The world of Tzu Chi Apr-Jun 2023 (Vol.146)

TZU CHI 146 25 to reach their intended destinations, they joined the volunteers in Segamat, where they were stranded, for disaster assessments and distribution of relief supplies such as blankets, clothes, towels, and bread, at Pusat Kebajikan Kasih Segamat and the evacuation centre in Bukit Siput, before staying the night at the homes of Segamat volunteers. On March 2, after the floodwaters had receded, the volunteers dedicated themselves to assist in the clean-up and provide care to affected folks. Although some of the volunteers were affected by the floods themselves, they put on their volunteer uniforms and joined in the clean-up efforts, demonstrating their deep empathy for those affected. On the morning of March 4, nearly 100 volunteers from Malacca, Seremban, Kluang, Muar, and Segamat gathered at the Tzu Chi Segamat Community Centre, to prepare for their departure to the heavily affected areas of Chaah for clean-up efforts. However, their plans were disrupted once again due to the continuous rain in Chaah, which made the main road impassable. As a result, the volunteers decided to redirect their efforts towards cleaning up the affected areas in Segamat. Some of the flood victims asked, “Do you charge for helping us clean up?” When the volunteers replied, “There is no charge. We are Tzu Chi volunteers,” they expressed their gratitude. Starting from March 6, the volunteers decided to conduct a door-to-door distribution in Chaah. On the 12th, about 150 Tzu Chi volunteers from Malacca, Kota Tinggi, Ulu Tiram, Muar, Segamat, and other locations, along with members of the Chaah village committee, representatives from Fo Guang Shan, and others, went from house to house to visit the affected villagers and offer their sincere words of comfort and blessings. The volunteers distributed supplies to 619 affected households, including blankets, mattresses, and pillows. They also delivered a letter of consolation from Master Cheng Yen. To affected resident Raman a/l Arumugam, the mattress delivered by Tzu Chi was a timely and practical assistance for his family. Despite receiving two mattresses from other charitable organisations and purchasing one themselves, the family of four still needed one more mattress. Tzu Chi provided them with the much-needed mattress, along with a blanket and pillow. Poziah binti Haron lives with seven other family members. She expressed her worries and sadness when the flood struck, as they faced numerous challenges, including a lack of food supplies, water supply interruptions, illness, and the inability to travel due to road closures. When they received the relief supplies from Tzu Chi, she said, “I am very happy and grateful for your help.” Volunteer Soon Hock Len was also affected by the flood. He was grateful to have fellow volunteers spend a day helping him to clean up his home when he was at a loss and did not know where to start. He also made the decision to donate all the gold jewellery found during the cleaning process to aid the earthquake victims in Türkiye. The flood relief efforts from March 1 to May 1, which covered Muar, Segamat, Kluang, Tampin, Kota Tinggi, and Ulu Tiram, involved 1,554 volunteer shifts. During this period, relief supplies were distributed to 1,788 affected households, and financial assistance was provided to 1,238 affected households. Additionally, volunteers assisted in the clean-up efforts for 125 households, 3 institutions, and 8 schools.