The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

2019 • 10 10 eature be solely used for their benefit. The decision – that no funds donated for a stated purpose be used for another purpose – has since become a guiding principle in Tzu Chi’s future large-scale emergency relief efforts. Distribution in Yuli Master Cheng Yen’s resolve and compassion spurred all Tzu Chi commissioners in eastern Taiwan to collect donations for the disaster relief mission. However, raising NT$600,000 in such a short time seemed an uphill task, compounded by the urgency of the situation. Hence, the Master decided to expand the fundraising efforts to include westernTaiwan. Tzu Chi eventually managed to gather sufficient resources in due course for its disaster relief plan through collective effort. On November 4, a 50-strong team comprising Master Cheng Yen, Tzu Chi commissioners and volunteer medical personnel from a Tzu Chi free clinic boarded a southbound train to Yuli to conduct a relief distribution session and provide free medical services to the typhoon victims. Financial aid was distributed to nearly 100 families based on the extent of damage inflicted on their houses and household size. A total of NT$71,340 were handed out, in addition to 100 cotton blankets and 1,000 articles of clothing. Tzu Chi moved on from Yuli to extend assistance to the disaster victims in Taitung, which had suffered greater damage with a casualty count of over 20,000. The Master pondered how best to ensure that the funds raised were utilized efficiently; after all, if every affected household in such a large disaster area were to receive a share of the donations, the funds would be distributed too thinly to make a real difference in the lives of the beneficiaries, resulting in a waste of fundraising efforts and hampering the donors’ generosity and kindness. Therefore, the Master initiated the “priority principle” for Tzu Chi’s disaster relief efforts. It dictates that the provision of aid be concentrated on those most in need, defined as those who face the most difficulty in rebuilding their lives post-disaster. To ascertain those who are in dire need of help, the Master advised the commissioners to visit the affected households to understand the background, composition and living conditions of each family. The findings from the preliminary screening would then be reviewed before the recipient lists were finalized. By December 5, the road to Taitung was finally accessible. The Master led a team of commissioners on a five-hour train ride down south for a series of home visits over the next few days. Prior to the Master’s arrival, Wang Tian-ding, an elementary school principal, and his wife, Huang Yu-nu, had conducted a preliminary screening and filtered through nearly 10,000 typhoon victims to select 6,000 or so as potential aid recipients. The couple were residents of Taitung who had joined Tzu Chi as volunteers more than a year earlier. Their efforts saved the Master and the commissioners a lot of work as they were able to proceed with further screening based on Tian-ding’s shortlist. Tian-ding was very supportive of his wife Yu-nu’s work in Tzu Chi. He even joined her in recruiting donors, starting with their colleagues at their respective schools. Moreover, they would bring to Tzu Chi’s attention the plight of students in need. The couple became Tzu Chi commissioners in March 1972 and started extending care to the needy in Taitung.