Ho never dreamed that he would change from a Taiwanese into an African, from a teacher to a shoe factory owner. What surprised him even more was that he would form a musical group at his factory. The musical group, set up last year, is both a choir and a band. Ho became a teacher again, but this time all his students were Zulu children.

"Speaking of the musical group, it all began with the establishment of the Tzu Chi elementary schools in Ladysmith." Ho glanced at Lin Tien-chin, a Tzu Chi volunteer at his side.

Schools in South Africa

Lin, like Ho, is a Taiwanese businessman who operates a shoe factory in South Africa. Over ten years ago, he moved his factory from Taiwan to Ladysmith due to high labor costs in Taiwan. In South Africa he became acquainted with Shih Hung-chi, a Taiwanese businessman and Tzu Chi volunteer. Lin subsequently became a Tzu Chi member.

"One day in March 1996, we delivered food to a kindergarten in need of help," said Lin. "While we were there, we saw a group of children in tattered clothes running out of a ramshackle building nearby. The principal of the kindergarten told us the building was an elementary school. We were all very surprised."

Lin, Shih, and several other volunteers went into the run-down school to take a look. They found that none of the six classrooms in the school had a roof and that only two walls remained of each classroom. There were no desks or chairs; students had to stand during their lessons.

South Africa used to be a country where apartheid was enforced and blacks and whites were separated. Even though black leader Nelson Mandela was elected as president of the country in 1994, the majority of blacks, which account for 75 percent of the country's populace, still cannot receive a proper education. Many schools are dilapidated, and students have to do without blackboards, books, pens, and paper.

"Our hearts went out to the schoolchildren when we saw how shabby the school was," Lin said. "After discussing with the school authorities, we bought timber and cement to repair the school. Eventually, we decided to build a new school for them."

There were not many Chinese people in Ladysmith, only about 40 households. In order to raise money to build the new school, Tzu Chi volunteers visited the households one by one to solicit contributions. Their efforts, however, were ridiculed by some of those they called on. "You want to build a school for the blacks? You must be out of your mind." Ho was among those who poured cold water on them and discouraged them from their efforts.

Tzu Chi elementary schools gaining fame

From where he lives in Ladysmith, Ho has to drive 20 kilometers to arrive at his factory in Ezakheni. He often saw many "spectacular sights" on the way: some blacks would dismantle the sheet metal roofs from the schools and then sell the steel sheets for money or use them to build their own houses. Some even broke windowpanes and used the frames for firewood.

"Stop wasting your energy. If you build schools for the black people, they will take the schools apart in no time." Ho advised the Tzu Chi volunteers not to consider such silly things.

Even though some people were not supportive, there were still many who, touched by the sincere spirit of the Tzu Chi volunteers, contributed to the good cause. Tzu Chi members who lived in other cities also donated generously. A classroom built of cinder blocks and sheet metal roofs cost US$5,714. When Tzu Chi volunteers said that they would build 10 classrooms for the school, the principal and teachers all expressed their disbelief, saying that it must be a dream.

In November 1997, the ten greatly anticipated classrooms were finally completed and inaugurated. At that time, Taiwan still had diplomatic ties with South Africa. When Lin Sung-huan, consul general of the ROC consulate in Durban, came to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, his car was escorted by a police motorcade. Seeing local people lining the sides of the roads waving affably and smiling at him, Lin said with feeling, "The police cars were really unnecessary."

After the first Tzu Chi elementary school was completed, the local educational administration provided desks and chairs for the school. Teachers who had been anxious to leave the school decided to stay. The principal gained more confidence. In addition to regular courses on the Zulu language, he incorporated English language lessons into the school curriculum. Seeing this, many local people who often moved as their jobs changed began to settle down near the school so that their children could attend.

With a sharp increase in the number of students, the school suffered from a shortage of space. Tzu Chi volunteers decided to raise more money to build more classrooms. Presently, the school has 16 classrooms, and the number of students has risen from under 300 to over 900.

In April of the following year, the second Tzu Chi elementary school opened.

The establishment of the third Tzu Chi elementary school is even more legendary. Originally, the school consisted of only a few big trees under which classes were conducted. Given the situation, it was impossible for the school to have classes on rainy days or when the sunlight became too scorchingly hot. In South Africa, temperatures often drop below freezing during the winter. What torture it must have been to attend classes outdoors in such cold weather!

After the third Tzu Chi elementary school opened, Tzu Chi became famous. Nearly 400 schools wrote to the foundation to ask for help.

"There were only a few of us. It's beyond our power to provide assistance to all the schools," Lin said. "We could only help those schools that lay within 50 kilometers from us and that were in dire need. After all, we not only build schools, but we also visit the schools regularly to care for and interact with their teachers and students."

"Amitabha"

In four years, Tzu Chi built five schools in Ladysmith. Ho was invited by his Tzu Chi friends to visit the schools. He found that all the buildings were kept in good condition and that when black people saw the Tzu Chi volunteers, they came running to them and greeted them in the Buddhist fashion, folding their palms together and saying "Amitabha (Buddha of Infinite Light and Boundless Age)."

Aside from building schools, Tzu Chi volunteers offer books, school supplies, and scholarships to students. They also deliver clothes and food to the needy, visit orphanages and old people's homes, and set up vocational training centers. They have even bored 38 wells in remote regions that lack water resources so that residents can have clean water to drink.

"There are only a few Tzu Chi volunteers in Ladysmith, but they have done so many things," said Ho. "I feel ashamed and remorseful that I used to put them down."

In March 2001, Tzu Chi volunteers held a joint athletic meet for the five Tzu Chi elementary schools. Ho, the former teacher, was invited to organize the event. Since then, he has remained a dedicated Tzu Chi volunteer. He not only participates actively in Tzu Chi charity missions, but he also introduced his wife, Shao-li, and his son, Chia-lin, to the foundation.

