Written by: Wu Jin-Hui Wu & Hong Jing-Ru
Translated by: Grace Wang

Seeing the word “warm men” on the four superintendents, the volunteers wish to look forward to the future, that Tzu Chi will lead the way.

In the evening of September 12, 2019, director of news department of Da Ai TV Chen Zhu-Qi invited Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital Superintendent Dr. Lin Shinn-Zong , Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital Superintendent Dr. Lai Ning-Sheng, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital Superintendent Dr. Chien SouHsin, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital Superintendent Dr. Chou You-Chen and the director of Tzu Chi Mozambique Tsai Dai-Lin to share their experience of the free clinics that were completed in Mozambique.

March 2019, intense tropical cyclone Idai caused huge damages to several east African countries, Mozambique was one of them. Soon after the tropical cyclone, Tzu Chi volunteers went and two months later the first free clinic was held. The TIMA team carried out 4 free clinics from May 19 to 23, servicing close to 5,000 headcounts. The four superintendents, who were speakers of this lecture, had never been to Mozambique. Going into the disaster area with the Tzu Chi charity team, providing medical services for survivors and travelling further into local tribes, to check on the old and weak whom were not able to come to the free clinic site.

In 1976 Mozambique became independent from Portugal. Since then 20 years of non-stop civil war occurred until finally in 1994, a peace treaty was signed. As a consequence, local infrastructure is lacking badly, education is not extended widely and medical facilities are extremely in shortage. Mozambique is 22 times larger than Taiwan with nearly 30 million population. In 2018 however, there were only 4,400 doctors and 70 % of them work in urban areas. In rural areas, people can only rely on witch doctors and many have never seen a doctor in their whole life.

Supt. Dr. Lin Shinn-Zong said, “as for the area that we carried out the free clinic, this particular county only has four doctors, but they have to be responsible for an area that is almost as big as our Hualien county. As transportation is inconvenient and the costs are high, it really affect the people’s willingness to go and see a doctor. Many villagers can only bear with their sickness or pain, some even died due to this prolonged waiting. After cyclone Idai, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases were wild spread. Supt. Dr. Chien SouHsin stressed, “When the global media has gradually forgotten East Africa, they are not alone; because Tzu Chi volunteers still remember the sufferings there.”

Supt. Dr. Chou You-Chen was in grief with the Mozambique people. “The infectious diseases can deprive their lives anytime.” Dr. Chao recalled that there was a young female who was really weak, after cyclone Idai, there was no medication provided and she was almost dying suffering from AIDS and tuberculosis. A local interpreter told him that the TIMA team should provide some tuberculosis medication for her, so she wouldn’t spread the disease to others. Seeing the devastating situation, Supt. Chao felt a little helpless and said, “apart from providing free clinic, we really need to communicate to find out what they truly need. The love from Tzu Chi is a continuous one and we trust that Master Cheng Yen will lead us to continue to look after the people suffering in Mozambique.”

The pay for doctors in Mozambique isn’t high and the opportunity for work is also limited. However, at Tzu Chi’s free clinic, a few local doctors also joined in to provide assistance. One of them is the dean of Catholic University of Mozambique Health Medical School Dr. Monica Inroga. She is the main connection that Tzu Chi had locally, whom helped for successfully holding the free clinic. Her students also participated, providing interpretation for medical staff and local people and also learning from the TIMA doctors.

Dean Monica shared with Supt. Chao of the three most touching stories she saw at the free clinics in Mozambique. First was when she saw locals wearing Tzu Chi volunteer vests and proactively helping their fellow people. Second was when she saw how the TIMA team worked cooperatively without having any ranks, so harmonious just like a big family. Third was when she saw how Dr. Chen Bao-Zhu, from gynecology department of Hua Lien Tzu Chi hospital, carefully explaining to every single pregnant woman how to look after themselves, providing service that was no different to the quality provided at medical centers. Dr. Monica Ingora thinks that Dr. Chen really is a mentor to her and her students.

Supt. Dr. Chein said, “although medication can only provide temporary resolution and cannot heal long term sickness, love however is the most effective medicine. A caring look, a warm hug can all help to ease the pain and sorrow of these patients. If our free clinic can inspire others to come and join, or even have more groups to come and help out, spreading more love to the locals, then it will definitely make an impact.”

Supt. Dr. Lai Ning-Sheng asked local medical students how they would confront with the situation with such high level of contagious diseases. The student replied humbly, “we can only hope that there will be slight improvement tomorrow.” Holding free clinic in Mozambique, Tzu Chi was also spreading the seeds of love; hoping to extend love to more people, that the love will help to change things bit by bit. Dr. Lai stressed, “the suffering sentient beings are the teachers of Bodhisattvas; without patients, there is no need for the existence of doctors. Going to disaster sites, to places where people are suffering, helps reminding doctors why they wanted to become one in the first place. Dr. Albert Schweitzer is our role model and he must had also been taught by the patients he had met.” Dr. Lai shared these thoughts with his colleagues and juniors, hoping that they will continue to inspire each other in the future.

Supt. Dr. Lin Shinn-Zong continued to search for resolutions since returning from Mozambique, hoping to find simpler, cheaper methodologies or medication to help counteract the infectious diseases. He thanked Dai Lin and her husband Dino for leading local Tzu Chi volunteers, safeguarding the lives of people. Dr. Lin said, “The patients are our teachers. Wherever I went to carry out free clinics, I always came home extremely moved and touched. Every single free clinic that I attend is another chance for me to practice compassion and loving kindness, for me to upgrade myself to be a more powerful person, to have stronger ability to give out more.”

Most locals in Mozambique have never heard of Buddhism. A flood has linked the people of Mozambique with Tzu Chi, also giving a chance for Buddhism to be brought to this land. Although the religion is different, but receiving the teachings, the lives of locals are changed too. Supt. Dr. Chien Sou-Hsin Jian gave his blessings, “I saw how pure and optimistic the Mozambique people are. Seeing the cooperative moves of the whole TIMA team, I also see the hopes of changing Africa in the future.”

The director of Tzu Chi Mozambique Tsai Dai-Lin thanked the whole TIMA team to accompany the people of Mozambique to walk on this rough road towards recovery. Director Tsai said, “From all the superintendents, I saw the word ‘warm men’. I also want to encourage all volunteers that we shouldn’t keep looking backwards, but forward, to the future, hoping that Tzu Chi will become the light to lead us all.” 

September 12, director of news department of Da Ai TV Chen Zhu-Qi invited Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital Supt. Dr. Lin Shinn-Zong, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital Supt. Dr. Lai Ning-Sheng, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital Supt. Dr. Chien Sou-Hsin, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital Supt. Dr. Chou You-Chen Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital and the director of Tzu Chi MozambiqueTsai Dai-Lin to share on their experience of the free clinics that were completed in Mozambique.

Hearing the talks, TIMA participants saw the purity of Mozambique people and how much they suffered. The stories with laughs and cries from the 4 superintendents left strong impressions on the mind of the crowd.

Tzu Chi volunteer Tsai Dai-Lin thanked the greater Tzu Chi family members around the world for being the strongest support behind the scene.