In 1998, hit hard by the Asian financial crisis, Indonesia experienced considerable economic and political turbulence. The anti-Chinese "May Riots" that erupted in Jakarta cast a dark shadow on many Indonesian Chinese.

Despite the turmoil, Tzu Chi volunteers in Indonesia, the majority of whom are Chinese, did not slacken their philanthropic efforts. Instead they picked up the pace, knowing that the social unrest would make the lives of local people even more miserable. During a series of large-scale relief distributions and free clinics that benefited tens of thousands of people, many local Chinese businessmen pitched in to help, giving not only money but also time and energy to facilitate the charitable operations.

These businessmen have since become an important driving force behind Tzu Chi's relief efforts in Indonesia. They even undertook the project of building a 1,000-household village and schools for people who used to live on the banks of the Angke River. Acting out of love, they took off their suits, put on Tzu Chi uniforms, and reached out to help without asking for anything in return. In the following pages, we will introduce three of these volunteers. We regret to say that we cannot introduce all the heroes behind the scenes due to limited space. Let us see how their sincere hearts and benevolent actions have made a difference in the world.　

Love Shortens the Distance between Strangers

Liu Su-mei (劉素美)

In 1992, Liu Su-mei and her family immigrated from Taiwan to Indonesia. Her husband, Tsai Chiu-feng, was planning on setting up a shoe factory in that country. The unfamiliar environment of a foreign country made her alert and watchful, and she always accompanied her children to and from school. That was how she came to know Liang Chiung, who was also from Taiwan.

Liang introduced her to Tzu Chi, and Su-mei consequently became a Tzu Chi member. Like many local Taiwanese businessmen's wives, she began to make regular donations to the foundation.

At first the only thing these businessmen's wives did was remit donations back to Taiwan. But after they got to know Tzu Chi better, someone proposed, "Why don't we also do charity work here in Indonesia?" Thus under the leadership of Liang, they began to help the needy in Jakarta.

It is by no means easy to carry out philanthropic activities in a foreign land, and all the volunteers could depend on was their enthusiasm and courage. "Whenever we were informed that someone was in need of help, we'd visit that person to find out what we could do," said Su-mei. Their work was made difficult by the language barrier and their unfamiliarity with the local environment, but they conquered the difficulties with their sincerity. "We gave without ever thinking of asking for anything in return. When we couldn't communicate with language, we communicated with smiles." Gradually, they won the approval of the local community, and more people joined to help them.

Su-mei offered the use of her home for the volunteers to hold regular gatherings. "Every day a lot of people would come to my house. It was during the term of President Suharto, and all meetings and gatherings were monitored. Once the police even knocked on my door to make sure there was no illegal activity.

One year later, Liang moved back to Taiwan with her family. Before she left, she asked Su-mei to take over her duties at Tzu Chi. "I was still adjusting to the new environment at that time. But since we had already begun our work, I thought it would be a pity to give it up. So I just had to take on the responsibility."

Pressure immediately began to mount. In addition to volunteer work, she had to help out at her husband's company. She found it hard to meet both duties at the same time, so she talked to her husband about it. Her husband only gave her one piece of advice: "If you want to do it, you must do it with all your might." Then he shouldered all the responsibilities pertaining to his company, allowing Su-mei to concentrate her attention on the Tzu Chi missions.

Besides paying regular visits to orphanages, rest homes, and leprosariums, Su-mei and the other Tzu Chi volunteers in Indonesia also offer scholarships to impoverished children, help repair school buildings, and provide immediate assistance to victims of all kinds of disasters. The 1994 deluge in Serang is a good example. Tzu Chi went to the disaster area to distribute relief supplies. Since then, volunteers have never stopped caring for the residents of the area.

Su-mei also talked about the problem of tuberculosis in Indonesia. The disease is the second leading cause of death in the country. Residents in poor rural areas often lack the means and knowledge to cure this infectious disease. Tzu Chi works with the health bureaus in Tangerang and Serang counties to eradicate TB by regularly distributing six-month supplies of medicine and dietary supplements to the patients. The long-term program, which started in 1995, has achieved remarkable results: in Serang, 88 percent of the patients who enrolled in the program have been cured.