Since they became Tzu Chi volunteers, Ho and his son have been visiting the Tzu Chi elementary schools to teach Still Thoughts (aphorisms selected from the teachings of Master Cheng Yen, founder of the Tzu Chi Foundation) and Tzu Chi songs to children. Chia-lin romanizes the Chinese lyrics or translates them into English. Because Ho and Chia-lin do not use any amplifiers, they often become hoarse during the singing sessions.

"In 2003, the Tzu Chi Great Love TV channel aired a TV serial called Quartets. When I saw the father in the program play old songs on a harmonica, I suddenly had an inspiration--I could teach the schoolchildren to play musical instruments!"

When Ho was an elementary school student, he was a member of the school band. Although he knew that none of the teachers at the Tzu Chi elementary schools could read music, he was not in the least discouraged. After talking with the principals of the schools, he went to Durban and purchased bamboo flutes, harmonicas, bass drums, side drums, cymbals, and triangles.

Music and snacks

Ho asked the faculty at Tzu Chi Second Elementary School (nearest his factory) to recommend students from grades three to six who were interested in joining his band. Now every day after school is dismissed at 2:30 p.m., the students walk for 20 minutes to his factory and practice for two hours.

These students had never seen a musical instrument before. Volunteers including Lin and Shih all come to help. They start by teaching the students basic musical scales. Then they teach them how to play simple melodies like "Lightly Row." Usually, Ho selects and arranges Tzu Chi songs for the band to practice. He also coaches each student individually and then together as a group. During the practice sessions, the sounds of different musical instruments can often be heard wafting from the factory.

"Constant practice makes a good band," Ho said, "so we practice Monday through Friday."

It is hard work practicing five days a week. However, the children delight in it because they not only learn how to play instruments, but also get to eat the delicious snacks prepared by Shao-li, Ho's wife.

Bread, noodles, eggs, vegetarian meat--a great variety of appetizing snacks are offered to the students every day. Zulu people eat with their hands, and because of the lack of water, many do not have the habit of washing their hands. But all the children who come to Ho's factory are asked to wash their hands before eating snacks.

"They like Chinese noodles very much. Sometimes they suck the noodles into their mouths so hard that the noodles come straight out of their nostrils," Ho laughed. "When the girls cannot finish their food, the boys eat it for them."

Every time before the band begins practicing, the children prepare a cup of tea for "Boss" (Ho's nickname). Ho finds this very heartwarming.

The band was set up less than a year ago, but it can already play more than 20 songs. Aside from Tzu Chi songs, it has included many world-famous melodies in its repertoire. "We go to old folks' homes to play," Ho said happily. "We were even invited to the city hall to perform."

Last November, a radio station held a charity event at the city hall to raise money for poor students. Ho's band was invited to perform. Representatives from banks, hotels, the Lions Club, and other organizations were present. They were amazed at how well the band played, and in the end they all made generous donations.

Ho stated, "Shih said that such an excellent band should have beautiful uniforms to wear."

So Tzu Chi volunteers contributed money and made the uniforms themselves. In their uniforms, the student players look even more spirited and eye-catching. At their parents' request, they recently staged a performance at the Tzu Chi Second Elementary School. It created quite a sensation in the village. A mother who originally did not want her child to join the band even came to Boss and apologized.

Behind a grandmother's house

Although Taiwanese are regarded as a "colored race," they are nonetheless classified as "honorary whites" in South Africa. Tzu Chi volunteers cross the "border" and go into black communities to carry out charity work not for any particular thing--it is simply because they can't bear to see people suffer.

"Some children don't have enough to eat at home. If they join the band, they can at least come here and have some snacks," said Ho. "Sometimes my wife cooks more so the children can take some home for their families."

Once, there was a mentally deficient girl in the band. Her family was the poorest in her village. When volunteers visited her home, they asked the girl's grandmother, who was nearly 80 years old, where the girl's parents were. The grandmother pointed to the backyard where two graves could be seen.

Grandma lived with another mentally challenged son and several grandchildren. They depended on their neighbors' help to survive. Since learning about their situation, Tzu Chi volunteers have often brought them food.

"One time, we went back to Taiwan for the Chinese New Year. When we visited the grandma after we returned from Taiwan, we found two more graves in the backyard. One was her son's, the other her granddaughter's," Ho said sorrowfully. "The only food she had at home were three rotten tomatoes."

Now Grandma's two other grandchildren have also joined Ho's band. "I don't know when AIDS will take their lives," Ho commented. "Since we've come to know them, we should do our best to help them."

Music from heaven

Up to now, Tzu Chi has built seven elementary schools and one kindergarten in Ladysmith. More than 60 classrooms accommodate over 2,600 students.

In March this year, Tzu Chi held the fourth joint athletic meet for the schools in a rented gymnasium. Volunteers hired buses to take student representatives from the schools to the gym.

In the opening ceremony, Ho's band played the "Anthem of the Tzu Chi Foundation." It was the center of attention.

When noon came, everyone ate vegetarian boxed lunches. It was not easy to make 1,500 boxed lunches. Chia-lin, Ho's son, said, "All the Tzu Chi volunteers helped in cooking the rice. It took each family a whole day just to cook 20 pots of rice."

A total of 1,500 eggs were first cooked at Lin's factory and then sent to Ho's factory for flavoring. In addition to eggs and rice, the lunch boxes also contained vegetables and other vegetarian delicacies.

Accompanied by Ho's band, the students sang Tzu Chi songs happily and mindfully. Their voices were so loud and clear that those who heard them couldn't help but be impressed. The children's singing was like music from heaven.