A Tzu Chi Free Clinic team of 19 people went to the Tzu Chi School in Morita, Mexico, on April 12 to offer their services. Close to 500 children and local residents came for the services.

Dr. Lee Chiang-lin commented that residents of Morita are very simple and sincere and the town is not much influenced by modern materialism. The strong sunlight shines directly onto people's skins and many have skin problems. Also, because of the dry, dusty environment and poor sanitation, children tend to mix dirt with their meals, so it is common for them to develop gas in their digestive system or to suffer from low appetite.

Team leader Dr. Hsu Ming-chang observed that what surprised the doctors the most was that some women who had been pregnant for five to six months had not gone for prenatal tests, and some did not even know that they were pregnant.

Dentist Lin Fu-tien said that many children did not know how to brush their teeth, so many of them had cavities. Many adults also had gum problems. Because there were too many people with dental problems and too little time available, some patients had make reservations for free services in July.

Sister Hsieh Ah-jung, who is in charge of the Mexico liaison office, noted that some children who had been scalded or burned had lost their hands or legs because there was no medicine available and because there was no transportation to take them immediately to hospitals in the city. The Tzu Chi medical team presented two first aid kits to the school to handle any accidents. The team plans to visit again in July and December.

Warmth in St. Louis

The refugees had finally escaped from their poor, war-torn countries, but how could they survive the cold weather when they arrived in this strange, homeless place? Winter temperatures in St. Louis dip below freezing. They were able to live through the winter with the help of Tzu Chi members in St. Louis. On April 5 and 12, Tzu Chi members delivered more than 100 blankets, sleeping bags and other supplies to help refugees from Yugoslavia and Haiti.

St. Louis accepts 1,000 foreign refugees every year. In the past, the refugees could receive monetary assistance for three years from the US government, but due to budget cuts, they can now only receive US$136 in cash and US$140 worth of food coupons per person per month for eight months. In November last year, more than 170 refugees from Haiti, Yugoslavia, Somalia, and other places came to St. Louis. Their lives here are difficult because they have no relatives or friends here, they cannot communicate in English, and they cannot find jobs. Therefore, Tzu Chi members solicited used clothing and funds to purchase sleeping bags and blankets. After the used clothes were organized and sorted, they were given to the refugees through the International Institute in St. Louis. Founded in 1919, the institite is a voluntary organization wihich provides language training, job referrals and other services to refugees.

The Tzu Chi members decided that from this fall until next February, they would regularly distribute relief supplies every month to help refugees.

Free Clinic in the Philippines

The stars had only just disappeared, but people already jammed half of a major street in front of Hsin Min Secondary School in the city of Tarlac. A few hours later, the crowd had spread to another street. The Tzu Chi free clinic center in the Philippines held its eighth free medical service in Tarlac, in the north of Luzon. The service was held for three days beginning April 3 and treated 4,168 people, more than twice as many as were treated at the last clinic.

Tzung Jen Hospital Deputy Director Lu Hsiu-chuan again led a team of 48 medical personnel to participate in the event. Tzu Chi Hospital Director Dr. Tseng Wen-pin, plastic surgeon Dr. Chien Shou-hsin and anesthesiologist Dr. Lin Pi-sheng from Taiwan came to assist the team. Master Te Min led a group of 14 volunteers from Taiwan to help, and the local Philippine Chinese Merchant Association also arranged to have two nurses look after patients in the recovery rooms. Thus, the entire free clinic team had more than 100 members. Medical services this time included general surgery, internal medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, and pediatrics.

In order not to disappoint patients, surgeons worked overtime until 1 a.m. on the second day. Although the doctors on duty in the recovery rooms had been busy the whole day, they still tried to get enough energy to look after surgery patients. Ahallway was set up as the third recovery room to accommodate the enormous number of patients who needed surgery.

The Tzu Chi Youth Association organized a health team to promote family health concepts to patients and their families. They used photos or personal demonstrations to explain how to brush teeth and other disease prevention measures. They presented toothbrushes to patients and reminded them once again to brush their teeth after they went home.