Because of the volunteers' efforts, the Tzu Chi Indonesia branch was established in Jakarta with Master Cheng Yen's permission in November 1996. Since then, Tzu Chi charity work in Indonesia has made great progress.

In 1997, Tzu Chi began offering free clinics. "In the early years, when Master Cheng Yen visited the poor in Taiwan, she found that poverty was often the result of sickness," Su-mei remarked. "It's the same here in Indonesia. Because there's no national health insurance policy and medical fees are high, many poor people can't afford to see a doctor. That's why we came up with the idea of conducting small-scale free clinics." Since 1997, Tzu Chi has cooperated with the health bureau of Serang to conduct free monthly clinics around the region. This was the beginning of the Tzu Chi free clinic services in Indonesia.

In 1997, Asia was hit by a financial crisis. Many factories in Indonesia shut down, resulting in a sharp increase in the unemployment rate. The number of people living under the poverty line shot up from twenty million to one hundred million out of the country's population of two hundred million. The anti-Chinese "May Riots" that broke out in Jakarta in May 1998 exacerbated the already ailing economic situation. Prices soared and medical fees kept rising. The poor faced even harder living conditions.

The May Riots were the worst nightmare of the Chinese population in Indonesia. "The Master was worried about our safety, and she hoped we could come back to Taiwan," Su-mei said. After the riots, most Chinese avoided going outdoors. However, the program to cure TB needed to carry on, so Indonesian Tzu Chi volunteers continued to deliver medicine to patients at the scheduled time.

Ten days later, Su-mei and other volunteers returned from Taiwan. With the help of other Taiwanese Tzu Chi volunteers, they donated 100,000 bags of rice to the armed forces and police who had helped maintain social order, and to the needy who lived in poor villages around Jakarta. Through concrete action, they hoped to alleviate tension between the Indonesians and the local Chinese. Su-mei said, "Actually only a small number of the Indonesian population were anti-Chinese; most Indonesians are kindhearted. During the rioting, our Indonesian drivers and workers took very good care of our homes and factories, which kept us from worrying."

After that, volunteers continued to help improve the lives of local people by holding large-scale free clinics and relief distributions. From the smiles of the people who received aid from the foundation, Tzu Chi people saw hope for mutual accommodation and help between different ethnic groups.

Having experienced the turmoil and unrest, Su-mei said that the roads they had traveled were indeed bumpy and rough, but they never slackened in their efforts. Whenever they ran into difficulties, they would encourage themselves with the Master's words: "Stay firm in your commitment, and then no difficulties can deter you from your goals." "For the past few years we have tried to steady our steps and to do our best. All along the path of our missions, a lot of people came to our aid and many difficulties were thus solved."

But challenges never ceased. Towards the end of January 2002, torrential rains led to serious flooding in Jakarta, leaving thousands of people homeless. Victims were living in floodwater for up to a month.

Su-mei promptly led Tzu Chi volunteers to carry out flood relief work. They waded through floodwater or took boats to deliver daily necessities, food, and drinking water to the victims. They also conducted free clinics and helped clean schools. When Eka Tjipta Widjaja, a local entrepreneur, saw how the victims suffered from the flooding, he instructed the employees at his cracker factory to take all the stock for relief distribution.

In early March, Su-mei went with Eka Tjipta Widjaja, his son Franky Oesman Widjaja, and other volunteers to Taiwan to report the extent of the flood damage to Master Cheng Yen and to seek advice and help from her. After hearing their report, the Master instructed them to clean and disinfect the disaster areas, carry out free clinics, and build a Great Love Village for flood victims in Kapuk Murua, an illegally built village on the banks of the Angke River.

Of all the relief work, the construction of the Great Love Village--1,000 households in all--would cost the most money. Su-mei and Widjaja decided to hold tea parties to summon help from local entrepreneurs. Responding to their call, Sugianto Kusuma, president of the Artha Graha Group, took it upon himself to help raise the needed funds. Many businesspeople also contributed generously.

Su-mei said that the post-disaster reconstruction project could not have succeeded without the concerted efforts of the Tzu Chi volunteers. Among them, Sugianto was responsible for the construction of the Great Love Village and Franky Oesman Widjaja was responsible for moving the residents into the village and for rice distribution. Chen Feng-ling, a high-ranking director at the Sinar Mas Group, and many other employees also gave a lot of help.

