The world of Tzu Chi December 2020(Vol.129)

42 2020 • 12 By Yau Sai Moi Translated by Yew Siew Yong Photograph by Liew Bitt Chung ouching Life Story Stateless woman Melinah had a tumour in her abdomen, making her looked like an expecting mother. Due to poverty, she had not sought treatment for two years. Fortunately,Tzu Chi provided assistance and solved her problem. Heaven Has Arranged Tzu Chi to Help Me T hirty-nine-year-old Melinah bte Kujahassan and her 42-year-old husband, Yasil bin Jamuan, originated from the Philippines. They have two children aged 11 and 12, and live in Kampung Cenderamata, about six miles from Sandakan, Sabah. Living in the illegally built stilt houses in the village are some indigenous people and stateless people. Without legal residential status, they have difficulty looking for jobs; even when there are jobs, the incomes are unstable. These illegal immigrants were the first to bear the brunt of the movement control order arising from Covid-19. Being unable to work, they face hunger issues, and had requested for help from Tzu Chi. Melinah’s family was one such family. On June 8, 2020, Tzu Chi volunteers made a house visit. Seeing her large abdomen, the volunteers asked when she was due. In fact, Melinah was not pregnant, instead she had a tumour in her abdomen. In 2018, a