The world of Tzu Chi October 2020 (Vol.127)

TZU CHI 127 23 hearing stories about Master Cheng Yen and decided to join the volunteer force right away. “In the past, I didn’t need friends. I didn’t care and wouldn’t even smile at my neighbours. Since opening my heart to Tzu Chi, I felt happier and started smiling, and am now filled with kindness to help others.” Paulo, a small-framed and shy-looking man, is actually 27 years old and a father of two. He is an orphan, whose parents passed away when he was 17. Since then, he had to take care of his three younger siblings. His youngest brother was only seven then. Paulo had to stop his education to work odd jobs to survive. Looking back, there was nothing worth smiling for, much less caring for others. “Now, I’m willing to care for my neighbours, taking the initiative to solve their problems. Before, when I saw elderly people suffering, I felt indifferent. But now, I willingly take the initiative to assist them. My life has changed positively since knowing Master Cheng Yen.” Allowing everyone a chance to contribute From a reserved and serious-looking person, Paulo now shines and has led more than 1,000 people in Metuchira to work at the Great Love Farm. He went to every tribal community to recruit volunteers, helped arrange work schedules, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to contribute. Within a few months, the volunteers he engaged had participated in over 5,000 volunteering activities at the farm. With the spread of Covid-19, coupled with droughts, rural farmers are facing the worse food issues. Even the Great Love Farm is facing challenges. With drier weather in winter, the stream next to the farm had dried up in May. Nevertheless, the volunteers persevered to irrigate the farm using water from a nearby well. Within a short three months, they had enjoyed bountiful harvests. Once, when the Nhamatanda district head visited the farm, he was amazed to learn that the harvests were the fruits of love and efforts of a group of volunteers who did it willingly without pay. The farm volunteers, numbering more than a thousand, originated from the same town, and knew where the poor were. So, they distributed buckets of tomatoes and vegetables to the poor from house to house at Metuchira, and had distributed over 18,000 aids to recipients. Paulo needs to walk more than an hour to the farm daily, but he never failed to turn up. When asked why he was so committed, he replied with his usual shy smile, “I do this out of love, not for money.” Now, the volunteers have found a new plot of farmland with adequate water supply. The farm owner was so touched by their stories that he allowed them to use the land at no cost. They brought seeds from their homes to grow on this new plot of land, hoping future harvests would benefit even more poor households. The story of the Great Love Farm fully demonstrates the power of compassion and love. When they are evoked in a person, the energy thus generated can radiate widely and endlessly. The lives of the Maputo volunteers and those farm volunteers at the central region remain the same. They are not rich, but abundantly content. When they shift their perspectives, a new life embraces them. 2 The temporary shelter is now under the care of Tzu Chi, while plans to build a Metuchira Great Love Village for these affected people is underway. Transforming Africa With Love