The day the Great Love Village residents moved into the village, tears of happiness rolled down Su-mei's cheeks. "For the past year we've been busy raising money and planning the reconstruction... Now, when I see that the residents are finally able to settle down, I feel so happy."

It has been ten years since Tzu Chi volunteers started carrying out charity relief in Indonesia. With limited resources, they have left indelible footprints on Indonesian soil. Looking back, Su-mei feels a great sense of fulfillment. "One's life consists of only a few decades. I'm glad I can do something good for society in the fourth decade of my life. I'm grateful for all our volunteers have given and for the support of my family. Thanks to them, I have not lived in vain."

Returning to the Community

Eka Tjipta Widjaja (黃奕聰)
　

"Wen-yu is my secretary," said Eka Tjipta Widjaja. "Ever since she came in touch with Tzu Chi, she has often talked about it. She even arranged for my son Franky and me to go visit Master Cheng Yen in Hualien, Taiwan, a couple of days before the May Riots in 1998."

Widjaja, founder of the Sinar Mas Group, is more than 80 years old. A devout Christian, he takes good care of his employees and the poor in Indonesia. He is familiar with and highly praises Tzu Chi's ideal of "help the poor and educate the rich."

"During our visit to Hualien, the Master introduced to us what Tzu Chi volunteers had done for over 30 years. We also visited the hospital, the Still Thoughts Hall, and the schools established by Tzu Chi. I admire the Master from the bottom of my heart. She is so sincerely dedicated to every task she has undertaken. I believe that's why she can motivate so many people to accomplish so many things and make the best use of every donated penny."

At that time, Widjaja told the Master about how the Asian financial crisis had aggravated the living conditions of the poor in Indonesia. The Master encouraged Widjaja to return to the local communities what he had taken from them. Widjaja's son, Franky Oesman Widjaja (Huang Jung-nien), was impressed by the Master's sagacity and immediately asked to be accepted as her disciple. Since then, the father and son have dedicated themselves to implementing Tzu Chi charity projects. Franky even made a commitment to provide long-term help for the needy in Indonesia.

Widjaja came from a poor family. He dropped out of school to learn a trade at the age of nine. After decades of diligent effort, he now owns an enormous conglomerate that operates bakeries, plantations, petroleum product companies, banks, and many other businesses.

After the Asian financial crisis hit Indonesia, Widjaja's Sinar Mas Group suffered a great loss in its paper and food processing industries, which comprise an important part of the group's business. The once prosperous group faced an unprecedented challenge.

"I went through several ups and downs during my career as a businessman," said Widjaja. "Yet no matter what happened, I always insisted on maintaining good credit and moral integrity. I never owed anyone a single penny. It was not easy, but we always managed to pull through the difficulties in the end." Shouldering the livelihoods of 200,000 to 300,000 employees, he led his staff through the hardest times by means of his perseverance, courage, and superior judgment.

Having experienced so much, Widjaja said with gratitude, "It was due to the blessings of God that the Sinar Mas Group could make it through that financial crisis." Yet whether at the lowest ebb or the highest pinnacle of his career, Widjaja never wavered in his conviction: "One must do as much good as one can."

After the May Riots, the Master instructed Tzu Chi volunteers to hold large-scale relief distributions in Jakarta. Widjaja and Franky not only called for the help of local Chinese businessmen, but also mobilized more than 500 employees of their corporations to help with the distributions. Originally the employees were not enthusiastic about volunteering their time because they had to serve after their office hours. But when they saw that a group of foreign Tzu Chi members were really set on helping their own people, they began to pitch in heartily. They took part in meetings that went as late as 10 p.m. and visited the poor to select the most needy aid recipients for the foundation.

"Many people think the rioting was caused by antagonism between Indonesians and Chinese," observed Widjaja. "Actually, Indonesians are not anti-Chinese; it's only that they are so poor. If we Chinese know to pay back society and take care of the poor, then Indonesians, being simple and passionate, won't set themselves against us."

