IN CANTON

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 77, 1 June 1945, Page 2

IN CANTON

The now living in Hong Kong describes conditions in Canton which ho recently visited, after an absence ol' nine months. When we left Canton last April there were over 10,000 refugees. being sheltered and fed in various camps. Today the camps are ruinhered by hundreds. The Refugee Areas Committee, which was formed at the beginning of the invasion and which ha> done such noble work through all these months has decided that it is time now to c.ose the camps. This docs not mean, however that the economic problems of the refugees have been solved. Some are being rehabilitated with a small loan; others are being given travel money to go to some place where they have friends or relatives and where they hope that they may be able to keep soul and body together. There is still a residue of the absolutely destitute. . . . To some extent the problem of feeding them is being solved by "soup kitchens" —that is feeding .stations, where a bowl of gruel (soft boiled rice with a lew vegetables thrown in) i.s given to thetn once a day. This is being carried on in the churches of the city anil about '20 000 bowls of gruel are given out in .some 20 churches. For many this is the only food they get. Some may lie able to earn a little besides. There are many orphans among the refugees. Some of them have become separated from their parents. Some-of them are really orphan children whose parents have been killed. Then there are others who are only temporarily orphaned, that is. to say, their parents are unable to take care of them and begged to have their children remain until such time as they can find ways and means to support them. One Child Welfare Centre I wish to speak of in particular is the one we started, at Faa'k Hok Tung in True Light Middle School buildings. Miss Lois Armentrout and three Chinese workers are taking care of 80 boys and girls by giving them a clean home and motherly care, educating them in heart, body and mind. . . . As. far as people are concerned our guess would be that there are probably about 3-00 000 in the city. Some of the streets are crowded ; some appear to be very much as in former days. The shops are open. A cursory glance indicates a certain degree ol' prosperity. But take a second glance—one sees underfed children people in rags,, others with a hungry, starving look. ... It costs at a minimum twelve dollars.a month to feed a person sull'iciently to give him strength to work. This is about all one person can earn. If such a person has anyone dependent on him they are just out of hick. ...

If was sad to see the eity where one has been working lor more than :10 years in such a condition. Few of our old friends.' are there now. The • cultured people cannot stand living there. For the churches in Canton it has been a time of great opportunity for service. All honour to those church workers who are serving there in Christ's name. We have already referred to. one big item, that ol' feeding some of the poor with a daily bowl of soft boiled rice. Another service has been rendered to the children: nearly all the churches have organised popular schools. They have gathered in the. young children from the streets and taught them to read and write ? to play and s.ing. It seems that those who were Christians have become moic active and more attached to the Church. ■Many have found in religion, in this time of difficulty and stress, tlieii peace. It has given many of our Church workers a new idea of service. May God's name be praised through His Church in a diiYieult situation. (From "'The Glad 1 id.ings. )