Work Diary of Tzu Chi's Relief Team in
Sri Lanka
(Dec. 29, 2004)
(The Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
has provided medical care and relief goods to tsunami victims
in Hambantota in southeastern Sri Lanka since Dec. 31, 2004.
The first Tzu Chi team left Taipei for Sri Lanka on Dec. 29,
while two more subsequent teams are being organized. Tzu Chi
will also provide 300 tents for building a tent community
for about 2,400 survivors in Hambantota. The following is
the work diary of Tzu Chi volunteers for Dec. 29).
The Sri Lanka tsunami relief team headed to the disaster area
today, the fourth day after the Dec. 26 disaster. Last year
around the same time, Tzu Chi volunteers left for the Iranian
city of Bam and brought hopes to earthquake victims there.
Tzu Chi volunteers sincerely wanted to bring care and blessings
to the tsunami victims in Sri Lanka.
Our team has 24 members from Taiwan, including
medical personnel for emergency care, internal medicine, surgery,
infectious diseases and anesthesia, and several nurses. Non-medical
volunteers included Brothers Hsieh Ching-kuei and Lin Chung-hu,
who have rich experiences in international relief efforts.
Seven media reporters joined the mission, too.
At a news conference prior to our departure, Wang Tuan-cheng,
vice CEO of the Tzu Chi Foundation, gave a briefing on the
sitution in the disaster areas and on the goal of the relief
mission. He encouraged the volunteers to overcome their sorrow
and bring hope and confidence to the victims.
In order to offer her personal blessings to the relief team,
Dharma Master Cheng Yen rushed from an annual yearend blessing
ceremony attended by Tzu Chi members at the Kuandu Garden
to receive the team. She was still panting, while extending
her blessings. The Master asked team members to take care
of themselves and each other, while carrying out relief duties.
With all of the blessings from the Master, everyone felt the
importance of the relief mission.
The team brought with it103 boxes of medicines and medical
equipment, totaling 1,800 kilograms. The cost for transporting
those relief goods by air would amount to NT$400,000 (US$12,500).
Fortunately, Singapore Airlines agreed to waive the charge
and carried the relief goods to Sri Lanka free of charge.
We made a stopover in Singapore, from where it would take
three and a half hours to Colombo. After knowing that the
Tzu Chi team was going to provide emergency care to the victims,
a middle-aged passenger was moved deeply and said, “Thank
you very much, thank you very much.” The man held the
hands of a volulnteer tightly. They stared each other with
gratitude. No speech is necessary at that moment because great
love transcends national boundary.
The relief team arrived in the capital city of Colombo at
around 2 a.m. on Dec. 30. Airport workers, in their traditional
attire, greeted us with hospitality. There was no sign of
damage at the airport. The communication system in Sri Lanka
seemed to have been restored partly. We can use our cell phones
brought from Taiwan in the capital city. But we are not certain
whether they could be used in the disaster areas.
Members of the team proceeded to a hotel by bus after clearing
the customs. Everyone was trying to catch two to three hours'
sleep at the hotel because we would take a six-hour bus ride
to Hambantota from Colombo in the morning. We have come to
Sri Lanka finally. Everyone is excited and encouraged each
other to strive for a successful relief mission to “let
great love enter South Asia and rebuild the lives of the tsunami
survivors.