Widjaja has already handed over his businesses to his children. Although it is time for him to take it easy, he still insists on going to the office twice a week. But almost everything he takes care of in his office is related to Tzu Chi. "Having been a businessman all my life, it seems that the only thing I know is how to make money. But money is like water. When used in the right places, it will do a lot of good; when used in the wrong places, it will do a lot of evil." He says that spending money on charity actually makes one happier than making money.

"Every time I do good, my heart is filled with peace and joy that can't possibly be bought with money." Widjaja says it never occurs to him to do good in order to go to heaven. He merely wants to use his money on the right things so he can live with a clear conscience. The joy of repaying society, of helping others, wins him the greatest satisfaction.

Widjaja has eight children, of which Franky is the youngest. He is the general manager of the Sinar Mas Group and deputy CEO of the Tzu Chi Indonesia branch office. He says that if one wants to do good, merely donating money is not enough--one needs to genuinely care for the people one is helping. So no matter how busy he is, he always makes time to lead his employees to participate in Tzu Chi relief operations and free clinics. Seeing how devoted he is to helping others, many of his employees follow his example of their own accord.

"The moment I asked the Master to accept me as her disciple, I knew I had made a commitment that I could not go back on," said Franky. "Although the burden on my shoulders will only get heavier and heavier, I've never thought of giving up. As long as I know it's something I should do, I'll never let my mind linger on the difficulties I might encounter. My motto is 'Just do it!' Even if there are many obstacles, they will always be overcome in the end."

It is understandable how hard it can be to promote Tzu Chi missions in a Muslim country such as Indonesia. But the volunteers there never feel disheartened; instead they persevere and spur themselves to work harder. Maybe it is the "just do it" spirit that has invigorated the volunteers and made them accomplish so many impossible missions.　

"Mr. No Problem"

Sugianto Kusuma (郭再源)

The September 11 terrorist attacks that shook the world were a most heartrending memory for Sugianto Kusuma's youngest daughter--her boyfriend was on one of the airplanes hijacked by the terrorists from Boston. After the fatal tragedy, she became inconsolably depressed and was sapped of energy.

She returned to Indonesia from the United States. Sugianto and his wife, Li-ping, tried their best to soothe her torment, but they were unable to make her feel better. One time at an evening party, the couple ran across Fu Chih-kuan, also an entrepreneur. Seeing how worried the couple was about their daughter, Fu suggested that they go to the Abode of Still Thoughts in Hualien, Taiwan, to drive away their troubles.

In December 2001, Sugianto and Li-ping accompanied Fu to Hualien, where they attended a Tzu Chi activity called "Spread Love to the World." They were deeply impressed.

"On our return flight back to Indonesia, we shared our feelings about Tzu Chi," said Li-ping. "We both felt it was a very special organization."

One month later, torrential rains poured down in Jakarta, causing serious flooding. Admiring Tzu Chi for its way of carrying out international relief, Sugianto also purchased relief supplies and hot meals and went to the disaster areas to distribute them in person.

Some time later, he was invited by Eka Tjipta Widjaja, CEO of the Sinar Mas Group, to attend a gathering held by Tzu Chi volunteers. There Sugianto learned that Tzu Chi had decided on a relief plan to help flood victims in Jakarta. He immediately decided to take part in the relief effort and free clinics conducted by the foundation.

Sugianto is the head of the Artha Graha Group, which owns a number of businesses in Indonesia. He said, "Our company offers free clinics too. But I always let our medical staff take care of them. After participating personally in the Tzu Chi free clinics, I began to realize how joyous it was to give. I also found out there was actually a large number of poor people in Jakarta."

Because his company also engages in construction work, Sugianto knows a lot in that field. So when Tzu Chi decided to build a Great Love Village for people who lived on the banks of the Angke River, Sugianto undertook the project without the least hesitation.

To implement the housing project, land needed to be procured first. Sugianto went to visit the president of the land development bureau and explained the Tzu Chi plan to him. "When the president learned that the land would be used for charitable purposes, he immediately agreed to provide it to us."

The land was obtained, but the problem of construction expenses still waited to be solved. "The Master asked me if there were any difficulties in raising enough money. I replied, 'No problem,' thinking secretly that if I failed to raise the needed sum, I would just donate it myself." The Master seemed to be able to read his mind, and she said straight away, "We should allow everyone to cultivate the 'field of blessings' by pitching in together." Sugianto therefore had to cancel the idea of paying for the project alone.

