Working Together to Paint the House in Kamal Muara

Journalist : Anand Yahya, Photographer : Anand Yahya

Muhamad and Bambang (Tzu Chi volunteer) painted the house together. Through the Tzu Chi bamboo bank program in Kamal Muara, Bambang hopes that the seeds of love to help others will grow.

A house and a place to live are basic needs in a family. Even poor families need a decent and comfortable home. The condition has implications for social policies through the renovation program for uninhabitable houses initiated by the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Indonesia.

Sunday, March 6, 2022, 50 volunteers from the North He Qi 2 community consisting of Pluit 1 and Pluit 2 Hu Ai worked together to paint the house of the Kamal Muara resident which is currently under construction. Bambang, a Tzu Chi volunteer who is the coordinator of the house painting group, said that by involving volunteers in the construction process, they could experience the Tzu Chi humanitarian charity program firsthand. He also invited new volunteers to get to know Tzu Chi activities firsthand to awaken the spirit of humanity in them and hope that they could join the ranks of Tzu Chi volunteers.

Tzu Chi volunteers from North He Qi 2 community, especially Pluit 1 and Pluit 2 Hu Ai painted three housing units being built by the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Indonesia in Kamal Muara. They also invited new volunteers to observe and engage in Tzu Chi activities.

Bambang and Muhamad together painted the house with joy and gratitude. Bambang hopes that the house that will be completed by Tzu Chi, is well cared for and the family can live comfortably.

"In the future, hopefully they can join the ranks of volunteers, I am feeling grateful for the guidance of Tzu Chi volunteers so that new generations of volunteers will grow," Bambang hoped.

Bambang also advised one of the beneficiaries of Tzu Chi’s house renovation aid named Muhamad (the owner of the house) to take good care of his house so that it is comfortable to live in. "Together we painted Muhamad's house, because there is a sense of belonging in him, so he also helped paint the house," Bambang said. After being rebuilt, volunteers hope that through the Tzu Chi bamboo bank program, the beneficiaries will plant the seeds of love to help others in the future.

Sudarman Lim, a Tzu Chi volunteer, is explaining to Kartini (Muhamad's wife) the story of Tzu Chi bamboo bank.

"Hopefully there will be more seeds of love from the owners of the houses that Tzu Chi has rebuilt, and they can continue to help those in need through the Tzu Chi bamboo bank program so that the love from Tzu Chi volunteers can now be spread in the community," Bambang continued.

The message was understood by the family of Muhamad (60), a resident whose house has been 80 percent completed. Muhammad's house was one of the houses painted by volunteers. Muhamad and Kartini (Muhamad’s wife) had intended to save their money into bamboo piggy bank. "I want to help people even though I don't have money and just enough to eat. But I have a intention to help people," Kartini said.

Muhammad received 10 kg of rice and 10 medical masks from Tzu Chi. On Sunday, March 6, 2022, Tzu Chi volunteers distributed 1,520 packages of rice and medical masks to residents of Kamal Muara, Penjaringan sub-district, North Jakarta. The rice package was distributed to residents of RW 01 and RW 04, Kamal Muara village.

Muhammad expressed his gratitude to the Tzu Chi Indonesia which until now continues to pay attention to the residents of Kamal Muara, especially to Muhammad’s family.

In addition, Tzu Chi Indonesia also paid attention to the distribution of basic food items, rice distribution, the construction of the Jami Al-Huda Mosque, the renovation of the first 10 housing units that have been completed, and currently 5 housing units are under construction in the Kamal Muara area, North Jakarta.

Volunteers handed over rice packages to the elderly residents in Kamal Muara village. The handover ceremony took place in the courtyard of the Jami Al-Huda Mosque with the mosque management and the head of RT and RW of Kamal Muara village.

The craftsman who worked on Muhammad's house said that the target for the construction of 5 housing units, which had reached 80 percent, would soon be completed before Eid al-Fitr (Muslim holiday) which falls in early May 2022.

During the house painting activity in Kamal Muara, Tzu Chi volunteers also distributed 1,520 rice packages and medical masks to the residents of Kamal Muara village.

Translated by : Vincent Salimputra