The world of Tzu Chi January 2021 (Vol.130)

TZU CHI 130 37 Over 34 Tonnes of Supplies for the Stateless Residents Kampung Titingan is one of the Covid-19 high- risk areas in Tawau. On November 22, 2020, fully geared in PPE suits, Tzu Chi volunteers entered the village to provide assistance and distribute over 34 tonnes of relief supplies, benefitting 760 households of stateless people. W ith a population of over 10,000, Kampung Titingan in Tawau is one of the largest stateless villages on the east coast of Sabah. Due to poor public security and chaotic environment, it is known as the “red zone” that locals avoid at all costs. Upholding the belief of helping others with compassion, Tzu Chi volunteers have cared for its residents for more than six years, determined to turn the “red zone” into “green zone”. In addition to providing long-term subsidies to the poor families, Tzu Chi opened a learning centre for the stateless children in 2017 and has been organizing large- scale free clinics for the past three years. In 2020, the pandemic severely affected the economy, crippling the most vulnerable groups of society. Among them, stateless residents, who have no legal status and are ineligible to get any government subsidy, found themselves in a pitiful situation. At the beginning of the outbreak, Tzu Chi had been concerned about the residents’ living conditions and provided daily necessities. The relief distribution on November 22, 2020, was the fourth and the largest material distribution in the area.