The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

Supporting Lives with Noodle Carts In an effort to improve the livelihood of low-income households, Tzu Chi volunteers from Jakarta, Indonesia collaborated with the local government to loan 33 mobile noodle carts at no cost to prospective hawkers in need. When the hawkers no longer depend on selling noodles for a living, the noodle carts are passed on to another batch of beneficiaries. Twenty-five noodle carts have been leased out as of September 2019. Mark (not his real name), 65, is one of the beneficiaries of the noodle cart programme. He received a noodle cart in July 2019 and has been serving piping hot bowls of noodles at Jalan Taman Sari V in western Jakarta ever since. Mark is now financially secure, enabling him to make weekly contributions to his bamboo bank. Occasional visits from the volunteers keep him motivated in his fledgling business venture. [Photograph by Arimami Suryo Asmoro]