Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

Staying in the Da Ai community of Shanlin, this is a story about someone who joined Tzu Chi's relief work program - which pays disaster survivors to rebuild their communities - and was transformed as a result.

Mr. Qiu Ji-fu, 47, a resident of Qishan, Kaohsiung, was a victim of the floods on August 8, 2009. Tzu Chi volunteers helped to clean up his home after the water subsided and, as a result, Qiu decided to join the relief work program in Shanlin. In so doing, he opened a new chapter in his life.

As a young man, he was a rebel and rarely had a stable job. He also was an alcoholic and heavy smoker. Now he receives regular pay as a bricklayer in building the new village in Shanlin. To lay the interlocking bricks requires kneeling down for long periods. The work is difficult and strenuous but Qiu savors every moment. "My most rewarding insight is the inner peace I have achieved. Since the first day, I have felt blessed working here." The relief work program has fulfilled his long-held dream of a stable job. He quitted drinking and smoking after join the relief work program.

"Tzu Chi volunteers helped me clean up my home,” he said. “I signed on, full of gratitude. I am very content now after a day's work and sleep all through the night, unlike my mischievous days." By immersing himself in Tzu Chi's humanity, he is now living a brand new life.

Source: Daai TV English News