The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.111)

01 TZU CHI 111 By Dharma Master Cheng Yen Translated by Max Siew aster’s Teaching Amassing kindness from everyone to help those who are in need and suffering. L ast March, the eastern part of Africa was hit by Tropical Cyclone Idai. The destruction suffered in countries like Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique was horrible. The dilapidated houses could not withstand the onslaught of strong winds and heavy rainfall. The impoverished in these poor countries have always been living on the brink of starvation. Their living conditions were even more deplorable after the disaster. It has reached a crisis proportion. Tzu Chi people from South Africa went to Malawi for a rescue mission. They made a cross- border journey of 2,000-plus km, which took them three days and two nights. It was a long and arduous journey, but they were undeterred. With the help of tribal chiefs, they built pre-fabricated houses to help settle the old, the sick and married women with their young children who were badly affected by the disaster. Volunteer Tino Chu, who lives in the capital of Zimbabwe, travelled all the way (a journey of more than 400 km) to the disaster zone in his old car to help those affected. In addition to accommodating Tzu Chi volunteers, the car was loaded with bread and water purification agents. The road to the disaster zone was littered with hurdles to say the least. Certain stretches of the road were inaccessible to cars, and when the volunteers encountered such zones at night, they had no choice but to pull over by the roadside and spend the night gazing at the stars. Despite all these, the volunteers, who were optimistic and full of love, were determined not to waver from their goals. Their greatest pleasure is to help people out of suffering regardless of the inconvenience caused. In Mozambique, the rescue operation was equally fraught with difficulties. The worst disaster zones were found in Beira, which is more than 1,000 km away from the capital city. Initially, air traffic was disrupted and only military aircrafts were allowed to enter disaster zones to fly in rescuers. Tzu Chi volunteer Dino Foi went with a military aircraft for damage assessment. It was through his efforts that Tzu Chi people could glean further information of the situation. Homes were severely damaged or destroyed, and the victims could only stand on the ruins and pray silently to God. Tens of thousands of disaster victims were squeezed into shelters with poor hygiene. They lived on handouts from charitable organizations. Dino even observed a group of 44 people cooking a cup of beans they received in a large pot and drinking the soup as their only meal of the day for sustenance. In the aftermath of the disaster, food, drinking water and Let Love Flow Incessantly to Relieve Suffering