control made by China Y under the leadership of the Chinese government. And we received positive reactions from YMCAs in Singapore, the United States, Japan, South Korea, the Asia Pacific region, Taiwan and so on. They sent letters of sympathy and carried out various activities, sending a message of solidarity with China Y in the midst of the epidemic.

 

APAY immediately sent a letter to NCY CHINA to express their concern and sympathy and called on all national and urban YMCAs in Asia and the Pacific region to raise funds and protective materials to support and help China Y in fighting against the epidemic. YMCA of the USA and Japan YMCA & YWCA have also expressed their concerns about the people affected by the epidemic, and hope that all China Y staff, leaders and volunteers are safe and healthy.

 

Due to the epidemic outbreak in China, China YMCA failed to attend the recent World YMCA’s National General Secretaries Conference held in Jerusalem. All the fellow NGSs attending the conference expressed their sincere support and best wishes to China YMCA and Chinese people by signing a joint solidarity letter to China YMCA, which fully demonstrated the charm of the YMCA as an international community.

 

The National Council of YWCAs of Japan donated a batch of protective materials (14197 non-alcoholic clean cotton pieces and 648 masks of 11 different types) to China. Due to the shortage of masks and cleaning supplies in Japan, these materials were collected and donated by all local YWCAs in Japan and sent to China immediately to support the fight against the epidemic. Upon receiving the materials, China YMCA staff immediately sorted them out and delivered them in a fair, just and open way to people and places in urgent need.

 

Manila Downtown YMCA Philippines sent an e-mail of support to NCY CHINA and donated 10000 RMB to support China YMCA in the fight!

 

Gwangju YMCA in South Korea, in partnership with Shanghai YMCA, wrote us a letter of support, collected and airlifted us a batch of about 5000 masks under the leadership of their President (also a hospital director), even when masks were almost out of stock in South Korean market; A Korean couple, friends of Shanghai YMCA, who have long been supporting the community service carried out by Shanghai YMCA, instantly called Shanghai YMCA after the outbreak to inquire about the situation. After learning about the serious shortage of protective materials in China, they called on the Korean people in Shanghai and successfully collected 20000 masks, and they also made an urgent purchase order of more protective materials from South Korea and airlifted them to Shanghai. These materials were timely sent to hospitals and community service centers in Hubei, Hunan, and Shanghai

 

Besides, greetings were sent to Shanghai YMCA from APAY, the Singapore YMCA, Nantou YMCA, YMCA of the USA, Seattle YMCA, and Hong Kong YMCA. Hiroshima YMCA sent a letter to Wuhan YMCA, expressing their deep concern and sincere greetings to victims infected with the virus. "All Chinese students in Hiroshima are very concerned about the situation in their motherland and hometown. Many students also sent masks and other preventive materials to China," the letter read, “We also hope to do something for you to prevent infection and relieve anxiety in the society. Please let us know if you need our cooperation.”

 

A friend indeed is a friend indeed! Thanks to the international YMCA platform, NCY CHINA can not only tell the story how we Chinese fight against the epidemic under the leadership of the government, but also mobilize more overseas resources to support and assist the epicenter of the outbreak.

 

NCY CHINA has worked and will work closely with YMCAs & YWCAs worldwide, to convey the concerns and support from the international community and try to make a difference to the prevention and control of the epidemic. NCY CHINA has also called on all local YMCAs & YWCAs in China should be dedicated to services in their communities and make their efforts by either raising money or providing services to support those in need, taking the initiative to join in the fight. Merciless as the epidemic is, the worst of times reveals the best in people. Let’s embrace the world with love, and welcome the arrival of "spring".