Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

To light up a light at the darkest corner and start a fire on the coldest path is the philosophy of Tzu Chi’s mission of charity. Helping families in need to spiritually cares, it includes long-term aid, immediate aid, visit families in need, and international charity. Tzu Chi cares not only on relief and supporting results, but cares even more on inspiring humble human nature. Through educating the rich, the poor is relived and it brings real happiness for the rich to help the poor and they too learn how to give love to the needy and find the meaning of life.

Through relieving the poor, the rich is educated, and by inspiring the love of the poor and leading them out of the dark valley in life enabling more and more people to devote themselves in giving and grow spiritually.

Through Taiwan’s charity experiences, this great love has spread over forty-seven countries with three hundred and forty-five service centers and offices around the globe. The trail of great love is left on sixty-nine countries, from the war-torn Afghanistan, Kosovo to Luanda, impoverished Mongolia to North Korea, earthquake stricken areas in Turkey, Iran to El Salvador, hurricane stricken areas in Indonesia, Philippine, Dominica to Tsunami stricken areas in South Asia, even in some parts of the U.S. that was struck by hurricanes, and the flooding areas in Bolivia. Tzu Chi volunteers’ great love remains the same and it transcends all religion and racial boundaries. Up holding a grateful mind with the principle of caring for the poor and educating the rich, Tzu Chi volunteers exercise both compassion and wisdom.

Tzu Chi volunteers in South Africa established more then 500 vocational schools for the local women and teach them professional skills. These African women later on devote their great love and traveled deep into villages to look after AIDS patients. When hurricane Katrina was savaging the U.S., Tzu Chi volunteers raised funds for the victims doing all they can to help.

After the flooding of Angkor River in Indonesia, Tzu Chi volunteers launched the 5-part plan (cleaning, sterilizing, aid relief, free-clinic, and construction of great love villages), where thousands of flooded victims receive free medical treatments. Brand new great love villages include free clinic centers, Tzu Chi Schools, and Islamic Mosques. Villagers are encouraged to help and love each other and now the residents have started to do recycling and join in volunteering services. The Indonesian Nurul Iman boarding school receives 50 tons of rice on a monthly basis. Under the interaction of love, the students also participate in the volunteer services. The principal of Nurul Iman boarding school even hangs Master Cheng Yen’s portrait in the classroom to show their respect and gratitude, and this symbolizes the real altruistic great love has no borders and exceed all barriers in life.

Since the 1991 great flooding in central and eastern China, Tzu Chi foundation has started charity service based on direct, focused, respect, practical, and timely principles under the supports of local and central government leaders. Tzu Chi volunteers travel at their own expenses and disregard all fatigues. The volunteers’ non-stop care and love the victims and treat them as if they were their own families, and has helped over 20 million people.

In the 27 autonomous regions including Jiangsu, Anhui, Gansu, Guizhou, Fujian, Guangdong, Tzu Chi volunteers has carried various charity works and constructions such as relief goods distribution for the flood, snowstorm, and earthquake victims, building of new villages, convalescent homes, welfare houses, schools and scholarships. Building of wells, village relocations, and winter goods relief distribution are also provided.

After the Sichuan Earthquake on May 12th, 2008, Tzu Chi volunteers arrived to the disaster area on May 14th. On May 15th, Tzu Chi volunteers around the globe launched fund raisings for the suffering in the China earthquake and Myanmar hurricane. Fund raisings inspire the love and kindness in everyone and the resonance of kindness are pooled together. Tzu Chi set up service stations providing hot meals, free medical treatments, consulting service to care for the survivors, and encourages the victims to join the volunteer services. It’s a great comfort to see survivors turn their sorrows into smiles where they take care and encourage each other

Along the path of reconstructing the Sichuan province after the earthquake, Tzu Chi foundation is carrying out a four-year, three-stage reconstruction plan. Upholding the philosophy of first to arrive and last to leave on helping the survivors rebuild their homes. While the residential and school reconstruction was in the planning stage, Tzu Chi fist build assembled classrooms and temples to shelter the survivors and the students temporarily and encouraging the survivors to walk out of their sorrows. Immediately after the first planning stage, Tzu Chi started Project Hope in rebuilding of schools. Currently, there are a total of 13 schools under construction or in the planning stage.