Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

Tzu Chi volunteers mobilized to provide relief to the survivors of the Philippines flood and Indonesia earthquake.  As of October 8th, Tzu Chi has already conducted seven relief trips to provide medical and financial assistance as well as deliver the love and care to the survivors.  In the City of Marikina, Philippines, Tzu Chi volunteers have been providing hot meals, rain boots, heavy machineries, clean-up assistance, as well as temporary jobs for the survivors.  The Mayor of the City of Marikina, Marides C. Fernando, has expressed sincere gratitude to Tzu Chi Foundation’s compassion and kindness. 

Many survivors in the City of Marikina were left without any shoes or rain boots wear.  Tzu Chi volunteers were worried that the residents would catch a cold or infection without shoes to wear.  Therefore, Tzu Chi volunteers delivered over 2,100 pairs of rain boots to the local residents of Nangka (in the City of Marikina).  One of the affected residents expressed that she was so grateful to receive “protection” on her feet, so the rashes on her feet would recover soon.

After the earthquake occurred in Indonesia, Tzu Chi volunteers immediately entered into disaster areas to conduct relief work; they delivered emergency cash, helped to build tents, provided medical services, etc. Tzu Chi volunteers also conducted street fundraisers in other parts of Indonesia and delivered the money and love from other parts of Indonesia to the survivors in disaster areas. 

The disaster areas in Indonesia were spread out, so many remote areas could not receive immediate assistance.  However, Tzu Chi volunteers spent four hours to travel to the remote village of Nakli to conduct aid distribution and free clinics as well as comfort the villagers.  Since it was not possible for cars to enter the village, the village was fairly isolated.  As many as 700 people in the village suffered from the earthquake; as of October 8th, only Tzu Chi volunteers came to visit the village. 

Recently, natural disasters are occurring more frequently, such as the flood in the Philippines, the earthquake in Indonesia, the flood in India, the wildfires in the United States, and the typhoons in Taiwan.  Thus, Master Cheng Yen expressed that we should all unite together and cherish and respect our land with the spirit of Great Love.