Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

“Look, you must go in straight, not crooked," said Jiang Gen-chang, as he fitted the new window frame in the house of a care recipient of Tzu Chi in northwest Taiwan.

Since he was young, Jiang has worn a heavy tool bag around his waist; he has worked hard to support his family. When he retired, he handed over to his children his aluminum doors and windows business. Now in his 70s, he and his wife, Ke Xiao-feng, can retire and do more Tzu Chi work. As long as their physical condition allows, both will wear the Tzu Chi uniforms and come to help Tzu Chi care recipients.

The Old House

This time they came to fix doors and windows for the house of a care recipient in Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwan.

In this country house, the wooden frames of every door and window inside and outside have become rotten due to moisture. Rats and snakes often invade the house in the summer. As a result, the 86-year-old grandmother of Ms Wu was ill at ease in her house and could not sleep well. After Tzu Chi volunteers received a call for help, they went to see the condition of the house. They invited Jiang to come and replace the doors and windows. He and his wife were happy to help.

Thoughtful Volunteers

The bathroom is often a place where elderly people fall. During their visit, the volunteers very thoughtfully installed handrails for the residents of the house.

Care recipient Ms Wu said gratefully: “Tzu Chi brothers and sisters helped to install the handrails. The handrails in the bathroom let my grandmother and mother have handrails to hold on to when using the bathroom, so they are less likely to fall.”

This family is mainly composed of the elderly, the weak, women and children. Ms Wu is the breadwinner for the family. With secure doors and windows, she can start job-hunting with peace of mind.

One Jing Si Aphorism says: “To willingly undergo hardship for the sake of helping others is compassion.”

Join Tzu Chi. Let us pool our love together to help the needy.

Story by documentary volunteer Xue Fu-cai from Hsinchu