Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

On June 20, Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou visited the village the foundation is building for survivors of last year’s Typhoon Morakot, in Changzhi, Pingtung county in the southern tip of the island.

Construction began on April 26 on a site of nearly 30 hectares, of 154 permanent homes, and is proceeding smoothly. The steel frames of most of the homes has been completed and scaffolding will be removed progressively at the end of this month and in mid-July. Each day 150 engineers and construction staff, together with the future residents, work on the site: assisting them are nearly 100 volunteers who provide different kinds of services. Most of the residents will be indigenous people, who lost their homes to the typhoon last August. They joined with the volunteers to welcome President Ma, who was accompanied by senior local officials.

Foundation vice-president Chen Shao-ming and spokesman Her Rey-sheng briefed the president on the progress of the project, saying that it was a story of 'gratitude, respect and love’. The president praised the work that had been done, especially the safety and comfortable of the houses and the environmental protection features. They will soon become new homes for those who lost theirs last year; in safe and comfortable houses, they will turn a new page in their lives and ease the pain of their suffering.

※Foundation Starts Fourth Village for Typhoon Morakot Survivors