Tzu Chi dispatched its second relief medical team, along with over 400 kilograms (881 pounds) of the most needed medicines, to Pakistan on November 1 to help survivors of a devastating earthquake that struck Pakistani-administered Kashmir on October 8.

Members of the 16-man team included six doctors, two pharmacists, three Tzu Chi Da Ai TV journalists, two volunteers from Taiwan, two volunteers from Malaysia, and one from Indonesia. The team was headed by Dr. Chien Sou-hsin, a plastic surgeon and vice superintendent of Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital in southern Taiwan.

This team was sent to relieve the first relief team, who had been working in Pakistan since October 19. Like the first team, the second provided medical care and relief materials to quake victims and assessed the situation to formulate future Tzu Chi relief efforts.

During their two-week stay, the doctors treated patients at temporary free clinics and traveled to remote villages to provide care for the injured. The team also distributed over 160 family medicine kits to villagers. Instructions on how to use the medicines were printed in English and the local language, Urdu.

According to officials in Islamabad, the 7.6-magnitude temblor claimed more than 73,000 lives in Pakistan. An additional 70,000 were injured, and three million were left homeless. As the Himalayan winter looms, Tzu Chi has prepared to build tent houses and distribute blankets to the homeless. The first shipment of about 1,400 tents and more than 3,000 blankets ordered from Turkey arrived in Pakistan by air on November 4.

The first Tzu Chi relief medical team reached Islamabad on October 19 and proceeded to Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, where they distributed 1,854 blankets to 367 families. More than 1,400 additional blankets were distributed in Majohi and Kroli on October 30. Two Tzu Chi doctors treated over 50 patients each day between October 24 and November 1.

Thailand

On October 29, Tzu Chi volunteers in Bangkok, Thailand, held a "Sprinkle the World with Love" event at the Rungarun School. At 1:00 P.M., the volunteers began the program by showing attendees a videotape about Tzu Chi missions. There were also performances and speeches about Tzu Chi activities in Thailand. The event lasted four hours, after which many teachers went onstage to express their thoughts and emotions. Many of them commended the event for enlightening their minds.

Principal Khun Praphaphat Niyom once visited the Chiang Mai Tzu Chi School in the mountains of northern Thailand. Impressed by what she saw, she decided to invite Tzu Chi organizers to her school to carry out the "Sprinkle the World with Love" event for her school's staff members. Some teachers from Bannonchai School in Khon Kaen, 450 kilometers (279 miles) from Bangkok, also attended the event.

When the Tzu Chi volunteers had first arrived at Rungarun and made all the preparations for the event, they were given a tour of the school, which provides education for students from kindergarten to high school. The campus occupies 80,000 square meters (19 acres) of land and is beautifully landscaped with trees, manicured lawns, and even a lake where ducks and swans swim casually around.

The volunteers were particularly impressed by the school's environmental friendliness. Under every sink are several large buckets that collect run-off water. Flexible tubes then deliver the water to plants on the campus. Thus, no water is wasted. The school uses biodegradable detergents made from lemons and other natural ingredients. A recycling station collects all sorts of recyclable materials. Even leftover food from the school's cafeteria is composted into organic fertilizer that is used to keep the campus beautiful.

The Philippines

To show its appreciation for the English and Chinese language teachers working in the Chinese community in the Philippines, the Tzu Chi Philippine branch in conjunction with the Association of Chinese-Filipino Schools held free clinics which treated 300 teachers from 30 schools.

Tzu Chi volunteers conducted preliminary physical examinations for the teachers on September 22 and 24. This clinic included standard blood analysis, urine tests, and X-ray examinations. On October 2, a second clinic offered more extensive tests and in-depth examinations by specialists in ophthalmology, internal medicine, and gynecology.

Through the examinations, many teachers were diagnosed as having problems with their hearts, lungs, throats, and vocal cords. High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, indigestion, osteoporosis, and urine infections were also common.

