"I worried that my books might get soaked every time it rained. My brothers' room leaked even worse. Sometimes they had to sleep in the living room," said 17-year-old Susie. She was about to take the college entrance examinations, and she treasured her books dearly.

Tzu Chi volunteers visit their home on a monthly basis. When they come, they always bring supplies and food that her family needs badly. When the volunteers learned of the roof problem, they promised to do something about it.

Early one Saturday morning, volunteers carried the necessary building materials up the muddy hill to Susie's home. Because of the heavy load, the gentle hill seemed to grow steeper and harder for the volunteers to climb up.

Some volunteers went up on the roof, tore off the old, worn steel sheets, and threw them down to the ground. Other volunteers lined up to pass new steel sheets up the ladders to the rooftop so that they could be carefully aligned and nailed down in neat rows and columns. The volunteers' concerted team spirit made the work go quickly.

While they were busy working on the roof, other volunteers accompanied Susie's family. They sang songs together, and even Susie's mentally impaired younger brother joined the frolic by dancing to the songs and smiling heartily.

A few young volunteers shared their college experiences with Susie. Having been tremendously encouraged by those students, Susie promised that she would study hard and act as a decent citizen in order to pay back society.

Soon the new roof was all done. It sparkled under the bright sun. Now Susie does not need to worry about the roof leaking, so she can pay attention to preparing for her examinations.

Everyone in her family smiles when they look at their new home--a nice, safe shelter which will never leak again.