Charity Mission

iminate Suffering with Love

Tzu Chi volunteers consider aid recipients as life teachers, hence volunteers and aid recipients are equally grateful. This is not because Tzu Chi volunteers want aid recipients to thank Tzu Chi for their help, but volunteers thank aid recipients for allowing them to positioning them in their condition, seeing firsthand their suffering. This helps remind volunteers that impermanence is a reality in life, and in doing so, they learn to be grateful people for the blessings they have. In the process of giving, it is equally important to thank the aid recipients. Only then can we truly be sincere in helping people who are suffering.

Provide Direct Assistance To Those in Need

Charity is the foundation of the Tzu Chi Mission. In 1966, for twenty years after the Second World War, the people of Taiwan lived in conditions of poverty and deprivation. For 15 years they have received aid from America. In the same year Master Cheng Yen founded Tzu Chi in Hualien, a city located on the east coast of Taiwan where the majority of the people are poor and remote. Together with his students and a group of housewives who became his followers, he started humanitarian activities to help the poor and alleviate their suffering.

Master Cheng Yen directly led Tzu Chi volunteers to walk to dark corners of the community. While visiting the homes of the poor, they witness the suffering and hardships of the sick and suffering, and volunteers provide much needed help and assistance. Being the first to reach out to the needy and committed to helping them to the end, Tzu Chi volunteers accompany and care for them until they are healed and independent, or when they later pass away, Tzu Chi volunteers continue to accompany them until their last moment. A genuine spirit of love has become the hallmark of the Tzu Chi Charitable Mission.

Continuity of Love

Tzu Chi seeds came to Indonesia in 1993, when Liang Cheung, a Taiwanese Tzu Chi volunteer, came to Indonesia to accompany her husband. Here she met the wife of a Taiwanese businessman. Liang Cheung then invited them to participate as Tzu Chi donators. Over time, after observing the suffering of the people around them, these housewives thought, Why don't we do social activities here in Indonesia?

In 1994, these mothers visited Hualien, Taiwan to meet Master Cheng Yen. There they asked for permission to officially establish Tzu Chi in Indonesia. At that time, Master Cheng Yen said, "Those who make a living in another country, took advantage of local resources, must contribute back to the local population. Thus, the wives of Taiwanese businessman opened the land of love in Indonesia. Until now, even though it is labeled as a Buddhist foundation, Tzu Chi's donators and volunteers come from various religions, ethnicity, race, and class. This applies in every activity.

Contributing to Others

Since 1993, Tzu Chi volunteers have started to contribute to the communities around them. April 1994, Tzu Chi Indonesia began to visit nursing homes regularly. In July 1994, Tzu Chi began to provide disaster assistance in the form of petromax lamps to victims of the tsunami disaster in East Java. In December 1994 when Mount Merapi in Central Java erupted, Tzu Chi provided assistance with living necessities and housing.

Along the way, the assistance provided has varied, ranging from scholarships to students at SDN Jembatan Baru, North Jakarta, assistance to the first special treatment patient, Ferry who suffers from rickets, to the tuberculosis eradication program in Tangerang. Since 2000, the development of Tzu Chi Indonesia has become more evident with its contribution in the corridor of 4 main missions.

The great flood of Jakarta in early 2002 set the backdrop for a series of large-scale long-term programs. In March 2002, Tzu Chi cleaned the Angke River and Ciliwung River. Then in July 2002, the construction of the Tzu Chi Loving-Kindness Housing began for residents on the banks of Kali Angke who lived in slum areas and became flood victims. The Cinta Kasih residence in Cengkareng, West Jakarta was inaugurated by President Megawati Soekarno Putri on August 25, 2003, and is complete with a polyclinic, school, community hall, prayer room, and recycling center.

Throughout 2003, Tzu Chi Indonesia was busy with distributing 50,000 tons of love rice to Indonesian people in need. Departing from rice distribution events, Tzu Chi has been spreading the philosophy of universal love. In various cities, people began to appear willing to volunteer, even in some cities a Tzu Chi liaison office was established.

The many disasters that occurred in Indonesia, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, the Padang earthquake, the earthquake and tsunami in Pangandaran, and most recently the earthquake in Palu and Lombok (2018) made Tzu Chi people have to work even harder in helping disaster victims. In Aceh, Tzu Chi built 2,556 housing units in Panteriek, Neuheun, and Meulaboh. Likewise in other places, Tzu Chi helped build schools in Yogyakarta and Padang.

Tzu Chi's assistance for earthquake victims continues to the post-disaster recovery process. Along with the post-disaster restoration that occurred in West Nusa Tenggara (Lombok) and Central Sulawesi (Palu and Donggala), the Buddhist Tzu Chi Indonesia Foundation in collaboration with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday, October 15, 2018 at Gedung Main Headquarters of the Indonesian National Army, Cilangkap, East Jakarta. Representatives who attended the signing process were Franky O. Widjaja, Deputy Chairman of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Indonesia Foundation who is also a Board Member of Sinar Mas, Hong Tjhin, CEO of DAAI TV Indonesia who is also the coordinator of this housing development. Additionally from Indofood representative, Franciscus Welirang, and Sinarmas, Eka Tjipta Foundation, namely Gandi Sulistiyanto.

This Memorandum of Understanding contains cooperation between Tzu Chi and the TNI which also involves PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk and Sinarmas (Eka Tjipta Foundation) in the construction and delivery of 3,000 housing units to communities in restoration sites in Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara), Palu, Sigi, and Donggala (Central Sulawesi).

Based on the experience of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Indonesia Foundation in assisting and handling post-tsunami development in Aceh, the distribution of aid is divided into three stages: short-term, medium-term, and long-term. In the short term, the actions that have been taken are providing food, medical treatment, and money for observers. For the medium term, tents have been built with adequate facilities such as bathing, washing, and latrine facilities. Then, the planned long-term assistance is the construction of 3,000 housing units.

Master Cheng Yen said that where there are calamities like this, the positive side is that love is moved. "Hopefully, with the accumulation of love, in the future (can) avoid disasters like this," said Franky O. Widjaja, Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation.

 In their journey, Tzu Chi volunteers not only inspire those who are able to help the less fortunate, but also invite those who are less fortunate to also do good deeds, helping others in need. That way, the cycle of goodness and virtue will continue.

Educating the Able, Helping the Underprivileged

The work at the Tzu Chi Charitable Mission begins with the survey process, providing needed assistance, and ensuring long-term care for aid recipients. This is a long process, starting from a survey process to see the needs of the aid recipients, followed by a meeting to discuss whether or not they deserve to be helped, and starting to provide regular assistance to the beneficiaries.

The volunteer team will reassess the needs of each aid recipients every three months, to determine whether the assistance provided is sufficient, or stop the assistance when the aid recipients are found to have received assistance from other parties or when they are found to be financially independent.

Apart from conducting regular home visits, our volunteers also organize events and invite beneficiaries and their family members to participate. By paying attention from the heart, Tzu Chi people hope to improve the quality of life of our aid recipients/caregivers, and help them get their lives back on track.

Volunteers make visits to various places, paying attention and motivating the aid recipients. They prepare meals and distribute relief supplies to families/individuals in need, and help clean, repair and renovate homes, allowing them to feel the love and warmth of the family. Touched by their loving and sincere efforts, thecare recipients gradually open their hearts and build a trusting relationship with them. Under the inspired guidance of the love visit team, many aid recipients have come to realize that true wealth comes from giving, and are joyful and within their means to participate in helping others in need.