Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

(San Dimas, CA, USA) Tzu Chi relief team provides aid to over 3,000 survivors in Haiti. Tzu Chi will continue to distribute goods and provide medical services to over 10,000 survivors in the next two weeks.

The relief team distributed aid to an orphanage in Pernier on January 29 and IHCD in Tabarre on February 1, benefiting approximately 3,152 people (including 150 people from the orphanage in Pernier and 3,002 people in a community in Tabarre). Besides providing aid directly to the hands of the survivors, Tzu Chi also delivered the love and care from Tzu Chi members around the world.

The distribution on January 29 at an orphanage in Pernier was Tzu Chi’s first small-scale distribution for the earthquake survivors in Haiti. The goods distributed included instant corn powder, cooking oil, milk powder, beans, oatmeal, rice, gas stoves, as well as 300 sets of reusable utensils.

Tzu Chi previously provided assistance to this orphanage in January 2009. Therefore, when the children saw the Tzu Chi volunteers this time, they were excited and called out “Tzu Chi, Tzu Chi.” At the orphanage, Tzu Chi volunteers led the children and the staff to pray for all the survivors and for a peaceful world. Both the Tzu Chi volunteers and the people at the orphanage had tears in their eyes as they prayed. Tzu Chi volunteers also taught the children a song called “The Spirit of Great Love,” and told them that as long as we have love in our hearts, we will not be defeated by challenges facing us.

The Spirit of Great Love
There is no one in the world that I don’t love.
There is no one in the world that I don’t trust.
There is no one in the world that I can’t forgive.
All the sorrow, blame and worries, just let go.

On February 1, Tzu Chi conducted a large-scale distribution at IHCD in the city of Tabarre. The goods distributed included instant rice, instant corn powder and reusable utensils. The person responsible for IHCD, Nicole, expressed her gratitude to Tzu Chi. She said that Tzu Chi not only provided food to the survivors, most important of all, Tzu Chi showed respect and love when providing the aid, giving the survivors dignity and hope.

During the distribution, the USAID Senior Advisor for Special Project as well as deputy mayor of the city of Tabarre were present. Approximately 75 volunteers (including Tzu Chi relief team from the US and the Dominican Republic, Tzu Chi volunteers based in Haiti, local residents, Haitian police and Jordanian peacekeepers) were mobilized to conduct this distribution.

On 2/10-2/11, Tzu Chi will be holding large-scale distributions and providing medical & dental services in Tabarre, benefiting over 10,000 survivors in the area. Several small-scale distributions will continue, while large-scale distributions will be conducted on a weekly basis. Gatherings will also be held with local Tzu Chi volunteers, local residents, peacekeepers and police to spread the message of love and hope and to continue the cycle of love in Haiti.

Starting 2/5, Tzu Chi will conduct a relief work program in the vicinity of the distribution sites. For the initial phase, survivors will work to clean up the surrounding areas in exchange for food from Tzu Chi. The relief work program will not only provide immediate needs to the survivors, it will also provide hope and love. Tzu Chi has been conducting similar relief work programs in other parts of the world. The survivors participating in the program not only were provided with financial assistance, they also found hope, respect and love through the program.

Tzu Chi will be shipping in additional large quantities of goods and supplies from other parts of the world, including 500 portable restrooms that can be used in order to provide a sanitary environment for the Haitians. Tzu Chi will be there to accompany the survivors for as long as there is a need, and Tzu Chi will help to deliver love to Haiti from around the world. Every cent of the donation received for Haiti relief will be used for the imm ediate, mid-term and long-term relief operations in Haiti.

Together, let us help Haiti with love!