Tent companies reach out to China

Tent companies do their part in the aftermath of May’s earthquake.

On May 12, everything changed in the Sichuan province of China. In addition to taking many lives, Sichuan’s earthquake leveled schools, hospitals and houses. As Chinese citizens and international helpers began cleanup, several tent companies stepped in to donate their time and materials. Losberger Shanghai and Röder Tent Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. are two of the many companies who have helped in the quake’s aftermath.

Losberger Shanghai sent 13 tents to replace collapsed schools and hospitals. Losberger employees coordinated with regional authorities and aid organizations to deliver and set up the tents in the places they were needed the most.

Röder Tent Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. contacted the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau (SCAB) to set up its donation. “Actually, we really have a very tight schedule of our rental service, due to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and some other events,” said Röder’s Wilona Tsien. “We made a quick decision to close the rental business in the following days [to allow the] donation.”

The SCAB allocated Röder’s tents to the Dujiangyan Beijie Experimental Foreign Languages School, to allow the school to re-open quickly after the quake and get students back into learning. “When we arrived,” Tsien said, “we saw the collapsed school and people living in tents on the playground, with tough living conditions.” Tsien said that the team worked closely with teachers and others to set up 10 tents over a one-week period. The tents are designated as classrooms for now, but the school can keep the tents and reuse them in the future when necessary.

Among many others who have aided the relief effort, the German military responded to quake needs by setting aside 80 large military tents. Each of the large tents can accommodate more than 700 people and is equipped with a power generator and air conditioner.