Swift Action Brings Comfort to the Needy

On May 30, 2009, torrential rains triggered landslides in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi Province, taking the lives of six people and causing hundreds to be relocated. The local government quickly distributed relief materials to the victims through provincial and district health offices. With Supreme Master Ching Hai’s contribution, our Association members from Makassar, South Sulawesi Province, formed a relief team and delivered rice, sugar and biscuits along with Master’s publications and SOS flyers to those affected, all of whom deeply appreciated the supplies.

On September 2, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck 143 kilometers southwest of Tasikmalaya in West Java Province, devastating several districts. Thousands of houses were destroyed, 100,000 people were left homeless, scores were injured and treated at hospitals, and 11 people lost their lives. Supreme Master Ching Hai asked our nearby Association members to go to the disaster site to help, sending a generous contribution of US$25,000. Setting up relief teams, our Jakarta fellow initiates traveled to five districts and distributed more than 4,000 aid packages containing food and personal hygiene items, as well as 1,000 baby-supply kits. The people were touched and happy to receive Master’s kindhearted assistance, which also enabled a water-treatment plant to be rebuilt in a remote village.

On September 15, after several days of heavy rain which caused the Sulang Aling River banks to burst, flash floods swept through six villages in Mandailing Natal, Indonesia, affecting some 4,000 citizens. Hundreds of houses were carried away, leaving 2,200 homeless, and ten lives were lost. Again at Master’s request, our local fellow initiates formed a relief team and purchased items such as instant noodles, mineral water, biscuits, sarongs, blankets and underwear. Four days later, they set out for Singkuang and distributed the supplies, along with SOS flyers, with help from the villagers. Touched by Master’s compassion and love, one of the recipients wept openly. Next, the team delivered some relief items by boat to Hutarimbaru Village, which was covered by a half meter of mud.

On December 28, 2009, a tornado swept through Karawang Regency, West Java. It damaged buildings and houses and felled trees, injuring several people. Our Jakarta Center relief team immediately began packing daily necessities and took them to four affected villages. After handing out 176 packages of relief goods and SOS leaflets, they took the opportunity to explain to the villagers the effects of climate change such as an increase in the frequency of tornados.

All the victims were deeply touched and grateful to receive Supreme Master Ching Hai’s gifts, as they had not yet obtained any aid from the local government or other organizations. Some said they wished to become vegetarians, and asked for extra SOS flyers for their relatives and friends. We pray that more and more people adopt the compassionate vegan lifestyle to ease climate change.

As a token of appreciation for their dedicated work, our Jakarta Association members visited the Jakarta City Firefighters’ Center to offer gift packages to 130 firefighters who were on duty on New Year’s Eve. A financial gift was also given to the family of a firefighter who had died on duty.

The Chief of the Firefighters’ Center thanked Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her Association, inviting its members to give a global warming presentation to the Jakarta City Firefighters and Disaster Rescue Team. May God continue to bless and protect the firefighters during their noble efforts to save lives and property.

Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her International Association
for Landslide, Flood, Earthquake and Tornado Relief Work in Indonesia

Description	Amount (IDR)	Receipt
* Food (rice, sugar, mung beans, cooking oil, coffee, drinking water, margarine, tea leaves, ketchup, baby food, instant noodles, biscuits, etc.) * Daily necessities (towels, soap, toothpaste, blankets, children’s clothes, underwear, sarongs, etc.) * Medicine	284,043,722	A
Miscellaneous expenses (transportation, fuel, etc.)	14,527,000	B
Total	IDR298,570,722 (US$31,096)

*Throughout the relief operation, the team members paid for their own transportation, food and accommodation.