Free Clinics in El Salvador
(Translated by Michelle Tseng)
It has been over two
months since Tzu Chi began helping rebuild quake-ravaged El
Salvador. During these months, Tzu Chi has reached out five
times to that country. Ground has been broken for the first
batch of Great Love homes, thanks to the aggressive leadership
of Brother Jean Quie Shieh.
Carrying his simple luggage, Shieh has just
come back to Taiwan. He was a member of the first relief team
to El Salvador, and he remained there to help survivors recover
from the earthquake. Although he was exhausted from two months
of continuously providing love and care, he was proud and energetic
when he talked about the Tzu Chi free clinics and outreach in
El Salvador. "Other disasters happened elsewhere in the
world during these months, and some relief groups may have to
allocate their resources to other areas. But Tzu Chi insists
on keeping our promise that we will stay with the survivors
in El Salvador."
On March 17, ground was broken at Sacacoyo
for 255 Great Love homes. The government of El Salvador helped
provide labor and construction materials, and they planned to
expand the scale of the Great Love village in order to rehabilitate
the life of the victims. "Tzu Chi communicated and negotiated
with the government of El Salvador. We both hoped that the Great
Love village could be finished in ninety days." The earthquake
has made one million Salvadorans homeless, and Tzu Chi is seeking
a place to build a second Great Love village. Shieh has never
stopped showing his concern for disaster victims: after reporting
to Master Cheng Yen on the relief situation in El Salvador,
he will leave for India to help quake victims there.
