Love extends across all boundaries - Care
in Paraguay
Villagers
of Puento Bertoni and Puerto Gimenez look at the supplies
brought over during a relief distribution. Tzu Chi and local
volunteers had loaded up cars of blankets, food supplies,
winter clothing, and stationery to bring to these two feuding
villages.
PARAGUAY - Tzu Chi volunteers in Paraguay
do a variety of services for all different people and groups.
Recently, they have been involved with adolescents recovering
from drug addiction, villagers in feud with one another, and
elderly war veterans.
Tzu Chi is a Buddhist international charity
relief organization founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen and
has a goal of "Spreading the seeds of love" with
a "Great Love" that transcends all boundaries, race,
religion, age, geography, etc.
Helping Youth at a Brazilian Rehab Center
Tzu
Chi volunteers bring farming tools, seeds, sprouts, and cleaning
supplies to the adolescents at the rehabilitation center.
Dancing is a traditional expression
in Central and South America. On the day of the visit, dancing
was an expression of welcome between good friends. Brazilian
youth were dancing because Tzu Chi volunteers from Paraguay
had arrived at their rehabilitation center again.
The rehabilitation center for adolescents
is located in Brazil's Foz de Iguazu. The center is a community
initiative and receives some funding from the Brazilian government.
Tzu Chi volunteers from Paraguay have been going there on
a regular basis to help by bringing food and other staple
materials. They have also brought farming tools and vegetable
seeds to support residents to become self sufficient. They
hope that farming can channel the residents' energy into a
productive activity and help them recover from drug addiction.
The seeds from Tzu Chi volunteers' last visit had already
been planted. Now it is a ripe vegetable garden ready for
harvest.
Relief for Conflicting Villages
Back
in Paraguay, volunteers filled their cars with blankets, winter
clothes, food and writing supplies. There are almost 40 regular
Tzu Chi volunteers in Ciudad de Este in Paraguay. Most of
them are ethnically Chinese, and six are ethnic Paraguayans.
Though they are few in number, volunteers have regularly held
events to help the community. This time, volunteers were visiting
two Indian villages for relief distributions.
The two Indian villages they arrived at
were 40km from Ciudad de Este, in Puento Bertoni and Puerto
Gimenez. 
These
two villages have had a long standing agreement to have nothing
to do with each other. When volunteers first arrived here
and learned of the situation, they hoped they could open communication
and support between the two communities.
Their sincere words were translated into
Spanish for the residents to a variety of responses: silent
nods and smiles. Volunteers sensed and nurtured hope that
continued care and dedication will help bridge the gap between
the two groups.
Distribution for War Veterans
Volunteers
show concern for the elderly in an effort to bring some light
to the latter years of their lives.
Volunteers brought this same care to a Paraguayan government
office, where a group of elderly await the visit of the Tzu
Chi volunteers. Many of them are veterans of the Chaco war
of 1935, between Chaco, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Over 250 elderly
citizens live in these areas. They receive help from welfare
and medical insurance, but there are still many hardships
they must deal with. Some have children who take their financial
support, others have difficulty walking to places to obtain
medical service. Then there is the added problem of paying
for medicine, which is not covered by insurance.
In their efforts to help these elderly, volunteers first helped
them keep warm during the winter in Paraguay. Blankets, winter
clothing, and hot water bottles were given out freely in the
hopes of bringing them warmth and comfort in winter.
Edited from Da Ai (Great Love) News, a
broadcast program of Tzu Chi's television station. For more
information on Tzu Chi's Da Ai TV, please visit http://www.newdaai.tv.
