
The cyclone, the worst ever to hit the country, left at least 138,000 people dead and caused damage worth US$10 billion. Tzu Chi was the first foreign NGO to arrive on the scene and provide relief to the survivors. It began to organize free clinics in one of Asia’s poor countries. Inspired by this, a local doctor named Tin Mar Htet began to volunteer. Since January this year, she and her fellow doctors have been holding clinics twice a month at the Buddhist Khaymayama school for nuns. “When volunteers come from overseas to help, it makes me feel that, as a Burmese person, I should help too,” she said. One of the main diseases of the students is skin infection, a result of the fact that the school does not have a sufficient supply of water. “They have infections on the leg, the foot and the head,” said Doctor Tin. During one clinic, 70 novices received treatment for skin complaints as well as coughs. One problem is that, since many of the novices come from mountainous areas, they do not speak Burmese, the national language. “A Jing Si aphorism gives me strength,” said Doctor Tin. “People have limitless potential. Do not look down on yourself. I like this aphorism. When I hear these words, I feel I have so much ability and, yes, energy.” Since the volunteers started going in January, their number has steadily increased. Their work is greatly appreciated by the abbess of the school, Sandar Malar: “Tzu Chi volunteers coming here to organize a free clinic is a great help, because there are many novices here. If we want them to see a doctor, we can only take one or two at a time.”


The volunteers spent more than four months renovating the school’s kitchen and used the opportunity to introduce the school to the culture and philosophy of Master Cheng Yen. Soon the teachers and students adopted an entirely vegetarian diet. “Sometimes people would come and give us food, including meat,” said one of the nuns. “But we would avoid the meat and eat only vegetables. We did not eat much meat before; now we have taken it out of our diet completely.”
Newer news items:
- Philippine City Signs Recycling Agreement with Tzu Chi
- Distribution for Indonesia Volcano Survivors
- The 10 Years of Great Love in Zamboanga
- Making Strides in Colombo
Older news items:
- Groundbreaking Ceremony for Kuala Lumpur Jing-Si Hall
- Volunteers Give 7,800 Stationery Sets to Students in Myanmar
- Japan Volunteers Invited to the Summer Festival
- Vegetarianism and Recycling Promoted at Care Centre