DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation Heads to the Renai Township to Bring Relief Supplies to Disaster Victims of Typhoon Khanun

In the wake of Typhoon Khanun, intense rain battered the Renai Township in Taiwan's central county of Nantou, causing landslides in its mountainous areas and leading to power outages as well as food and water shortages, with stranded residents in urgent need of external rescue. Immediately after the natural calamity, DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation procured its first relief consignment of daily necessities, including food, bottled water, hygiene products etc., and made the delivery bound for the affected Lushan Tribe on the morning of August 7.

The Foundation's second emergency procurement of daily necessities arrived at the DDM Dehua Monastery in Puli, Nantou County on the afternoon of August 7. Managing Director of DDM Branch Monastery Administration, Venerable Guo Li, DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation Secretary General, Venerable Chang Shun, and Dehua Monastery Vice Abbot, Venerable Chang An, among others., led everyone in chanting together the Bodhisattva Guanyin's holy name for the sake of all the victims who suffered from the typhoon disaster, praying for the smooth connection of transportation links in the mountainous areas, rapid rebuilding of destroyed homes, and the restoration of normal life.

After the Praying for Blessings ceremony, the three Venerables, along with the volunteers, loaded the supplies onto the vehicles bound for the Renai Township. Ven. Chang Shun, volunteers and staff of the Foundation accompanied the convoy in transporting the consignment of relief supplies to three tribes in Jinyin Village, Duda Village and Deluku Village respectively, bringing along their loving care for the disaster-struck households and the families of students who received scholarships from the Foundation, as well as their condolences to the surviving family members of deceased victims in the Lushan Tribe. On August 8th, accompanied by Duda Primary School Principal, Yu Xiuying and Renai Precinct Nantou Country Police Bureau Instructor, Yuan Minxiong, Ven. Chang Shun led the Foundation staff in distributing the relief supplies and grants for emergency to the affected residents at the Renai Township Duda Primary School. At the same time, they met up with the civilian disaster relief support team captain, Liu Junhong, in further efforts to understand the rebuilding process and its resource requirements in the aftermath of this disaster.

Afterwards, Venerable Chang Shun visited each and every family of the scholarship recipients, as well as the families displaced by the landslides, offering them with relief supplies, emergency grants and "Peace and Freedom from Troubles" amulet, thereby soothing the still badly shaken souls of these typhoon-stricken children. Amongst them, a family whose father was regrettably swept away by the landslides. Ven. Chang Shun also sent his heartfelt condolences and provided warm loving care to his family members. On the evening of August 8, Ven. Chang Shun made a trip to the Puli branch of the Taichung Veterans General Hospital to express solicitude for the Lushan tribal victims injured during the landslides with grants for emergency, wishing them a speedy recovery in both body and mind.

Accompanying the Foundation's staff to care for the typhoon victims, Duda Primary School Principal Yu Xiuying especially stressed in her ethnic dialect: "When our tribesmen received the relief supplies and emergency grants from DDM, they were filled with great joy and gratitude towards the Venerables and Dharma brothers and sisters in promptly coming forth with full assistance. Ven. Chang Shun in particular personally visited the tribe to express loving care to our people; we were very grateful for him." The Principal pointed out that, currently, the lack of running water is a major issue in the mountainous areas. She hopes that as transportation routes are repaired and reopened, people from all walks of life in society could come together at the township and assist the tribesmen in rebuilding their homes.



Text: DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Photos: DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Translation: Cheng-yu Chang (張振郁)
Editing: Keith Brown, YKL