On January 15, 1993, Tzu Chi signed a contract with the French organization Medecins du Monde (MDM) to provide medical aid in Ethiopia. Since then, the two parties have cooperated together in life-saving actions worldwide. First they helped victims of drought and war in Ethiopia with a long-term development project. Then they stretched out their hands to refugees from the war in Rwanda. After that, they aided people trampled in the fighting against the Russian armed forces in Chechen. With tacit understanding, the two organizations have become very colse partners. Just like the Great Compassion Bodhisattva, their hands have stretched farther and father and their footsteps have trodden deeper and deeper.

ETHIOPIA

Project Time: January 1993 - January 1996

Since they nailed the first wooden board for a wall of a medical station, members of MDM and Tzu Chi lighted hope in the hearts of people in North Shoa, Menz and Gishe Awraja, the most devastated areas in Ethiopia. The cooperation project included the following areas of concern.

Reestablishment of Medical and Sanitation Facilities

In the past, local people only trusted the traditional therapy of their own witch doctors. However, after MDM and Tzu Chi set up 15 medical stations and two medical centers and cured local patients there, the people began to have confidence in those white-robed doctors.

The main job of the medical stations is to offer preventive medicine and to promote sanitation. They also provide simple treatment and nursing. If a patient is afflicted with a serious disease, the medical station will send him/her to a health center, where beds, doctors and medicines are available.

It is estimated that between 20,000 and 35,000 people have received services from those stations in the past three years. With more and more patients visiting the stations, the death rate is dropping remarkably. Personnel expect to provide medical services to 320,000 people in the future.

Developing Clean Water Resources

Members of MDM piped water from the mountains to reservoirs so that local people no longer had to walk five to ten kilometers to fetch water. Furthermore, the people do not have to drink water together with animals, thus minimizing the chances of getting infectious diseases.

Because of these improvements, the dispersed people of North Shoa are now coming back. In one village, the population increased from 500 to 1,000. With better health, the people began to use water for irrigation to grow crops. Businesses have become prosperous too, and the economy of the country has improved.

According to Mr. Jose Fernandes, the project chief, different tribes traditionally fought against each other. However, this project employed many local people. They had to cooperate with each other, or else they wouldn't have drinking water or medical services. Thus the project brought unity and harmony to the local people.

The final object of the project was to enable the people to continue on their own. All the medical stations have already been transferred to the local government and trained people have started to work. The project will continue to operate.

The Ethiopian government gave high praise for this project. They set it as an example for reconstruction in other places. MDM evaluated it as the most successful long-term development project they have ever been involved in. All this, as Mr. Fernandes said, is because "we love this place."

Medical Training

Based on the idea that local people should serve local people, a series of medical training courses for doctors, nurses and administrative workers is provided. The courses include nutrition, infectious diseases, laboratory techniques, treatments, prevention, etc. Later on, the trainees will start working in the stations to look after their own people.

Sanitation Education

The people in Ethiopia used to drink fresh water, but now the water has been contaminated by animals. The emphasis of sanitation education is on changing the habits of the people, teaching them to wash their hands, drink boiled water, etc.

MDM has provided nutritious food for 18,000 children. By measuring the height and weight of the children, they could see how well the children were growing. In addition, the MDM team set up a demonstration center at Mollale to teach mothers how to take care of their children. They also encouraged the mothers to bring their children to the medical stations to get vaccinations.

AIDS is a terrible killer in many places in the world, but it is still a stranger in those villages in Ethiopia. MDM people went to the schools, instructing the teachers and the students on how to prevent AIDS.

RWANDA

Project Time: July 1994 - September 1994

A coup d'etat occurred in Rwanda in April 1994. According to UN statistics, more than one million people were slaughtered. Within two weeks, 1.2 million refugees swarmed to Goma, a border city in Zaire. Several thousand refugees died each day of thirst, hunger and diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, etc.

Tzu Chi and MDM cooperated to slow down the spread of the diseases. They set up a medical station 15 kilometers [5.8 miles] from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, providing round-the-clock medical services and nutritious food, and helping the refugees go home, 187 kilometers [116 miles] away.

On August 4, 1994, Mr. Hsiang-ming Shu and Dr. Yin-wei Wang from Tzu Chi, together with 23 members from MDM, delivered 34 tons of medical supplies to Rwanda. Tzu Chi members were the only representatives from East Asia.

In September 1994, MDM withdrew from Rwanda. They turned over the medical station, which was still in operation, to the local government. Although the situation in Rwanda is still tense and there is still potential political conflict, half of the refugees in Goma and another refugee camp have already gone back home.

CHECHEN

Project Time: October 1995 - February 1996

The story of Chechen is a historical tragedy. Innocent people suffered the most during the war against Russia. Thousands and thousands of lives were lost. Many families were broken and 500,000 people became refugees.

