20141125慈善救援‧用愛教育 Reaching Out to Those in Need with Love
Look at these flood disasters. Disasters are really unpredictable because climate conditions have become very extreme and erratic. All this is a result of people's collective karma. In Madagascar, a plague outbreak has killed 40 people since late August. There is now a risk of a rapid spread of the disease in the capital. So, everyone is very worried. Also, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa still shows no signs of abating yet.
Scientists around the world have been developing vaccines to protect people from catching the virus. Seeing how epidemics break out like this, we really should be prudent and cautious in our everyday life by keeping our environment clean, and practicing better hygiene. We also see the flood disaster in Haiti. Those affected have truly suffered a lot. One of the worst-hit areas is Cape Haitian about 250 km away from Port-au-Prince.
It is said that the flooding is caused by poor drainage system and garbage. Most people there are poor. Yesterday, I told our staff that the first thing we need to do for them is to conduct emergency relief and provide people with what they need the most because they are impoverished. On normal days, many are so poor that they go without a meal for days. Can you believe that? No meal for days?
But this is how impoverished they are. Imaginably, when disasters occur, they are even more short of material supplies. So, the priests there even have to seek help from their headquarters in Canada. the locals truly lead a hard life. So, I hope that our volunteers can carry out emergency relief quickly. Garbage is another problem. After the floodwaters receded, piles of garbage could lead to an epidemic outbreak.
So, I told our volunteers to quickly hire and pay those affected to clean up the garbage. The other problem is drinking water. Drinking contaminated water could be fatal. So, I hope our volunteers can dig wells for them. Our volunteers are making plans for that so people can have clean water to drink soon. These are the three things that need to be done urgently.
Seeing so many suffering people in the world, we all the more need to count our blessings, sow more blessings, and seize time to give. We also see that in Africa, Tzu Chi volunteers have one more country to serve Botswana. One time, I said to our volunteers in Durban, Mr. Pan: "You now have six countries to serve in Africa" "Please do your best to help" I said "six countries" by mistake. So, Mr. Pan replied: "Master, it's five countries, not six"
I said, "I see. Well, with your hard work," "maybe you'll soon have another country to serve" Since then, Mr. Pan has been telling our local volunteers there: "Master is expecting us to" "serve in more countries," "so we mustn't fail her" When they came to Taiwan again, I said to them: "Please don't push yourselves too hard" "You're already helping Swaziland, Mozambique," "Lesotho and Zimbabwe" "Don't stretch yourselves too thin" Mr. Pan replied: "Master, you've given us your blessing," "so we must do it"
They really did it, and the sixth country is Botswana. In Botswana, there are a dozen or so Chinese people. Some of them are very loving and have been helping people in need there. Now, they're very happy that Tzu Chi has gone there. They not only help the needy, but also care for vulnerable children in an organization there. Now that they've met Tzu Chi, they're even more confident in doing charity work there.
Mr. Pan and our volunteers from Africa are also very happy that there are people in Botswana who can work with Tzu Chi to help more people. But, my heart goes out to Mr. Pan He is not feeling well, but he still led a team of volunteers to Botswana He suffers from bone spurs and he's been bearing with his pain. For this trip, he had to travel nearly 1,000 km.
It hurts him badly when his condition flares up, but he clenched his teeth and moved on He's the one feeling the pain, but my heart aches, too, and goes out to him. With one more country to serve, I'm sure we can help more people through working with those Chinese people in Botswana.
We also see the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of our Mission of Education. The alumni of our first graduating class from our nursing school also came back. Many of them have successful careers. Back then, they thought they'd been strictly disciplined. But when they came back this time, no one complained.
It was strict. But I'm a mother now, so I think it was nothing I think it's good. It should've been stricter.
At the time, they were not used to our discipline. But, looking back, they're very grateful.
They've all contributed a lot to our society. Over the last 25 years, over 17,000 graduates have entered the workforce and served in society. In 2013 among all the private universities and vocational colleges in Taiwan, our university and college of technology ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively in terms of employment rate. This is because our students have all taken up the professions that they'd been trained to do, be it doctors or nurses.
So, I'm very comforted that our effort did not go to waste. I am also very grateful to our students for following out rules and their teachers' guidance. For that, I have our teachers to thank. With proper ways to guide their students and a sense of mission, our teachers educate all children based on the value of love.
Feeling their love, students have also nurtured a sense of mission. So, when they graduate, they'll serve with this sense of mission. In all, I'm truly very grateful.
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