| Devastation and Faith | ||||||
| By Li Wei-huang; translated by Tang Yau-yang; photos by Hsiao Yiu-hwa | ||||||
A7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal on April 25, 2015. It killed more than 8,800 people, injured more than 23,000, and resulted in varying damage in nearly 40 of the 75 administrative districts in the nation. The disaster left the nation in disarray, with over eight million people affected. The Kathmandu Valley, with an area of 220 square miles, is a cultural and political hub of Nepal. Boasting seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the valley is noted worldwide for its temples, stupas, and historic buildings. More than half of these national treasures collapsed or were seriously damaged in the temblor. Aid poured in from all over the world following the disaster. Tzu Chi’s first relief team in Nepal was comprised of 15 members, including four doctors from Tzu Chi hospitals in Taiwan. They arrived in the country on April 28, bringing with them one ton of medical supplies and 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of instant rice.
The doctors treated injured people while the rest of the team assessed the damage to determine what Tzu Chi could do to help victims at that time and on into the future. The doctors on the first team discovered that the nation sorely needed medical supplies to treat broken bones. Staff at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital scrambled to round up the materials. They sent them with the second delegation, which arrived in Nepal on May 1. The second team likewise identified items that were in demand, such as antibiotics, medicated patches, and ointments. These were supplied by the third delegation to Nepal. In this fashion, teams of volunteers worked in relays to help quake survivors. The last time that Tzu Chi had rendered aid to Nepal was more than 20 years ago. In 1993, southern Nepal was badly flooded. Tzu Chi built 1,800 homes for survivors in the three devastated areas of Sarlahi, Rautahat, and Makwanpur.
The volunteers After the earthquake, it proved quite challenging to get aid supplies into Nepal, let alone conduct free clinics and relief distributions. Tzu Chi volunteers did the best they could under the circumstances. In the disaster areas, they navigated through the debris, fought through the stench, and visited survivors in tents or other temporary shelters under the hot sun. Volunteering in a disaster area is never easy work, but they willingly signed up to help. As is customary, Tzu Chi volunteers took part in the relief missions in Nepal at their own expense and on their own time. Zhang Qing-wen (張清文), one of the volunteers, had to swap work schedules with colleagues and take a personal leave so he could be away from his office for 16 days. Zhuang Hui-zhen (莊慧貞), a homemaker, took money out of her savings to defray her expenses. Each volunteer made a deposit of two thousand American dollars in advance of their trips to Nepal. Joining Taiwanese volunteers in Nepal were volunteers from Malaysia, the United States, India, Indonesia, and Singapore. Lee Mun Keat (李文傑), from Malaysia, had volunteered in Sri Lanka for a year as part of Tzu Chi relief efforts in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. This time, like before, he bought a one-way ticket to Nepal since he planned to stay there for as long as he was needed.
He was fortunate to join the delegation for two reasons. Firstly, plane tickets from Malaysia to Nepal had been extremely difficult to come by because they had been scooped up by the multitudes of Nepali laborers anxious to return home from Malaysia to check on their families. Secondly, many other Malaysian volunteers had put their names in the hat for a slot on the Tzu Chi delegation. On the eve of Lee’s departure in May, more than a hundred volunteers were still on the waiting list.
A universal language Volunteers hit the ground running even though they did not know the local language. They picked up basic words and phrases, like “Namaste” for “How are you?” They smiled and greeted people warmly. They made up for the language barrier with warmth and genuine care as they distributed goods, provided free medical services, and visited survivors in their homes or their tents. On May 12, 2015, another earthquake hit the nation. The 7.3-magnitude aftershock sent many people running for their lives, killed 141, and injured nearly three thousand more. Tzu Chi volunteers hugged badly scared locals and led them in singing to soothe their overwrought nerves. Rabina Shakya, 17, and her parents are Buddhist, a minority in this nation that is more than 80 percent Hindu. She told Tzu Chi volunteers that she belonged to a local charity and that after the earthquake she helped raise relief money and distributed food to her fellow countrymen. “I’d rather give time to help others than sit around doing nothing or pitying myself,” she said. Volunteers hoped that she and other can-do Nepalese like her may well carry their nation forward on its way to recovery. |
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