However, for a big boss like him, it was more difficult to raise money than to donate it. Sugianto said, "In the past, I was always the one asked to make donations. When it was my turn to solicit donations, I found it really hard to open my mouth." So although he made fundraising plans, he and Franky Oesman Widjaja, general manager of the Sinar Mas Group, decided that if they failed to collect enough money, they would each share the needed funds.

Sugianto made a roster of the names of every entrepreneur he was familiar with. When these friends heard about the ideals promoted by Master Cheng Yen, they all responded warmly to the appeal for donations. "Maybe because I had maintained good relationships with them when doing business, they all trusted me and agreed to donate money."

Still not enough money was raised by the time of the groundbreaking ceremony in July 2002. "Tzu Chi people never wait until there is enough money to do things," Sugianto said. "The construction of the Great Love Village could not be delayed. Besides, I believed as soon as we started building the houses, more people would pitch in to help us."

Just as he had predicted, donations came pouring in after ground was broken, making it possible for the construction to proceed smoothly. The village was completed in July 2003, and the residents moved into it the same month.

Having worked in the construction field for over 20 years, Sugianto had built more than 5,000 houses. His rich experience greatly contributed to the accomplishment of the Great Love Village project. Although the houses were built not to sell, but to "give away," he paid the utmost attention to the construction process. "I never went to a construction site before, even though I'd been in the field for a long time. But after we started building the Great Love Village, I went to the site very often because the Master told us to build the houses as if we were building them for ourselves."

After Sugianto joined Tzu Chi, every time the Master asked him to do something, he always answered, "No problem!" thus winning himself the title of "Mr. No Problem." Yet behind the resounding "No problem," there were actually a lot of challenges and problems to be tackled.

For instance, when construction workers were about to level the ground for the Great Love Village, Sugianto had to communicate patiently with squatters. The experience taught him to adopt a gentler attitude when communicating with others. "Tzu Chi puts a lot of emphasis on communication. We were taught not to take a tough stand. So I've gradually learned to put myself in others' shoes."

Problems such as the dredging of the Angke River and the moving of the residents into the Great Love Village also tested Tzu Chi volunteers' wisdom. Yet as usual, Sugianto's response was "No problem!" "My idea is that we should be brave in taking on responsibilities. If problems do occur, we can then try to overcome and solve them."

As a leader of a large enterprise, how does he manage to strike a balance between work and volunteering? Sugianto says that there is never enough time to do business, yet he can choose not to do it. As for volunteer work, no matter how busy he is, he will always find time for it because helping others is a goal he has set for himself. He must do his best to persevere in his commitment.

Sugianto used to play golf three times a week. Since he became a volunteer, he has never appeared on a course because he reports to the Tzu Chi office every day. "Participating in Tzu Chi activities makes me happier. It gives me a sense of fulfillment and pervades my heart with invisible joy. Doing volunteer work provides greater enjoyment than playing golf."

Sugianto does not want to monopolize the joy of being a volunteer. He hopes the four Tzu Chi missions of charity, medicine, education, and culture can develop quickly in Indonesia so that the Tzu Chi culture can nurture more local people. He generously donated his house to be used as the Tzu Chi Still Thoughts Bookstore, hoping that the fragrance of books and coffee and the Tzu Chi culture that permeate the store can fill the hearts of Indonesian people with inner joy.

Sugianto believes that there are many loving people in Indonesia. If Tzu Chi continues to promote its ideals there, it will surely bring hope to the country. "It's in the Indonesians' nature to help each other. The ideal they espouse corresponds to Tzu Chi's ideal of 'helping the poor and educating the rich.'"

The Angke River dredging operation is still in progress, and Tzu Chi volunteers continue to care for the Great Love Village residents--Tzu Chi is taking great strides in carrying out charity work in Indonesia. Sugianto's daughter, who had lost her vitality after the September 11 tragedy, is also overcoming her sadness and preparing to go back to the United States to resume her studies.

Guided by the light of Tzu Chi, Sugianto will continue to fulfill his mission of helping the poor and caring for the needy. He has found his life's purpose.