The first team of MDM volunteers reached Chechen in mid-January 1995. They found too many people needed help, so they asked Tzu Chi for support. Within 48 hours after receiving the message, Master Cheng Yen decided to give them a hand. In May, Tzu Chi and MDM signed an agreement to provide emergency medical aid in Chechen.

Under the project, 60 local people were hired, of whom 23 were doctors. MDM sent seven doctors from France. The project was divided into two parts.

Occupied Chechen

During the war, no one looked after mentally retarded patients. Many normal persons became insane after seeing scenes of cruelty and horror. In addition, there was a mental hospital near Grozny. Many patients there died of cold and hunger. The main object was to provide psychological assistance to those patients. Without any discrimination, the team gave help to both refugees and wounded soldiers. After all, saving lives was their primary goal.

Free Chechen

Because of the rough terrain and the fierce shooting, it was very difficult for MDM members to carry out their mission. They could only deliver some medicines and materials to Chechen either on horseback or by carrying the materials themselves, crossing the borders of neighboring countries and walking through the mountains.

Even though Russia forbade any medical aid to Chechen, MDM people still carefully carried out their mission. Even at the risk of their own lives, those MDM kept working till the last minute.

Love More People

During the three years' cooperation, Tzu Chi mainly rendered financial support whereas MDM provided manpower and medical techniques. Three times, Tzu Chi sent teams to Ethiopia to observe the operations there. One time they sent two persons to join the action in Rwanda. Tzu Chi members from the UK also went to France to participate in the preparations for the project in Chechen.

MDM insists on the principles of "help, care and bear witness." Tzu Chi's motto in charity work is, "As long as we can see with our eyes and we can reach the place with our hands and feet, we will go ahead when we have the chance." Basically the ideals of both parties are very similar. That's why we work hand in hand to bring hope for humanity tomorrow.

In January 1996, three representatives of MDM came to visit Tzu Chi to report on the achievements of the cooperation of the past three years. They also brought appreciation from Ethiopia, high regard from MDM and gratitude from the victims who had received help.

The MDM representatives dropped their original sight-seeing schedule in order to see and learn more of Tzu Chi. When they realized that the nuns at the Abode of Still Thoughts made their own living by making "candles with no tears" and bean powder, they revealed their compassionate hearts by purchasing a lot of candles and Buddhist music tapes for their relatives and friends. Master Cheng Yen was very grateful to them for risking their own lives to save the lives of other people. She said that their sacrifice and dedication along with Tzu Chi's concept of "respect life" could enable us to love more people.

Mr. Philippe Leveque, Director of Department of Development

Although we have a language barrier, I can see Master Cheng Yen's great compassion and care for human beings in her eyes and her smile. If you want to ask me my opinion about Tzu Chi, I'll tell you one story.

One night I was working together with Dr. Wang from Tzu Chi in a small clinic outside Kigali. A woman came in with her child, who was seriously dehydrated and could die within hours. In spite of all the dangers ahead of us, we drove them to the hospital. However, there was no light, no electricity and even no people in the hospital. The child was dying. We opened every drawer trying to find anything we could use to save the child's life. I was watching the kid and Dr. Wang was looking for a light. The mother followed us closely. Dr. Wang had such a firm belief that the child would live. That scene was deeply imprinted in my mind.

Although Dr. Wang and I are from different countries and speak different languages, under the cooperation with Tzu Chi, we could work together to save a life in Africa.

Dr. Michel Lancon, Consultant to Asia

Although Master Cheng Yen has never left Taiwan, I can feel the whole world is covered by her spirit. I am an MDM volunteer. I have been in charge of emergency relief in West Africa for a long time. I saw the performance of Tzu Chi members in Japan during the Kobe earthquake. I was together with Tzu Chi people in Ethiopia. I admired their compassionate hearts and kind deeds as well as their medical specializations. We were partners sharing the same goals and the same feelings. This was very important.

Besides, different from other charity organizations, Tzu Chi not only provides financial and material help, but is also concerned about the needs of the recipients. They care about the children and their future. They have an eye for long-term development, with a hope that the victims will satnd on their own later.

Mr. Jose Fernandes, Project Chief for Ethiopia

I have been in Ethiopia for 11 years. Among all our cooperative projects, I think the one with Tzu Chi has been the best.

I arrived in Ethiopia in December 1984 at the most critical time. In a refugee camp with 60,000 people, people died of hunger every day. I worked so hard for several months that I lost about 30 kilograms [66 pounds]. The only purpose was to save lives. There were no medicines, no materials. Our members suffered the same as did the refugees. Some of us were also infected with cholera.

During the reconstruction, we had a cooperative project with Tzu Chi to provide water and medical services to the local people so that they could survive. Now not only do they survive, but they also own something. They are beginning to rebuild and develop. All we have to do is to train their outstanding people so that they can help themselves.