Ophthalmologists checked the teachers for eye pressure, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, glaucoma, and cataracts. Many teachers praised the examinations for being much more thorough than those carried out in regular clinics and hospitals.

Because most of the teachers were poor, they were unable to afford regular health examinations. Furthermore, they were usually busy and could not spare the time to see doctors on weekdays. They thanked the TIMA volunteers for their service and hoped to have these examinations every year.

Indonesia

The Tzu Chi Indonesia branch distributed relief goods at 39 different locations in northern Jakarta on October 22 and 23. The distribution of supplies was scheduled to coincide with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan. Many villagers standing in line wept when they heard their elders recite Islamic prayers during the distribution.

One of the distribution sites was the Great Love Village II, which had been constructed by Tzu Chi. Residents of the village, as well as nearby Pluit Village, received goods from the hands of Tzu Chi volunteers, local police officers, village chiefs, and even Governor Sutiyoso of Jakarta. The site was full of happiness, and the lines were orderly despite the overwhelming number of people.

Each family received 20 kilograms of rice, 2 kilograms of sugar, 2 liters of cooking oil, 20 bags of instant noodles, and some biscuits. Over two days, 60,243 families, or over 270,000 people, received relief goods from Tzu Chi.

In another Indonesia-related news item, Tzu Chi has begun construction of three villages in Aceh for tsunami survivors, including 500 houses in Panteriek, 2,000 in Neuheun, and 1,000 in Meulaboh.

"We encountered many difficulties when we were looking for suitable land for building the villages," said Sugianto Kusuma, deputy CEO of the Tzu Chi Indonesia branch. He explained that one of the main challenges in acquiring the land was rooted in Indonesian culture. Because land in Aceh is passed from generation to generation, local people consider selling their land a shame. "We invited officials to visit our Great Love Village I in Jakarta, which was built for the underprivileged living along the Angke River. When the officials learned that we would also build schools, free clinics, prayer rooms, and sport fields in the villages in Aceh, they were deeply touched and worked with us to persuade the landowners to sell us the land."

The joint groundbreaking ceremony for the three villages was held in Panteriek on September 24. Adnan H. Nurdin Kades, the village chief of Panteriek, pointed out that the 12.6 hectares (31.1 acres) of land set aside for the future Tzu Chi Village in Panteriek was owned by 19 villagers. The Indonesian government had originally planned to build a cultural center on the site, but was unable to carry out the plan because it was too difficult to obtain the land. "There was once a soccer field on the land now destined for the Tzu Chi Village, and residents there were always engaged in cockfighting or gambling. Isn't it wonderful that Tzu Chi will build homes there for tsunami survivors?"

Because Aceh is prone to earthquakes, Tzu Chi designed the new houses to be strong and sturdy, using a duplex style to withstand temblors. The frame of each house is made of an alloy of zinc and aluminum that is very light, insect-proof, easy to assemble, and non-rusting. Construction engineer Achmad Sanusi remarked that each new building will occupy 120 square meters (1,291 square feet) of land. The interior of each half of the duplex will measure 47 square meters (505 square feet). Each home has two bedrooms, one living room, one bathroom, and one kitchen. There are six windows for ventilation and natural lighting. The new houses will be three times bigger than the tents in which the survivors are currently living.

Five hundred houses are slated to be built within three months by Pembangunan Perumahan, the construction company responsible for the new Tzu Chi villages. The enormity of the task posed a major challenge to the construction company, but Sugianto Kusuma said that Tzu Chi and the company were more than willing to take on the challenge. They did not want to see survivors still living in tents, and the sooner the houses are completed, the earlier the survivors can move in. Although building 500 houses in such a short time will be difficult, the happiness of the survivors makes the hard work rewarding.

