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

2021 • 01 38 pecial Feature Marched forward courageously In September 2020, the third wave of the pandemic broke out in Malaysia, with Sabah bearing the brunt. Crowded homes and poor sanitation in Kampung Titingan became an ideal breeding ground for the virus. Despite the government actively carrying out voluntary screening tests in multiple areas of Tawau, the turnout rate was not high. The villagers avoided it because once they were tested positive, they would be quarantined and their village would be temporarily locked down—they would have no way of earning a living and it would worsen their situation that was already below the poverty line. Although Kampung Titingan is one of the high-risk areas in Tawau, Tzu Chi volunteers proceeded bravely into the village to provide support. Before the relief distribution, and in order to accurately understand their situation, Tzu Chi volunteers entered the village in fully- geared PPE suits to conduct home visits and assessments, under the hot weather for three consecutive days. They tried not to drink water or remove any PPE in the process, because if one had an emergency or needed a toilet break, one would have to disinfect one’s whole body, remove the PPE suit, and then disinfect again before doing what one was meant to do. Then, when one was done, one would have to disinfect and put on a new PPE suit before continuing one’s work. Wearing the PPE suit was stuffy and sweaty, and with the mask and face shield on for several hours, breathing became even more challenging. One could imagine how tough it must have been for the Tzu Chi volunteers went to Kampung Titingan for home visits and relief aid assessments. [Photograph by Leong Chin Wah]