Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

“Tasty bread! Tasty bread!” Budi Salim calls out. Even though he cannot open his mouth very wide, his voice still travels to many parts of Pekojan, the community in West Jakarta where he lives.

Budi used to have tumors on his face. With the help of Tzu Chi, he received three separate operations in 2007 and 2008 to remove them. The tumors are gone now. Apart from a small piece of metal imbedded in his lower jawbone, only the scars from the surgery are visible.

Budi sells bread on the streets after school. His mother, Wawa, explained that a neighbor sells bread to Budi for 800 rupiah apiece, and Budi sells them for 1,000 each. He goes out at noon and sometimes in the evening too, and he can sell between 20 and 50 loaves of bread a day. He only rests on Sundays. Budi’s parents never asked him to sell bread; he does it of his own free will. He divides his earnings into three parts: one for his mother, one for Tzu Chi, and one for his own daily allowance.

Budi is not the only one in the family that contributes to the charity work of Tzu Chi. Lim Kim Siong (林金雄), Budi’s father, collects recyclables and donates them to the foundation. He said he does not feel embarrassed when he picks up discarded plastic bottles on the streets. Instead, he feels proud and happy to be able to both protect the earth and contribute to Tzu Chi’s philanthropic efforts.

Source: Tzu Chi Quarterly Spring 2009