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The two groups of medical-relief teams have exactly
100 members in total, including five journalists from
Taiwan's public television network. When the 100 members
walked into the medical station, the waiting area was
filled with people, clapping to welcome them. Tzu Chi
people surrounded the waiting area, performing a sign
language song and giving a brief introduction of the
new team members from North America. Later, they asked
the patients to press their palms together and sing
the song "Prayer."
In order to control outpatient quality, starting from
today, the volunteers began limiting the registration
number. Led by Brothers Tseng Chi-ying and Lin Chung-chih,
seven volunteers from North America went to Hongama,
a town in Amblantota, where distribution of daily essentials
will take place on Jan. 29. They went to decorate the
distribution site (in the playground of a local school)
and package the rice to be distributed.
A local volunteer, Dharshana Prasad Hewa Minuwandeniyage,
led about 50 "little bodhisattvas" aged between
10 and 15 to help. They voluntarily stayed to help after
school and placed labels on the rice bags, put sugar
into small bags, and helped to set up lines at the distribution
area.
Knowing that many Tzu Chi volunteers are from North
America, they seized the opportunity to practice English
by asking the volunteers many questions. Brother William
Keh said with great gratitude, "Without this group
of bodhisattvas, today's preparation work would not
have been completed so smoothly. With their help, I
believe tomorrow's distribution work will go off smoothly."
Brother Chen Chin-fa, chief coordinator of the distribution
work, used the time after the free clinic to remind
the volunteers of basic principles they should know
when extending aid to the beneficiaries. He stressed
the importance of observing the principles when distributing
supplies to some 1,500 families in the Amblantota area
tomorrow.
Brother Chen reminded us that everyone should keep
in mind the Master's "Three Karmic Relationships"
-- 1) seizing opportunities, 2) establishing good connections,
and 3) not to flatter or cling to people.
He also reminded everyone that during the distribution
one needs to have "Three Types of Pleasantness"
-- 1) letting the beneficiaries who come to receive
relief goods feel happy, 2) letting the local friends
who help us in the mission feel happy, and 3) we should
feel happy ourselves. Brother Chen added that extra
gratitude should go to the local officials because they
have helped to produce the name list of the recipients,
without the help of modern machines that had been destroyed
in the disaster. "They deserve our praise,"
he noted.
At about 11 a.m., there were cars broadcasting on the
streets telling people that another tsunami was coming.
All of a sudden people started to panic and run. Many
of the people in the free clinic started to run home.
The students in the school next to the free clinic all
panicked and started running out of school. Parents
were trying to look for their children in the midst
of chaos and all were trying to leave the school as
soon as possible. The scene on the streets was a mess.
Tzu Chi volunteers split into two groups. One went
to the school and asked the school to broadcast a message
to tell the students, teachers and parents not to panic
since they are on high ground which is the safest from
tsunamis. If parents want to look for their children,
the school is an easily spotted place, so everyone should
not panic. After the broadcast, the students and teachers
calmed down a little and returned to their classrooms.
Another group of volunteers went to calm the patients
in the free clinic. Tzu Chi volunteers used a microphone
to explain to everyone that the free clinic is located
on high ground and staying there is safest. They also
led everyone in singing the song "Prayer."
After singing the song, the scene turned peaceful and
calm. From this incident, it is easy to see how deeply
the Sri Lankan people were affected by the disaster
brought by the tsunami.
We are grateful for the Pakistani Army for sending 20
soldiers to help with the construction of the house-style
tents. We also need to thank seven personnel of the
Sri Lankan Navy who came to help. In addition, there
were 14 skilled and 33 semi-skilled workers. The construction
work was proceeding at a fast pace.
We originally hoped to have the basic facilities in
place, including bathrooms and kitchens, before the
survivors moved into the tent houses. Unfortunately,
the project was unable to be completed on time so we
negotiated with the nearby mosque (who provided the
land for us to build on) for permission for the people
who would move into the tents today to use their bathrooms
first.
At about 8 a.m., even when the volunteers had not arrived
yet, a man appeared at the free clinic, looking very
different and waiting to see a doctor. M.G. Ginadasa
is 54 years old. He has tumors from head to toe and
even on his entire face. When he walks or swings his
body, the tumors also swing around. Our hearts ached
when we saw that.
