COVID-19 occurred around November 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and spread severely in Wuhan at that time. CODE launched a relief project on February 4, 2020, after an urgent request for assistance from our counterpart in China, Mr. Zhang Guoyuan, CODE launched a relief project on February 4, 2020.
Since only medical personnel could enter the blockaded Wuhan City, it was difficult for Zhang and his colleagues from the NGO to provide direct support in the area. Therefore, Mr. Zhang and his colleagues set up a relief network, CEER (Civil Engagement in Emergency for COVID-19) and started online volunteer activities. Volunteers joined each of the 10 teams (volunteer coordination, overseas coordination, information, action, advertisement, product, logistics, mental care, etc.) to take advantage of their expertise and specialties. Volunteers living in Wuhan City took the initiative in identifying needs, delivering relief supplies, and counseling those who were lonely and anxious to understand people’s thought from the closest place, while other volunteers in the relief network backed up their activities through online efforts.
Zhang and his colleagues asked for assistance from Japan because of the shortage of masks, protective clothing, and goggles for the medical personnel they were sending to Wuhan. Soon, however, the infection began to spread in Japan, making it difficult to obtain masks and other items, so we only collected donations for the local people and disseminated information about Wuhan City.
