Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

For a quarter of a century, Tzu Chi volunteers in Jordan have continued to bring the spirit of compassion to people who are suffering. It is no easy task.

 

Affinity

It was on September 4,1997 that the Tzu Chi Jordan Office was established. Lin Hui-zhen was the first person in charge.

In 1997, Mr. Zhang Tian-neng was transferred as the representative of the Commercial Office of the Republic of China in Jordan. Lin Hui-zhen was his wife; she had joined Tzu Chi in Indonesia. After Mr. Zhang went to Jordan, his wife brought Tzu Chi to this Muslim country.

It is not easy to gain a foothold in another people's land, let alone to promote a Buddhist charity in a Muslim country. It was truly difficult!

There were only 30 Taiwan expat households in Jordan at that time. Madame Lin organized a tea party to encourage them to join Tzu Chi. The current Jordan branch executive, Chen Chiou-hwa, was one of those who attended the party.

 

Spring of Love in the Desert

Before she died of illness in 1998, Madame Lin entrusted Chen Chiou-hwa to take over as the person in charge. After the U.S.-Iraq war broke out in 2003, the volunteers in Jordan began to care for Iraqi refugees, and the Tzu Chi Office in Jordan was upgraded to a branch.

After the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Jordanian Tzu Chi volunteers experienced a dramatic increase in the number of Syrian refugees – they required an emergency response. Jordanian volunteers have provided medical assistance to individual cases and continue to cooperate with local hospitals to help the severely injured and handicapped refugee children. In addition, Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) formed a team from time to time to visit Jordan to conduct free clinics to help the international refugees.

The long-running Israeli-Arab war and the plight of the Palestinians have also caused an influx of refugees in Jordan. In early 1998, Jordanian Tzu Chi volunteers began to care for those living in the Baka refugee camp. They provided daily necessities every three months and designated 10 poor and sick families as long-term cases. By the end of the year, three large-scale distributions were carried out, and 1,031 households benefited.

After the U.S.-Iraq war started, Jordanian Tzu Chi volunteers, together with the Hashemi Charity Organization and humanitarian aid groups, set up 2,000 tents in the Rashad area of the border as a shelter for refugees. After that, they went to the Ruwayshed refugee camp several times to distribute supplies. In May, they entered Iraq to provide care in Al Falluja General Hospital and Jordan Field Hospital in the suburbs of the capital Baghdad. They donated six tons of food to a Palestine refugee camp in Baghdad. A total of 337 households and more than 8,000 people benefited.

Disabled schools, meningitis associations, disabled people Rehabilitation Centers, and refugees have been the objects of care by the volunteers. The recipients all believe that Tzu Chi volunteers are messengers sent by Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love inspires Love

Tzu Chi volunteers continued to inspire people’s hearts with selfless love. In 1999, on the day of the September 21st Earthquake in Taiwan, Chen Chiou-hwa, who was in Jordan, was devastated. Unexpectedly, in just two hours, he raised more than US$11,000 in a disaster relief fund in Jordan. This proved the cycle of love and the effect of good deeds.

Chen said: "We are in a country that does not identify with Buddhism. Because of Tzu Chi's good affinity, people can recognize Tzu Chi, and then they can identify with Buddhism. This is how we spread our love to the Arab world."

 

 

Recognition

Tzu Chi's missions in Jordan have never ceased. From assisting both Palestinian and Syrian refugees, in the depths of the desert or helping the Bedouin on the edge of the city, Tzu Chi volunteers in Jordan do their best whenever they see suffering.

 

In 2019, Tzu Chi’s dedication in Jordan for more than 22 years was finally affirmed, and the Jordanian government approved it as an international NGO. This recognition has helped to promote Tzu Chi's missions of charity, medicine, education, and culture.

It is remarkable. Until 2022, Jordanian Tzu Chi volunteers have given themselves to the needy and brought the spring of love into the desert for 25 years. Many sick people have recovered from their illnesses, many refugee children have received education, and many poor families have received food and hope. This is the great and selfless love of those who could not bear to see people suffering.

Love makes the world better. Please join us. We can do it.