Ginadasa told us that he does not know what disease
he has. The tumors do not hurt, but they itch. He came
to the clinic, hoping that Tzu Chi doctors could take
a look at him and tell him what is going on with his
body. Doctor Hsieh Hui-lung examined him and told him
that it is a type of genetic neuro-tumor. Due to the
large number of tumors, if he wanted to take them all
off, there would be difficulty with the operation. Furthermore,
the free clinic is not equipped to perform operations.
Since Ginadasa told Doctor Hsieh that the tumor itches,
the doctor asked him to see our dermatologist for medicine
to alleviate some of the itchiness.
Today is the day for people to move into the tents.
When the volunteers went to the mosque, they found some
people scattered in front of the mosque and waiting
for officials from the local government and Tzu Chi
volunteers for registration. When the Tzu Chi volunteers
arrived, they saw about 20 families waiting on the second
floor of the mosque; they had been living there on a
long term basis. When they saw the Tzu Chi volunteers,
they started gathering together and hoped to move into
the tents as soon as possible. These people came without
any belongings; a few came with a plastic bag. Most
of them had nothing.
At the registration area, a 51-year-old woman, Isani
Dilanka, was the first in line with her daughter. There
are three other members in Isani's family, her 53-year-old
husband, 10-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter.
When the tsunami came, her entire family was inside
their home and they were all enveloped by the water.
The house collapsed, and they fell beneath the rubble.
After the tsunami, they were fortunate enough to survive
and were rescued by their neighbors who heard their
cries. After they were rescued, they were brought to
the Suriyawewa shelter which Tzu Chi's first relief
team had visited.
Isani's right leg was severely injured. Her son was
also badly injured. Fortunately, her husband and daughter
were fine. Ten days after Tzu Chi's first medical and
relief team arrived in Hambantota, Isani heard of the
free clinic and came to see our doctors for treatment.
So far, her wound has healed, but she indicated that
she had no feeling on the surface of her calf and the
outer rim of her foot. Her son's injury was more serious.
The doctors in a nearby hospital just operated on him
yesterday. Isani said that her son is still at the hospital,
but her daughter needs to go to school. So living in
the tents set up by Tzu Chi would be very convenient
for her since she can take care of her children and
also have the support of her neighbors.
Isani is a Buddhist. She was No. 39 on the government's
list for moving into the tents. However, local officials
and the people of the nearby mosque wanted to give priority
to Muslims because the site was provided by the mosque.
Thus Isani was asked out of the tents after she moved
in and that was how she came wandering around the free
clinic. In various countries of the world, people transcend
boundaries to help disaster victims, but for others,
religious barriers still exist in their minds. Tzu Chi
volunteers' hearts ached when they heard these stories
as they tried very hard to do relief work in the disaster
areas. (Note: Those who are not admitted into the tents
next to the mosque will be sheltered in some 100 other
tent houses being built at another location).
Even with various obstacles, work still needs to be
done. A mother wearing Muslim costume received approval
from the government and moved into the tents. A. Sulaiha
Bwebwe, 38, moved into the tents, accompanied by her
nephew. Before the tsunami, Sulaiha lived about five
minutes away from the free clinic. When the tsunami
came, they were able to escape the disaster as they
were visiting her sister's family by the mosque. However,
their house was torn down by the water.
Sulaiha's husband is a fisherman who was so scared
by the tsunami that it is uncertain whether he will
be able to return to the sea to fish. The family relied
on the father's work to survive. Because they had nowhere
else to go, they lived in the mosque before moving into
the tents. Being able to live in the tents, Sulaiha
was very happy. "This place is quieter and is very
close to the children's school," she said pleasantly.
A group of 13 members from Anil de Silva's company,
Leader Day, came from Colombo today to participate in
related relief activities coming up in the next three
days, such as helping in the free clinic, goods distribution
and the tent move-in ceremony. After their arrival,
Brother Hsieh Ching-kuei and a few other volunteers
had a meeting with Anil to discuss the cooperative work
for the next few days. Brother Hsieh invited Anil to
read the Sri Lankan translation of Master Cheng Yen's
letter tomorrow at the ceremony marking the distribution
of relief supplies. (Master Cheng Yen is the founder
of the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation)
At the same time, he invited Anil to observe Tzu Chi's
38-year experience and tradition in carrying out distribution
work with a manner that gives respect to every beneficiary,
that is orderly, and that will let others see the Tzu
Chi spirit of respecting lives. In the future, the promotion
of Tzu Chi's mission in Sri Lanka may well rest on this
group of local volunteer "seeds." After the
meeting, Anil happily agreed to take on the assignment
of reading the Master's letter and looked forward to
learning about the distribution work tomorrow.
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