Tzu Chi's major relief efforts in four tsunami-affected countries between Dec. 26-Jan. 20

Volunteers of the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation have taken prompt actions to help the victims of the South Asia tsunamis triggered by the Dec. 26 magnitude-9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. They will continue to provide care for the survivors and accompany them to walk out of the nightmare. Saying that all people are interconnected as one entity, Tzu Chi founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen has called on Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide to appeal for donations to help the victims rebuild their lives. The resulting monetary amount of the fundraising campaign is not the main concern; the most important thing, she stressed, is "to awaken each and every person's love" and inspire them to put compassion into action. "As we all live on the same planet and breathe the same air, we are family," the Master pointed out, adding, "when disaster strikes one region, everyone everywhere ought to help." In response to the Master's appeal, more than 57,000 Tzu Chi volunteers in Taiwan and 27,000 volunteers in 29 other countries began raising funds on Jan. 1. In Taiwan, they have raised NT$450 million (US$14.06 million) as of Jan. 14 and will continue fundraising until March 31. Plans for a second phase of fundraising will involve door to door solicitation. The following four examples illustrate how the current tragedy has “awakened the love” in individuals throughout the world. Two thousand students of an elementary school in Taichung, Taiwan brought their piggy-banks to school on Jan. 8 and put their savings into the donation boxes provided by Tzu Chi volunteers. The Northern California Chapter of Tzu Chi received a US$500 check from a woman who received care and assistance from Tzu Chi in the 2003 Southern California fire. In her letter, she stated, "What happened to me seems minor compared to what has happened to those affected by the tsunami. I don't yet have a home but I am back on my feet, so please accept the help that you gave to me and help others with it." Also in the United States, a New Jersey man who received Tzu Chi’s assistance after the Sept. 11 tragedy at New York's World Trade Center also put money into the donation box when he encountered Tzu Chi volunteers. A homeless man in Canada gave a volunteer all the money he had on him despite not having eaten that day. Under the falling snow, the man insisted and encouraged the volunteer to take his donation when he saw her hesitation and tears welling up in her eyes. Based on its past relief experiences, Tzu Chi has been implementing a five-part relief plan -- providing emergency supplies, offering free medical care, comforting survivors, giving emotional support, setting up temporary shelters and building permanent houses. This is to address both the survivors' material and emotional needs, and to help them attain the foundations for building a stable life. Among the mid-term and long-term relief projects, Tzu Chi will set up a 3,000-tent community (for 15,000-18,000 people) and build a new residential community in Aceh Province with 3,000 permanent houses. Like the 1,100-unit Great Love community built by Tzu Chi for victims of the 2002 floods in Jakarta, the new housing communities will have a school, medical facilities and community activity centers. Tzu Chi will also distribute 33,000 tons of rice to survivors in Aceh, supplied by Taiwan's Council of Agriculture. In Sri Lanka, Tzu Chi will set up a 300-tent community (for 1,500-1,800 people) and build 1,000 permanent houses in Hambantota, a resort city in southeastern Sri Lanka. About 2,500 tons of rice, to be purchased locally, will be distributed to some 83,000 displaced people there starting on Jan. 29.. The temporary tent house, measuring 3.6m x 4.8m x 2.5m with two windows, is capable of sheltering 5-6 people. Each tent house is valued at about US$250. Tzu Chi will also provide 26 items of daily necessities when the survivors move into the tent houses on Jan. 31. The cost for building one permanent house is estimated at NT$200,000 (US$6,250). The total cost for building 4,000 such houses in Indonesia and Sri Lanka may easily exceed NT$1 billion (US$31.25 million) because schools, medical facilities and community activity centers will also be constructed. Tzu Chi's major relief efforts in the four countries: Indonesia Airlifted 12 tons of relief supplies from Jakarta to Banda Aceh by aircraft on Dec. 28. Tzu Chi Indonesia Chapter Deputy CEO Sugianto Kusuma exchanged views on relief efforts with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Banda Aceh. Tzu Chi set up service centers in Medan and Banda Aceh to help the victims by providing daily