| Tzu Chi Events Around the World | ||||||||||
USA Tornadoes tore through northeast Texas on December 26, 2015, killing at least 11 people in the Dallas area. Roofs were blown off, vehicles destroyed, and power lines and trees downed. The cities of Garland and Rowlett suffered severe damage. Volunteers from Tzu Chi Dallas quickly mobilized to bring aid to victims. They handed out cash cards, each worth $100, to ten families on December 29. From December 31 to January 4, they distributed aid to about 350 families at the Granger Recreation Center in Garland. Families with one to three members each received a $200 cash card; larger families received a $300 cash card. Volunteers told victims that though there was not much money on the cash cards, it represented the love from many kind-hearted people around the world, and that they were not alone in this hard time because Tzu Chi volunteers were there for them. Many survivors were moved to tears when they received the cash cards from Tzu Chi. Many of them had repressed their emotions after the traumatic event, but those pent-up emotions were released as volunteers extended such warm care to them. Volunteers introduced the purpose of Tzu Chi and shared Master Cheng Yen’s teachings with them, hoping that the teachings could give them strength to face this painful event in their lives. One victim, Michael Murphy, had lived and worked in Taiwan for some time. When he learned that Tzu Chi is based in Taiwan, he felt as if he were meeting family. He said that he would pass on the love he had received to other people. He also obtained a Tzu Chi coin bank, and he promised that he would bring the money he saved in the container back to help others in future disasters. Garland Mayor Douglas Athas visited the distribution venue and thanked Tzu Chi for extending help to the city’s citizens. The mayor had visited Taiwan before, because Garland and Luzhu, in northern Taiwan, are sister cities. The mayor said, “We have a lot of people that were affected by the tornado that happened the day after Christmas. We have very strong residents, but all of them need help right now. The contributions that we are receiving have just made a huge difference. I’m very proud of all the people that survived the tornado, and I’m very proud of all our good friends who came to help. I want to say, ‘Thank you very much.’”
Taiwan An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale rocked southern Taiwan at 3:57 a.m. on February 6, 2016, just before Chinese New Year, a time when most people go home for family reunions. The calamity caused devastating damage and killed 117 people. Almost all of the deaths occurred in a collapsed 16-story residential complex located in Yongkang, Tainan. The temblor was the deadliest earthquake on the island since the 921 Earthquake in 1999. Tzu Chi volunteer Li Zi-rong (李咨蓉), who lives in Yongkang, arrived at the collapsed building complex at 5 a.m. She met several other volunteers who had also come on their own initiative to render assistance, and together they set up a Tzu Chi service center. Li stationed herself at the center, coordinating other volunteers and managing items donated by local residents. At 6:20 a.m., Tzu Chi established a coordination center at its Tainan office. Volunteer Li Qing-yang (李慶揚) rushed to the Tainan office soon after the disaster. He and other volunteers used Tzu Chi instant rice to fix enough breakfast for several hundred people, and they promptly had the food delivered to the disaster areas. Many stores and market stalls had already closed for the Chinese New Year holiday, making it difficult to purchase vegetables and other ingredients. Fortunately, many kind-hearted people donated vegetables to the Tzu Chi office within a few hours of the disaster, just in time for volunteers to prepare about 700 boxed meals for the first lunch after the earthquake. At the site of the collapsed building, some survivors, though injured, stuck around waiting for news of their family members still trapped under the debris. Some rescue workers, weaving in and out of the ruins, sustained injuries too. To care for these people, medical workers from Tzu Chi hospitals and the Tzu Chi International Medical Association volunteered at the site from February 6 to 14. These medical professionals put in 174 person-times and served over 400 patient visits. Rescue worker Yao Jun-de (姚俊得) was hit by a large piece of falling debris while he was saving the lives of others. Volunteer Chen Wei-ren (陳韋仁), a Chinese medicine doctor, cleaned and dressed his wound for him. The doctor then told Yao to be sure to go to a hospital for further examination. “I’m so grateful that there are doctors around today giving free medical service,” Yao remarked. After a short rest, he decided to return to his rescue work. “If I went home now, I wouldn’t be able to rest anyway. My mind would be filled with thoughts about the rescue work. I might as well finish my work here before I go to a hospital.” A seven-story building in Guiren was tilted by the earthquake. Some people looked at their collapsed homes and, with tears rolling down their faces, said, “I haven’t even paid off my mortgage yet. Now what should I do?” Some survivors turned to Tzu Chi volunteers for help. “We didn’t have time to get our children’s clothes and baby formula in our rush to escape, and we don’t have any money on us. Could you help?” Volunteers immediately gave the needed help. On February 11, Tzu Chi kicked off a home-visit program. Volunteers broke into groups and visited families affected by the earthquake in Yongkang, Annan, Yujing, Xinhua, Guiren, and other areas. They expressed their care to the families and presented to them a condolence letter from Master Cheng Yen and food items produced by Tzu Chi. They also assessed needs for further assistance. Mr. Huang, 80, thanked volunteers for visiting him and his family. His three-story home had tilted in the earthquake and had been deemed unsafe for living. “It’s really kind of you to brave the cold winds and visit us,” said the old man. “Seeing you all, I feel so much better now. Thank you.” Volunteers also visited injured survivors at hospitals and gave out emergency cash. They will continue to offer emotional and material support to the victims to help heal the wounds inflicted by the calamity.
