|
(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 get great love enter South
Asia and rebuild the lives of the tsunami survivors.
|