Panteriek currently has over 1,000 villagers. After the Tzu Chi Village is completed, the population is expected to double. To accommodate the larger population and make transportation in and out of the village more convenient, Chief Adnan said that the government has plans to construct a larger road leading out of the village. The new road will provide additional benefits as well: villagers are expected to sell fruit or do other kinds of business by the road to earn money.

New Zealand

On October 21, the Tzu Chi New Zealand branch held a seminar on environmental protection. Event organizers invited Stella Sze Man Chan, chairperson of the Chinese Conservation Education Trust, to talk about the "three R's" of environmental protection: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

She encouraged everyone to avoid buying goods that are overly packaged and to reduce the use of plastic bags by bringing their own shopping bags. Chan said everyone knows they should do this to help the environment, but the problem lies with their being unable to do it consistently.

Many years ago, Master Cheng Yen began appealing to Tzu Chi members around the world to help protect our environment by recycling. In fact, a quarter of the budget for Tzu Chi Da Ai TV comes from garbage recycled by the foundation's environmental protection volunteers. There is a famous saying in Tzu Chi: "Turn garbage into gold, gold into love, and love into a pure stream that can gently cleanse the world." Thanks to the work of the environmental protection volunteers, who recycle garbage every day, the Tzu Chi Da Ai TV can produce high-quality TV programs to be broadcast around the world.

At 1:30 in the afternoon, volunteers went outdoors to clean two streets across from the local Tzu Chi office. The residents in the area, mostly middle-class, keep the whole community very clean. Therefore, there wasn't much garbage on the streets, except for a few scraps of paper and some broken glass. When the volunteers met the residents, they greeted them warmly and introduced Tzu Chi to them.

The city council of Manukau, where the Tzu Chi office is located, dispatched employees from the Department of Environmental Service to accompany the volunteers. The staff carried animal-catching tools to prevent the volunteers from being bitten by stray dogs or other animals. The volunteers thanked them for the kind gesture.

The cleaning work was over by three o'clock. Volunteers put all the garbage into garbage bags and took a group picture with city employees.

South Africa

On October 15, Tzu Chi volunteers distributed relief goods to needy families in Kaalfontein, a town near Johannesburg that is crowded with sheet-metal shacks.

One of the recipients was Welhelmina, a mother suffering from epilepsy. She, her five children, and her parents lived in two metal shacks. Because money was tight, she could not afford to see doctors for her condition. In addition to the epilepsy, she also suffered from a frozen shoulder which made her unable to raise her arm. Her conditions prevented her from working outside the home; her only option was to stay home and look after her children.

Another recipient was a resident of Lesotho. Lunga, 31, suffering from AIDS, lived with her two children. Her younger daughter was three years old and already suffered from unexplained maladies. Her right eye was sensitive to light, and her navel had grown three centimeters (over an inch) without any reason. Lunga rented her house for 100 rand (US$14) a month. Because she had no other income, she was forced to scavenge food from a garbage dump. It was easy to understand why she started weeping when she described her plight to the Tzu Chi volunteers distributing food.

Many Tzu Chi volunteers who helped out in Kaalfontein felt that they had to cherish what they had, and that they had to continue carrying out Tzu Chi missions to help needy families.

Canada

For four consecutive years, Tzu Chi has distributed winter supplies at Front Room, a shelter for homeless people in Surrey, British Columbia. Front Room is a place where homeless people can go for a simple supper of bread, soup and coffee. The shelter also provides 40 beds each night during winter, from November to March.

Volunteers are cautioned to be careful. Some of the homeless are drug addicts, and others carry the HIV. Nevertheless, volunteers still remind themselves to always wear a smile and be sweet, humble, respectful, and caring towards these people. Master Cheng Yen asks all Tzu Chi volunteers to show respect and love for people receiving aid from the foundation, whether they are victims of natural disasters or people mired in poverty. In addition to material help, each person needs respect and love.