Guatemala Tzu Chi volunteers in Guatemala held an event on January 17, 2016, in which they distributed school supplies and awarded scholarships to needy students. A total of 572 elementary students and 30 middle school students benefited. The event was held in San José Pinula, located 21 kilometers (13 miles) from the capital, Guatemala City. This was the fifth such distribution of school supplies Tzu Chi had held for students in San José Pinula. Many loving people helped make the event possible. Some donated money, which went for the scholarships or to buy the school supplies. Some donated goods from their stores to enrich the distribution items. Some even mobilized their employees to help pack the items. By 8 a.m. on January 17, many students and parents had already gathered outside the venue, a city government activity center which had already been set up for the occasion by staff from the city government. Volunteers admitted students and parents into the activity center after checking their names against a list. Miguel Ángel Solares, the mayor of San José Pinula, expressed his appreciation to the foundation in a speech. He thanked Tzu Chi volunteers for distributing school supplies and aid supplies and holding free clinics in the city. He also urged the students to cherish the distributed items, and he encouraged them to study hard. He then appealed to the parents to do their best to help their children stay in school. Scholarships were awarded to 67 students whose semester GPA was above 90 percent. Each student received 100 quetzales (US$13). One recipient, Josue Daniel, was grateful to his mother for keeping him company when he studied. He said he would give the money to his mother. Students lined up to receive school supplies, including school bags, pencils, pens, pencil sharpeners, erasers, crayons, color pens, and homework notebooks. Parents who had several children were very happy because the distribution helped ease their financial burdens. One single mom who had six children thanked Tzu Chi for holding the event. Two of her children received scholarships as well as school supplies. She said she would use the scholarship money to buy uniforms and shoes for her children. The event ended satisfactorily in under two hours. Volunteers were happy to help the students along in their educational journey.
Singapore On January 17, Tzu Chi Singapore held a spring distribution at its office. About 200 families that were under Tzu Chi’s care attended the activity. Many brought money they had saved in their coin banks to donate to the foundation. Volunteers with umbrellas waited outside in the parking lot as a light drizzle fell. When people arrived for the event, the volunteers escorted them to the shelter of some canopies, where other volunteers took over and guided the guests inside the building. Mr. Goh and his wife arrived with a coin bank. “We love coming here. Tzu Chi has given us so much help. If it weren’t for Tzu Chi, our life would be so hard.” This couple has received care from the foundation for two years. Though their life is not easy, they save money in a coin bank and donate it to Tzu Chi to help other needy people. They also volunteer regularly at a recycling station. Mohamed, a care recipient who works as a cleaner, brought a coin bank filled with coins he had picked up from the floor at work. He said that some people had it worse than he did, and he felt good that the money he had saved could be used to help them. Mr. Ng saves the money he could have otherwise spent on cigarettes. “A pack of cigarettes costs over ten dollars. That money serves a far better purpose if donated to help the needy.” A lively lion dance kicked off the programs for the day. Then a volunteer appeared dressed up as the God of Fortune, bringing more merriment and excitement to the venue. Among the programs were riddle-guessing games, singing, and performances of Chinese musical instruments. Ms. Goh, 83, sang and clapped along happily. Her joy was contagious. “I’ve been here many times. I love to attend your events. There’s food to eat and games to play. It’s so much fun!” Volunteers prepared a four-course meal and desserts for the guests. Due to the high attendance, over 30 tables had to be set out to accommodate all the guests. The attendees went home with gift bags that volunteers had prepared for them. Each bag contained multi-grain powder, instant rice, biscuits, assorted nuts, and other items. Volunteers saw the guests off as they left, bringing the event to a happy close. |
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