In our ongoing efforts to assist those in Qinghai who suffered greatly from the Yushu earthquake, WildChina follows our peers in the travel world and their suggestions for providing aid to the area, in addition to providing our own insights.

One news item that particularly caught our eye was travel guru Peter Greenberg‘s article, Volunteer Vacations: Disaster Assistance in Haiti, Chile & China, on how to get involved in aid efforts to these three disaster-stricken areas. Combining service and travel, Greenberg’s article provides concrete ways to contribute to these regions’ health, community, and rebuilding efforts.

One of our highlights from the article is UNICEF’s efforts for women and children in Yushu. Greenberg writes,

The agency is [...] joining hands with China’s National Working Committee on Children and Women to establish ‘child-friendly spaces’ where young survivors of the earthquake can receive psycho-social support in a protective environment.

In addition to providing relief materials, UNICEF will be providing very important and valuable services to preserve the psyche of those surviving in Yushu. For more information, visit UNICEF’s homepage.

A complete list of Greenberg’s ways to provide disaster assistance can be found on Peter Greenberg’s blog.

Explore the ways that WildChina is helping in Yushu on the WildChina blog.

Teaching English, building roads, and revitalizing schools are not usually the first things that come to mind when most people think of romantic getaways. However, a recent article in TIME talks about couples growing closer through service vacations, or voluntourism.

From the article:

Even though volunteer vacations don’t leave much room for candles and flowers, says Antoniotti, they have been rejuvenating for her relationship. “Not that a typical vacation isn’t fun, but if it’s really easy, you don’t have those experiences that stretch you,” she says. “It’s like in exercise how they say tiny tears in your muscles allow you to get stronger. Little things that take you outside of your comfort zone challenge you as a couple and make you stronger.”

WildChina has always been dedicated to serving the local communities we visit, and we’re constantly on the lookout for new projects. We’ve taken students on service trips in Guizhou, work closely with the WWF in Sichuan, and are developing service trips with Habitat for Humanity. Visit us at wildchina.com and follow us on Twitter to learn more!