The homeless at Front Room are not necessarily victims of natural disasters or people who have been poor or homeless for a long time. Some of them are homeless because they were laid off or because some misfortune befell them. If the unselfish giving and respectful attitudes of the Tzu Chi volunteers can give them warmth, perhaps they will rediscover their courage and be willing to tackle the difficulties before them. This sort of personal inspiration leading to renewed livelihood is exactly what the Tzu Chi volunteers hope to achieve through their winter distributions.

At the beginning of this year, the homeless people seemed reserved and quietly ate the food that the Tzu Chi people prepared. Gradually, as volunteers went from table to table serving tea or coffee or chatting with the guests, they started opening their hearts and sharing their stories.

Fred, 30, used to own a CD production company. Unfortunately, his staff stole all the money; he had to close the company and was forced into homelessness.

Dawn, also 30, tearfully told the volunteers that her 3-year-old son had died in Toronto. She wanted to go to his funeral but had no money to make the trip. She felt life was meaningless.

At 8 in the evening, the volunteers handed out gifts to the homeless, including gloves, scarves, socks, and winter jackets. When the recipients were leaving, volunteers gave each one of them a chocolate bar and said to them, "Take care," instead of "See you next time." In this way, the volunteers voiced their hope that the recipients would return to their normal lives and would not have to come again next year.

Singapore

In April 2005, the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) held its seventh free clinic on Batam Island, Indonesia. During the clinic, a young man showed up asking for medical help. Mindong Sinaga, 25, suffered from an abnormal growth on his left cheek. He explained to the doctor that the growth had begun to emerge about four years ago as a lump on his neck. As time went by, the tumor grew bigger and spread to his left cheek. Because his family was poor, he was unable to receive treatment. Eventually, he could not even turn his neck, his left shoulder became stiff, and he developed problems swallowing. To make matters worse, he lost his job at a boat building factory due to his impaired condition. He had not been able to find a job since.

The doctor who examined Mindong at the TIMA clinic said the enlargement could be removed by surgery, but expressed concern that the operation would affect his speaking ability. On the other hand, the tumor would become bigger and cause more problems if not removed. After Mindong discussed the problem with his family, he decided to have the surgery.

On October 12, Mindong and his brother Raip went to Singapore, and the surgery was performed two days later. After the operation, Raip looked after him in the hospital. Mindong was discharged four days later, on October 18. Soon after, he and his brother returned to Singapore for a follow-up examination. Dr. Zhou Kang-yi, who had operated on him, was very satisfied with Mindong's recovery. Mindong was very much relieved when Dr. Zhou informed him that he would be able to speak clearly after some time.

USA

Although the floodwaters caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September had already been pumped out by mid-October, Tzu Chi volunteers continued to hand out cashier's checks, gift cards, daily necessities, and rice to evacuees who had fled to 12 different states.

Tzu Chi volunteers in Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and other cities are continuing to assist evacuees who fled to these cities. Many evacuees desire to go home. While many whose houses are not badly damaged will return home soon, some have decided to postpone their homecoming until their children have finished their schooling for the semester.

When Hurricane Rita pushed forward into Texas, locals obeyed the government order to evacuate to safer places. When the hurricane was over, police and firefighters returned to the affected cities and started emergency relief work, despite the fact that many of them were hurricane victims themselves. Touched by their dedication to their jobs, Tzu Chi volunteers handed out a $300 Tzu Chi debit card and a medical kit to each of the 1,393 police and firefighter families. The ceremony was held on October 15. Fifteen police and firefighter supervisors accepted the gifts on behalf of their staff members.

It was the first time Tzu Chi cooperated directly with a bank to issue debit cards. The fronts of the cards were printed with "Taiwan Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation" and "A gift of love from Tzu Chi." Recipients can use the cards at any store that has made arrangements with the bank that issued the cards.

As of October 13, Tzu Chi had helped 17,332 hurricane families by providing mattresses, bed sheets, blankets, family medical kits, rice, bottled water, and other items. The total cash value of the distributed goods was over US$3 million.