Johannesburg

Some people say that both paradise and hell coexist in South Africa. There are modern cities with beautiful shopping malls, but also backward villages with ramshackle huts. This unequal distribution of wealth creates severe social problems.

"As more and more Taiwanese people come to settle in Johannesburg, we must group together to help one another in times of emergency or turmoil," said Huang Ting-lin, the first Tzu Chi member in Johannesburg. In the mid-1980s, Huang left Taiwan to start his business in South Africa. Having no relatives there, he had no one to turn to when he ran into problems. Fortunately, many overseas Chinese there gave him a helping hand. "After my business got on track, I felt I had to do something to repay the kindness I received." In 1992, Huang set up a Tzu Chi liaison office and invited his friends to join. Soon afterwards, Huang immigrated to England and entrusted the Tzu Chi missions in Johannesburg to Wu Kuo-reng, his brother-in-law.

It was extremely hard for a foreigner like Wu to begin to carry out the Tzu Chi missions in a country with more than 11 official languages. "Since I learned of Tzu Chi only after moving to South Africa, I had to study Tzu Chi publications in order to find out how to carry out Tzu Chi work as a director," said Wu. He discovered that volunteers in Taiwan and the United States had started by doing charity work. So he and 20 other members followed suit and began to visit a nursing home in Johannesburg.

Ladysmith

"When I first came to South Africa, I saw the expensive mansions of white people everywhere I looked," said Shih Feng-chi. "I couldn't believe I was in Africa. But later when I visited the countryside, I saw how impoverished the black people were. They had nothing to eat, no houses to live in, and no warm jackets to shelter them from the cold." Shih had already been certified as a Tzu Chi commissioner when he was in Taiwan. In 1990, he moved his business to Ladysmith, where he started promoting Tzu Chi activities.

"I had to start from scratch in recruiting members." Although South Africa is a multicultural society, Asian immigrants account for only three percent of its population. A few thousand of them are Taiwanese. Shih went door to door to visit every Taiwanese businessperson in South Africa and to invite them to join Tzu Chi.

"It was easy inviting them to tea parties where I introduced Tzu Chi to them, but when I asked them to donate money they became more reserved." Yet the numerous rebuffs did not dampen Shih's aspirations. On the contrary, it spurred him to strive harder. He once toured all the major cities in South Africa to hold meetings; he didn't return to Ladysmith to attend to his business until two weeks later.

"One time I went to Johannesburg for a Tzu Chi meeting. I saw a newspaper advertisement that read 'Tzu Chi people, come home!' The advertisement had been posted by Wu Kuo-reng, who was urging Tzu Chi members living in South Africa to touch 'home base' in Johannesburg." When Shih realized that there was already a partner in Johannesburg carrying out Tzu Chi work, he contacted him.

Shih's appearance meant a lot to Wu. "I felt as if I was about to drown in an ocean, but suddenly a log floated towards me." From unity comes strength. Together, Shih and Wu zealously carried out Tzu Chi missions in the two cities and helped the underprivileged in impoverished villages.

Durban

"Because only a few of us were doing Tzu Chi work in South Africa, our strength was very small," said Wu. "So when we heard of a Taiwanese businessman in Durban who liked to help the poor natives, I rushed over to see him right away."

Chang Ming-hui reminisced: "Wu and Huang drove seven hours from Johannesburg to Durban to see me. When they entered my house, they promptly prostrated themselves in front of the buddha altar, and then they called me 'Brother Chang.' I was really surprised!"

Chang, who moved to South Africa in 1972, knew what a dire life black South Africans faced. Although he wanted to do charity work, he didn't know how to help until Tzu Chi members found him. After he joined Tzu Chi, Chang often took his black employees with him on relief missions to remote villages, orphanages, and nursing homes. He would also go to faraway mountains to offer stipends to poor students. The natives were like family members to him.

One time, Chang's car was stolen while he was helping at a black village. The bandits demanded his keys and fired a bullet, which grazed his cheek. The bandits then drove his van away. Although Chang was hurt, he was not scared by the incident. After that, he still continued to visit and care for the villagers.

In July 1993, Chuang Shu-mei, a Tzu Chi commissioner, flew from Taiwan to Durban to convalesce from an illness. Although she was not physically well, she continued to diligently promote Tzu Chi activities in Durban. "Sister Chuang wanted to help the homeless," said Pan Ming-shui, who immigrated to Durban in 1990. "Since she was new to Durban and couldn't speak the language, I offered to help her. Little did I know that by helping her, I would become part of the Tzu Chi family." At first he thought he was only helping a weak woman do a one-time relief service. But the more involved he became, the more he realized that doing Tzu Chi work was his life mission. Pan has helped set up 500 vocational training classes for native villagers. After receiving assistance, many students have taken up volunteer work themselves and helped other South Africans. Because Pan had enough courage to enter black villages to do charity work--something many local white people didn't dare to do--Zulu villagers nicknamed him "Warrior."

Clothing Drive

In 1994, volunteers returned to Taiwan and collected two containers of used clothes for 200,000 poor people in South Africa. The distribution received great response. An article of old clothing meant so much to the needy. Seeing this, Shih again solicited second-hand clothes from Taiwan the following year. This time, Taiwanese people responded warmly and donated 15 containers of clothes. Distributions were carried out in Durban, Johannesburg, East London, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Ladysmith, and Swaziland.

"The distributions spread Tzu Chi's love far and wide. People learned that the spirit of Great Love transcends nationality and religion. Our work has become more and more tangible," said Shih.

That distribution caused Pan, who had just learned of Tzu Chi, to participate wholeheartedly. "Since we wanted to give clothes to the truly needy, I visited many remote villages and learned of the poverty and misery in the lives of the natives. In order to help, I thought of opening up sewing classes for women." Since then, many Tzu Chi members have set up sewing classes in Durban. Students who acquire skills from these classes have gradually become aid-givers instead of aid-recipients. Their participation has laid a solid foundation for Tzu Chi work in Durban.

Chang observed that because of the distributions, many volunteers have been spurred to strive harder in walking down the Path of the Bodhisattvas.

Training Local Volunteers

After ten years of hard work, the number of Tzu Chi volunteers in South Africa has grown from 20 to 2,000. Originating in Johannesburg, Tzu Chi activities can now be found in seven large cities. Volunteers in Johannesburg focus on visiting organizations. Volunteers in Durban are most successful in vocational training classes and bringing up local community volunteers. And volunteers in Ladysmith concentrate on building schools. The volunteers in South Africa are like a big family. If a large-scale activity is held in one of the seven local offices, volunteers from all over the country will go there to offer support.

In order to bring out love in all people, volunteers know that they must invite more natives to become volunteers. "In the next decade, we plan to give out scholarships and plant the seeds of love in diligent students. We hope that after they grow up, they will spread love to others," said Chien Song-bo, director of the Johannesburg office.

Shih remarked confidently that he could foresee South Africa becoming a land filled with love.