Tzu Chi's Attention Enlightens People's Burden

Tzu Chi Indonesia continues to distribute basic food packages to people affected by Covid-19 outbreak. Like today, Wednesday, 29 April 2020, 536 basic food packages were distributed to Rusun Cinta Kasih Tzu Chi in Muara Angke, North Jakarta.

Since early morning, excitement filled the air within the people living at Cinta Kasih Tzu Chi Low-cost Rental Apartment (Rusun) in Muara Angke, North Jakarta. As they heard the news a few days prior, Tzu Chi Indonesia was scheduled to distribute basic food packages on Wednesday, 29 April 2020. Everyone prepared their copies of ID card (KTP), and family card (KK) to be able to receive the package.

The Head of the Neighbourhood Unit (RT) 01 who led the people living in Block A1 and A2, rushing towards the Rusun Management Office. He also brought one pedicab driver and a cart driver to carry 39 basic food packages for his residents.

Sumarno, Head of RT 1 carried 39 basic food packages for his residents using pedicab and a cart.

"I am very happy, residents can get basic necessities because to be frank, many of them work but are asked to stay at home. For example my own child who has been at home for a month. So we are very grateful to Tzu Chi," said Sumarno, who has been at his post for five periods or 15 years being the Head of the RT.

Adding Ingredients in the Kitchen
Rusli (54) was seen wearing his online driver uniform when picking up his basic food package. He received them with a humble heart, a package consisting of 5 kilograms of rice, 1 litre of cooking oil, 10 packs of instant noodles, and 8 bottles of drink. He then went straight up the stairs to the fourth floor and soon showed his wife, Ella, the food package.

Rusli is grateful for the basic food package from Tzu Chi Indonesia. The basic food packages distribution was rather quiet even though the residents had been quite looking forward to it, but each RT Head had informed every resident to not worry since everyone will get one. 

"To be honest this really helped us a lot because my income has been greatly reduced. So this is very helpful for our daily meals," said Rusli.

"This package is a great addition to our kitchen. Later for breaking the fast, then for a predawn meal," added Ella.

It has been almost a month for Rusli, who’s been an online ojek driver for four years, to lose a lot of his income due to the lack of customer’s orders. Even within the last month, Rusli made almost no money. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Rusli used to make around 150,000 to Rp 200,000 rupiahs. Therefore, Rusli is now focused on helping Ella who has been selling healthy porridge and baby pudding in Muara Angke Market.

Despite the increasingly difficult circumstances, Rusli and Ella did not forget to give alms while selling their food by giving free one bowl after five purchases of porridge that cost 3,000 and 5,000 per serving. In a day, they can sell around one hundred servings.

Inside their house, Rusli and Ella opened up the basic food package with humble hearts in which they are very thankful for Tzu Chi’s attention for them.

With such difficult conditions, Ella is required to be smart in managing the household finances. Especially when they are used to only living with their youngest children which make a family of three, due to the outbreak, their other child with their spouse have also been living with them in the last two months ever since they were forced to stay at home and not getting any of their salaries paid for.

Relieve for Help from Tzu Chi
Excitement wasn’t only filling the air of residents in RT 1 but also residents in 11 other RTs. Mukhlas (30), a resident in RT 6, even looked teary when he received the basic food package. In such a difficult condition he is experiencing right now, being able to get the help from Tzu Chi is very meaningful for him.

On 2 April 2020, Mukhlas, who worked as a security officer in an outsourcing company, was laid off. Mukhlas, who has served in the company for six years, did not even get a severance pay.

Mukhlas, the residents in RT 6 were very happy. In today's difficult conditions, he finds assistance from Tzu Chi to be very valuable.

"Right now I am just staying at home, sometimes I help to clean the mosque. I applied for a job but no one has accepted. My wife sometimes gets called to do wash and iron. So for the day-to-day needs, we are depending ourselves on food aid, "said the father of two children.

This assistance from Tzu Chi was the second food assistance that Mukhlas received. This assistance, he said, is very valuable especially as a breadwinner at the family he is currently not having any source of income.

Relieve Anxiety
Meanwhile Juharti (45) has lived in Rusun Cinta Kasih Tzu Chi in Muara Angke since it was inaugurated in 2005. Since then, she has also become a volunteer for Tzu Chi. In this rusun, Juharti teaches in preschool classes, coordinates the PKBM (Community Learning Activity Center) and tutoring, as well as in Tzu Chi's humanistic education classes.

Juharti, a resident who is also a Tzu Chi volunteer is seen calculating the number of the food packages. For this distribution of basic food items, the Head of the RT takes the packages for his residents using cart from the Rusun Management Office. Then those packages will be placed in each RT Hall, anyone who wants to pick them up only need to show a copy of their ID Card (KTP) and Family Card (KK).

Juharti, who has been listening to her neighbors’ laments and thoughts for the past two months, who are mostly worried about the sluggish income due to the Corona outbreak, is now happy after the Tzu Chi food packages are distributed here.

"Most of these people work as fishermen, there are also workers who wash and iron,  and some are employees. I have heard that many residents are confused about getting food to eat, therefore Tzu Chi feels concerned so they distribute these groceries. Hopefully with this assistance, their burden can be rather light," said Juharti, who directly monitor the distribution of these groceries.

Translator: Chrestella Budyanto (Tzu Chi School)