20150304 有願有力聚善緣 Working Together to Help Ebola Patients in Sierra Leone
Our world is filled with much confusion turmoil. Amidst such confusion and turmoil, we need to bring about a stream of purity in the world. How are to purify people’s hearts and minds? This is the most important and fundamental work that we need that we need to do. So, we must remain on our path and continue to carry out our work. See how many disasters there are around the world. In Chile, a volcano has erupted, shooting columns of lava from its crater.
Seeing that, my heart goes out to the people there. Nature’s elements have become imbalanced. Mother Nature was peaceful and beautiful to begin with. But people don’t always cherish her. And what they’ve done to her has led to much collective negative karma. That’s why the Buddha says that people’s collective negative karma is as huge as the Himalayas. That’s how heavy our negative karma is will become more and more imbalanced.
So, the imbalanced of Nature’s elements is a result of the imbalance in people’s minds. That’s why I’m always worried. But, what’s the use of worrying? Seeing how restless people’s minds are, I can’t help but sigh. Look at how misfortune keeps befalling the suffering. Take West Africa for example. There has been an Ebola outbreak there for some time and many people have died of it. Currently, there’s no treatment or vaccine for it. Many children have lost their parents to Ebola. We see that in Sierra Leona, the health infrastructure is very crude.
The quarantine wards there have no walls and are only separated by nets. Patients do not have beds to lie down and have sit on chairs. In fact, since a few months ago, we’ve been thinking about how we can help Sierra Leone. In January, we shipped a container of our portable beds, blankets, and instant rice to Sierra Leone. We really hope that these supplies can be delivered and directly handed to those in need in person.
So, I am very grateful that yesterday, we signed an MOU with Healy International Relief Foundation (HIRF) to help Sierra Leone together. As we have no volunteers in Sierra Leone, when our supplies arrive, there’ll be no one there to distribute the supplies to the Ebola patients. So, we’ve been worried whether our supplies, such as our instant rice, can really reach the Ebola patients so they won’t suffer from hunger.
Yesterday, the executive director of HIRF also came to see me. He told me that he will do his best to help the Ebola patients in Sierra Leone so the Ebola outbreak there can be contained soon. The president of HIRF also told me that he has been to Sierra Leone himself to understand the situation there. He said that HIRF has helped repair a local hospital there, but it is very small and simple. So, it can only take care of limited patients.
That’s why most of the Ebola patients there have to stay at shabby temporary treatment stations without proper roofs walls, etc. Yesterday, the president gave me a book as a gift. He said that the photos in the book were all taken by him when he was in Sierra Leone. Every child in the photos has bright eyes and is very adorable. And, despite their suffering, it seems to me that the locals have no complaints or resentments.
As HIRF is also promoting education in Sierra Leone, I suggested them to do their best to share with the locals not to touch or kiss the deceased anymore as required by local customs. This is what we must work hard to promote. If theydon’t change this practice, Ebola cannot be contained. A Mr. Fomba also came yesterday. He immigrated from Sierra Leone to the U.S. when he was a child.
He has a family in the U.S., but he said that he’ll go to Sierra Leone to personally deliver all of our aid supplies to those in need of them. The wife of the U.N. Under-Secretary –General was also here yesterday. Her husband has helped recommend Tzu Chi to HIRF this time. As he is also from Sierra Leone, he’s very willing to help Tzu Chi in our effort to bring aid to the Ebola patients in Sierra Leone. For that, I’m very grateful.
See, as our supplies have arrived in Sierra Leone, many people have appeared in time to help us. Karmic affinities are really incredible. As we often say, with a vow comes the strength and everything will turn out right. Yesterday, we signed the MOU with HIRF. In future, Mr. Fomba will work together with HIRF and Caritas Freetown, Foundation to help the people in Sierra Leone.
With the love of so many people I hope that the suffering of the people in Sierra Leone can be eased soon. All in all, with a vow comes the strength and things will turn out right. With the collaboration among Tzu Chi and these two foundations, I’m sure that many in Sierra Leone will be helped this time.
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