These Kosovar refugees are mostly old people, women and children. Most of them have no relatives in the States and do not speak any English. We want to warm them with love and soothe their pain. We also want to rekindle their love, ruined by the war, so that they can rebuild their future.

One: A New Home

Once again, we saw images of war in the Balkans and Kosovar refugees leaving their homes and people dying in the war. To me, seeking safety from war belonged to the last generation, not this one, and wars only happened in distant places. But when these Kosovar refugees appeared in Texas before our very eyes…

Filled with goods for distribution to the refugees, the liaison office looked like a small supermarket.

The US government took in 20,000 Kosovar refugees, of which about 2,000 came to Dallas, Texas, in June with the help of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Tzu Chi people in Texas had contacted the IRC earlier and expressed their willingness to help. When the refugees arrived, the IRC picked them up at the airport and provided temporary shelter, housing, furniture, etc. They were shorthanded, so they often asked Tzu Chi for extra staff and vehicles.

Most refugees did not have relatives here. Most of them were elderly, women and children who did not speak English. The IRC had to put them in hotels until they found places for them to live. It took time for food vouchers provided by the US government to be issued, so arriving refugees had no food or daily necessities. Close to a hundred refugees are now in Dallas, and more than fifty of them received meals from Lu Ting-yi and his wife.

Whenever new refugees arrived in hotels, Lu and his wife would immediately take them bread and milk. The couple also contacted the IRC every day, informing them of the recent conditions of the refugees, their total number and what they needed the most. The Tzu Chi office also used this information in their regular Saturday distributions.

Filled with goods for distribution to the refugees, the Dallas liaison office looked like a small supermarket. It had everything from food, eating utensils, telephones and electrical appliances to books and toys. Some things were donated, while others were bought by volunteers. Every item was put in its proper place, and keeping up the inventory became a new job for the volunteers.

The volunteers also had to learn to pack relief goods. They placed clothes, food and daily necessities into boxes according to the number and the ages of men and women in every family and the time of distribution. By July 13, volunteers had delivered goods for 197 people in 34 families. Refugees were delighted when they saw boxes filled with milk, vegetables, fruit, bread, sugar, flour and spices.

Although the government provided every refugee eight months of medical insurance, they did not know where to go for medical treatment since they could not speak English. One day, a woman was scalded by boiling cooking oil, and it was several hours before translators arrived. After this accident, Tzu Chi prepared emergency medical packs for refugees.

Tzu Chi's assistance included helping refugees to learn English, learn to drive, look for jobs, and get children's school supplies.

Hasim Isufaj Zakuti and his sister used to be carefree university students, but the war destroyed their home and their lives. Hasim could speak simple English, and he told us that the most urgent thing now was to find a job so that his sister could continue studying.

The Dragnsha family of ten was managed by their old grandmother. She had six daughters, one son-in-law and two granddaughters. Sister Hsu Pei-hua knew they had rented an apartment, so she helped them move to a new place where the children could have more space to move around.

Almost every family had children. In their innocent eyes, the misfortunes of war had been replaced by the larger new environment before them. For instance, young Fitim Lokaj loved the swimming pool in the community where she was staying. Teddy bears and picture books brought by volunteers delighted the children. In turn, their twinkling eyes delighted the volunteers.

The Dallas liaison office hired a Bosnian woman who could speak Albanian to translate for the refugees and help them adjust to their new life. This woman also helped produce cassette tapes and books in English and Albanian so that refugees could learn English. Volunteers also picked up a copy of the vehicle driver's test from the local motor vehicle department office and translated it into Albanian. In addition, many refugees wanted to find jobs, so Tzu Chi also helped them in this respect. Schools will open in August, and Tzu Chi is helping children to register and to get new school bags and school supplies.

When we held their hands and embraced their shoulders to express our care and encouragement to them, we also sensed the value of peace and the oneness of all human beings.

Two: Free Clinics

When the medical staff and volunteers at the free clinic were preparing to give examinations to Kadri Sellamniku and his family, they wondered if they were really refugees. With their clean clothes and gentle behavior, the Sellamniku family did not look like our normal image of refugees.

Twenty-six of Kadri's relatives were killed in the war. Although the family now lives in a free world, the nightmare from the past still haunts them.

Unlike victims of poverty and natural disasters, the members of the Sellamniku family, like thousands of Kosovar Albanians, lost their home during the ethnic massacre.

Kadri's wife, Fatime, injured her back on a bus and could not stand up straight. Her condition worsened when she caught cold in a refugee tent. After a Tzu Chi doctor applied acupuncture, she felt much better. Her children were waiting to see the dentist and receive vaccinations.

The Sellamniku family had nothing now, since their home was destroyed in the war. When Serbian forces forced them out, they did not allow them to take anything with them. The family arrived in the United States on June 20 and were then transferred to a relative in Los Angeles.

While waiting for their checkups, they enjoyed watermelon and candy brought by Tzu Chi people. Twelve-year-old Sarah was attracted by the pen and paper on a table and started writing and drawing excitedly.

After five months of school, she missed her teachers and classmates back home. Sarah had short hair and looked like a boy. According to her family, all Albanian girls cut their hair short to prevent being raped by Serbian soldiers. Twenty-six of Kadri's relatives were killed in the war. Although they now live in a free society, the nightmare from the past still haunts them.

A volunteer took the family to a supermarket. The children were excited, but the head of the family cried.

The phone never stopped ringing. Kadri's relative was still trying to help with all kinds of details for the refugee family. "In the past few weeks, I haven't really been able to work, because I've even had to buy sugar and salt for them and translate for them. If it weren't for the Tzu Chi volunteers, I'd be exhausted."

The family used to live in a foggy city in Kosovo, and it was hard for them to adjust to the bright, sunny summer of California. The fast pace of life made them miss days without pressure or worries.

Psychological adjustments had to be made every day. Brother Wang Si-hung recalled that he took the family to a supermarket one day. The children were excited, but 42-year-old Kadri unexpectedly cried. It hurt his male pride that, as the man of the house, he could not take care of his family.

The self-sufficient, independent Albanian people have to face many difficulties in another country. This is also an area where volunteers can be of help.

Recently, the Tzu Chi South California branch has set up a special program to help Kosovar refugees in that area. Volunteers have collected the names of refugees and have planned a project to help them. In addition to free medical services, local Tzu Chi members will provide daily necessities and school supplies for one month.

Tzu Chi volunteers cheerfully offer themselves to ease the pain of the refugees. We may not bring back their loved ones, but we can rekindle their love, ruined by the war, so that they can rebuild their future.