New York Tzu Chi People Sweep Streets

The filthiness in any Chinatown seems to have become a matter of course. Flushing, where the Tzu Chi New York office is located, is a new Chinatown, and there are many supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants operated by Chinese. The most popular street for weekend visitors is one called "Eat Street." However, the accumulation of years of dirt and oil and the foul odor could really upset anyone's stomach.

So on Saturday, April 12, Tzu Chi members leased a five-pound steam cleaner and used the powerful spray to clean the dirt off the street. Even gobs of bubble gum were removed, and the street looked like new. Because the machine used strong force to pump the steam out, the spray tube shook very violently, and it was necessary for the members to take turns every 30 minutes. However, everyone still did the job eagerly to keep the community clean.

While washing the street, some Tzu Chi members directed traffic to avoid any inconvenience to pedestrians. The members also spologized to car owners for staining their parked vehicles along the street with dirty water. Because of their sincere attitude, the car owners did not mind. Several Eager people also approached the members to thank them for the good work. When merchants along the street found out what was going on, they cheerfully provided water for the steam cleaner.

The next day, Sunday, the rental company was closed, so the machine could still be used. After visiting a nursing home on Sunday afternoon, the members excitedly went back to clean the streets again with the machine. They did not stop until late evening.

Free Clinic Serves the Community

The American Tzu Chi Free Clinic was invited to Pasadena City College to participate in the fourth Health Connection activity held by the college on April 2.

Chairperson Jo Buczko noted that more than 40 community groups and medical teams participated in the event this year. The Tzu Chi Free Clinic was invited this time because many students and professors had seen newspaper reports about the good deeds that the clinic had been doing in all corners of the community.

It was estimated that more than 500 low-income students and college staff came to Tzu Chi for its services. Family physician Dr. Justin Chan, Chinese herbal specialist Dr. Wang Szu-hung, dentists Drs. Chen Hsun-man and Lin Fu-tien, as well as over 20 nurses and volunteers were stationed to help at the Tzu Chi clinic. The long line in front of the Chinese medicine booth indicated that many people were attracted to try out Chinese acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Dennis Dunn, who helped a poor friend of his to the Tzu Chi clinic, was touched by the friendly attitude of the medical staff at the clinic and also by their willingness to accept patients referred by the Salvation Army and the Christian Unity Association. He said that he had never seen Master Cheng Yen, but the free medical services provided by Tzu Chi and its ideology of relieving pain and offering happiness to the general public inspired him.

Dr. Stephen Smith, chiropractor, pointed out that many people mistakenly think that students have medical insurance and should be able to afford private medical fees. In fact, the majority of students study and work part-time, or they work full-time and study in alternate semesters, so they are not as rich as people think. Their tight financial situations often prevent them from seeking medical help. Although there is a student clinic at the college, it can only provide basic medical help. Furthermore, many students are so busy with their school work and jobs that they neglect to eat regular meals, so many of them suffer from stomach problems, cavities and gum diseases.

31st Birthday for Tzu Chi

From April 26 to May 1, the Tzu Chi Foundation celebrated its 31st anniversary in Hualien. Through a photo exhibition, seminars on Tzu Chi spirit for overseas volunteers, a charity bazaar and many other activities, Tzu Chi welcomed in its 32nd year.

At 6:30 on the morning of the 27th, the Tzu Chi College of Medicine held the annual ten-kilometer cross-country race from the college to the Abode of Still Thoughts. This activity has become an anniversary celebration tradition.

Later that morning, Tzu Chi senior commissioners and Tzu Cheng Corps members from Hualien gathered at the Abode of Still Thoughts. Among them were some of the first commissioners who 31 years ago deposited five cents every day into bamboo tube banks to help the poor. Now they are frail, their hair has turned gray, and some have to walk with canes, but they are still determined to save money to help the poor. Master Cheng Yen was grateful for their hard work over the years and continually thanked them. By early 1997, there were 6,936 commissioners and 2,635 Tzu Cheng Corps members in 25 countries.