The world of Tzu Chi February 2020 (Vol.119)

35 TZU CHI 119 Blazing a compassionate trail inAfrica Frank Chu, the CEO of Tzu Chi South Africa, represented the South African delegation on their maiden trip to Malaysia. He shared inspiring anecdotes of the South African volunteers’ disaster relief efforts, while his wife and fellow volunteer Yuan Ya- Chi presented heart-warming stories of their cross-border outreach missions. “Serving in South Africa is not an easy undertaking. It takes unrelenting resolve and steadfast conviction to overcome the many challenges along the way,” he affirmed, adding that the volunteers continue to uphold the spirit of charity and kindness despite the harsh conditions. In addition, Frank shared heartening accounts of South African locals who were touched by the volunteers’ acts of generosity and kindness in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, which devastated three countries in eastern Africa in March 2019. On the other hand, Ya-Chi recalled her encounters with a group of elderly SouthAfrican volunteers, whose grit and resilience were profoundly inspiring. “An elderly volunteer was assaulted by her older brother and fractured her arm, but she appeared at a Tzu Chi event a week later with a grin on her face. An 80-year- old volunteer who injured her leg twice in two separate accidents had no qualms scaling hilly terrain with other younger volunteers. Another elderly volunteer pledged to serve until her last breath; she was still actively volunteering a week before her demise,” she recounted. Tzu Chi’s outreach efforts in South Africa are a constant highlight, for one of Master Cheng Yen’s goals is to transform South Africa by empowering its people to live independent, meaningful lives. Taiwanese Tzu Chi volunteer and former CEO of Tzu Chi South Africa, Michael Pan is often credited for his efforts in introducing Tzu Chi’s missions to South Africa and pioneering the international volunteer team in 2012. He managed to rally over 5,000 South African volunteers from Durban with minimal resources and led them on humanitarian relief efforts across the nation and abroad, spanning a total distance of nearly 270,000 km. The South African volunteers live in penury, yet remain devoted to the cause and are determined to make the best of their circumstances. They would even organize fellowship sessions in the outdoors, be it beneath the shade of a tree, or on a patch of land amidst the vast expanse of plains and fields. “Africa is a stretch of barren land, yet is enriched by the dissemination of the Dharma; the South African volunteers own next to nothing, yet possess a heart of gold that mirrors the Master’s capacity for compassion,” Michael mused. TheYear-end Blessing Ceremonies ended with the attendees going home joyfully with a red envelope of blessings and wisdom – a token of appreciation from Master Cheng Yen for their support towards Tzu Chi’s missions throughout the year. Delivering Blessings Near and Far