essentials and medical care. Tzu Chi leased an aircraft to transport relief goods from Medan to Banda Aceh and evacuated more than 700 survivors from Banda Aceh to Medan between Dec. 29 and Jan. 1. Tzu Chi representative Stephen Huang signed an agreement with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla in Jakarta on Jan. 5. Under the agreement, Tzu Chi will provide 33,000 tons of rice and build a 3,000-tent community (1,500 in Meulaboh and 1,500 in Banda Aceh). Two sets of water purification equipment, where each is capable of producing 500 tons of clean water per day, will also be sent to Aceh from Taiwan. A Tzu Chi team visited Meulaboh, a town on the western coast of Aceh, by military helicopter on Jan. 7, bringing in 500 kg of rice, milk powder and noodles. A medical team revisited the town again by helicopter two days later. Twenty-two volunteers reached Meulaboh with 11 truckloads of relief supplies on Jan. 17 after more than 40 hours of traveling from Medan. In the first 10 days after the disaster, Tzu Chi transported more than 750 tons of relief goods to Aceh with 25-ton trucks. About 14,000 blankets are to be shipped from Taiwan to Medan for distribution, while 18 freight containers of relief materials, gathered by Tzu Chi volunteers in Indonesia, will be sent to Medan for sorting and packing before distribution. Tzu Chi will build a 1,500-tent community each in Meulaboh and Banda Aceh, while 3,000 permanent houses are also to be built in Aceh Province. The permanent housing project will begin eight months later to match with the local government’s rebuilding plan. Sri Lanka Tzu Chi dispatched a 30-member medical team from Taiwan to Sri Lanka on Dec. 29. The mission, headed by the Hualien-based Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Center Vice President Wang Li-shinn, started treating patients at a medical post in Hambantota on Dec. 31. Since then, Tzu Chi medical personnel from Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore have been continuously providing free medical care for the survivors by rotation. The third mission, led by Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Center President Lin Shinn-zong, consisted of 33 physicians, nurses and volunteers from Taiwan. The 46-member fourth mission was formed by medical personnel and volunteers affiliated with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) in Malaysia and Singapore. Tzu Chi plans to provide free medical care for Hambantota residents until early February. The number of local residents treated between Dec. 31 and Jan. 20 exceeded 12,000. Tzu Chi transported 20,000 packages of ready-to-eat rice products from Taiwan to Sri Lanka by air on Jan. 4. Seven thousand blankets are being shipped to Hambantota from Taiwan. Tzu Chi representatives met with Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo on Jan. 11 to exchange views on Tzu Chi's relief efforts. Tzu Chi has decided to distribute some 2,500 tons of rice for 83,000 displaced people in Hambantota. Tzu Chi will also build a 300-tent community and a housing community of 1,000 permanent houses there. A memorandum on building the 1,000 permanent house was signed in Colombo on Jan. 18 by a Tzu Chi representative and the prime minister's secretary. Tzu Chi has begun hiring local survivors as construction workers and also provided medicines worth US$15,600 to Hambantota Base Hospital. Tzu Chi also provided medical kits to 175 teachers there. In Tangalla in southern Sri Lanka, Tzu Chi will provide 2,000 kitchen sets for the survivors. Malaysia Tzu Chi volunteers began providing assistance to the victims shortly after the tsunamis struck the Penang region on Dec. 26, 2004. Between Dec. 26 and Jan. 6, they distributed emergency cash and 142,200 Malaysian ringgit (US$37,400) worth of relief supplies to 1,811 affected households. The amount of emergency cash provided: 288,200 Malaysian ringgit (US$75,800). Hot vegetarian meals provided: 2,964. The number of volunteers participated: 2,313. Free medical clinics were also held in Kedah. Thailand Tzu Chi volunteers from the Thailand Chapter began visiting Phuket Island and PP Island on Dec. 28 to assess the situation. They provided relief goods and emergency cash to 107 families. Each family was given 2,000 bahts (US$52.60) and 1,500 bahts (US$39.40) worth of rice and other daily essentials. More than 3,850 people benefited from the aid. Tzu Chi volunteers also provided 500 body bags and 5,000 pairs of gloves, and ordered medicines from Taiwan for sending to Phuket Island. Tzu Chi is assessing the feasibility of helping rebuild houses in some affected villages. Summary of News Digest & Work Diary on Relief Efforts (Compiled on December 28, 2004, by Tzu Chi Headquarters)   Relief Briefing from Tzu Chi Malaysia Chapter (Dec. 26-Jan. 1)