Prince Hussein of Jordan Participated
in Tzu Chi Charity Efforts for Bedouins on April 16, 2006
Eleven Tzu Chi volunteers
helped distribute donated goods to a Bedouin village of 150
families in northern Jordan. The goods included rice, sugar,
beans, and oil. The biennial efforts have been ongoing for
more than five years and coincided with Tzu Chi's 40th anniversary
this year. The volunteers arrived in the village to find surprisingly
that the villagers had built a tent to house Tzu Chi operations.
In addition, this year was special because
Prince Hussein arrived to observe Tzu Chi's efforts. The villagers
wore their best finery in honor of their visiting royal. They
participated in the distribution, including many children.
Besides greeting many villagers, Prince Hussein also joined
the distribution lines. Tzu Chi was honored by the prince's
efforts, and the project exemplified Tzu Chi values of love
and respect. The prince asked one volunteer, Abul Thomas,
why he was a member of Tzu Chi. Mr. Thomas stated that unlike
other charitable organizations he had worked with, Tzu Chi
emphasized grassroots efforts rather than a "top-down"
hierarchy.
The prince acknowledged the tremendous amount of work required
for an organization such as Tzu Chi to continue charitable
work for forty years. The nomadic lifestyle of the Bedouin
culture has been challenging to Jordanian government-sponsored
aid efforts, and the prince expressed his appreciation to
Tzu Chi for assisting with this difficult but important role.
In his concluding remarks, he also expressed his belief that
the desire for world peace is universal superceding denominational
differences and only through such services and dedications
can the world understand its values.
