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After Master Cheng Yen on Sept. 3rd urged Tzu
Chi members around the world to participate in
the global fundraising effort called "Gathering
Tzu Chi's Love around the World to Help New Orleans,"
the first wave of fundraising in Johannesburg,
South Africa, began on September 4th.
Yesterday the Kang Ning Senior Center held its
annual Charity Benefit Auction Fair. For many
years, Tzu Chi members almost always attended
this event. The fair was a family affair. All
proceeds from the charity benefit auction went
into funds earmarked for construction at the center.
The small courtyard was filled with people and
it became very lively.
The Kang Ning Senior Center was founded by early
overseas Chinese immigrants in South Africa. It
was now in its third generation of operations.
Naturally, most of the seniors there and their
friends and relatives did not understand Mandarin
but used Cantonese and English as their principal
languages. Traditionally, Tzu Chi members always
donated all the proceeds from the auction to the
Senior Center. However, it was different this
year. After some communication, not only did officials
at the Center agree to donate half of the proceeds
to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans,
but they also consented to Tzu Chi engaging in
fundraising activities with the guests at the
fair. Tzu Chi was highly appreciative of this
good will.
These moving episodes reminded Tzu Chi members
of how the seniors at the Kang Ning Senior Center
previously responded to the Southeast Asian tsunami
relief efforts, donating all the pocket money
that they saved in their daily lives. Facing such
care, Tzu Chi members were touched and were filled
with respect and appreciation.
As early as 1992, Tzu Chi Johannesburg Office
began to interact with this Senior Center and
maintained a very good working relationship. The
staff of the Center took great care of the seniors'
daily lives. The monthly visits conducted by Tzu
Chi had as its goal caring for the elders. Whether
it was having conversations with the seniors,
performing hand sign language, or holding medical
seminars, the seniors always laughed heartily.
And the Tzu Chi members were also happy at how
happy the seniors became.
People relate to one another through mutual
trust and love. Following the footsteps of Master
Cheng Yen, Tzu Chi members had cared for these
seniors for a long time. When Tzu Chi needed the
support of the seniors, the seniors came forward
to help.
This charity benefit fair raised almost 6,000
Rands (=NT$30,000 or slightly less than US$1,000),
which was the total of half the proceeds of the
auction (2,350 Rands) and the subtotals from two
donation boxes (3,415.78 Rands). Perhaps because
this was a relatively new event, and because some
attendees did not understand the significance
of the donation due to a small communication gap
arising from linguistic differences, the total
raised was not a large sum. However, the fundraising
effort did flow smoothly, and the Tzu Chi members
in South Africa will continue their utmost efforts
to "Gather Tzu Chi's Love around the World
to Help New Orleans."
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