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

2020 • 10 24 eature Domestic violence victim turns pandemic prevention advocate – Rebeca Rebeca recalled that whenever her husband scolded her, she would retort; whenever her husband beat her, she would fight back. As a result, she was always the one who was hurt. Reported and photograph by Long Karmen Translated by Lee You Zhuan I n March 2020, when Covid-19 struck Mozambique, the Maputo municipal government invited Tzu Chi volunteers to help educate the communities. The Maxaquene was the first community the volunteers visited. Led by Rebeca Mabunda, one of the senior Tzu Chi commissioners in Mozambique, the volunteers went door-to- door and explained the seriousness of the coronavirus, using the poster provided by the Health Department. They confidently and professionally taught the people how to correctly wash their hands. It is thus hard to imagine that eight years ago, Rebeca was still a Tzu Chi care recipient, suffering from domestic violence. In the 30 years before she met Tzu Chi, Rebeca’s life was filled with loneliness and fear. Not only did her husband not provide for the family, he often abused her. Sometimes, he would punch and kick Rebeca violently. Relying Mozambican volunteer