The Supreme Master Ching Hai
By Yunnan Province Relief Team, China (Originally in Chinese)
Providing Assistance for Schools Near the Border of Yunnan Province, China and Myanmar
Yunnan Province has always had a lot of rain, and since the beginning of the winter in 2016, the temperature dropped significantly in the region. This brought an unusual chill to Mengding Town of Gengma County in Lincang City, located in the alpine frontier in western Yunnan Province, where there is a substantial difference in temperature between day and night. The unpaved roads in the mountainous area made it hard to travel. Additionally, the price drop in rubber this year greatly reduced the income of the villagers. Therefore, the village committee asked the public to help provide winter clothing for the local school children and the villagers.
In response, and remembering Master’s instruction to assist those in need, our Yunnan Association members focused our relief effort on the multi-ethnic schools at the border area near Myanmar. On November 14 and 15, 2016, we purchased extra-soft comforters, quilts, quilt covers and clothes. On the 16th, we arranged transportation of the prepared supplies, which were delivered on the 22nd to the schools most in need at the border, including Mengding Town Chonggang Complete Elementary School, Cangyuan Clan Autonomous County Complete Elementary School, Nandeng Center School and Rongling Rubber Company School.
As the schools informed us that more supplies were needed for students living on the campus, on December 4, we once again bought comforters, quilt covers and stationery to help the children, relieving the worries of the villagers and the refugees at the border. Many of the students at the four aforementioned schools were refugees.
In total, we gave 250 extra-soft comforters, 60 quilts, 310 quilt covers, 200 clothing sets, as well as several thousand pens and pencils, almost 2,000 notebooks, and four boxes each of pencil sharpeners and erasers to the four schools near Myanmar.
Assisting the Internally Displaced People in Myanmar
In mid-December, working together with a wholesale company and many other loving people, our Association members prepared more than 1,700 pairs of slippers and travel shoes, which the internally displaced people in Myanmar like very much. The shoes were given to a distribution center to be delivered to a camp in Myanmar. The manager of the distribution center told his staff to provide free transportation for donated goods and said, “Doing good deeds makes people happy.” We are grateful for all the charitable and caring people who have lent helping hands to the internally displaced individuals.
Helping an Orphanage in Maija Yang at a Myanmar Camp for Internally Displaced People
Back in 2015 when our relief team went to the Shapan Boarder orphanage in the Myanmar camp for internally displaced people in Maija Yang, the elderly director was very grateful to The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. She also told us about her concerns, saying, “More than 50 orphans live on CNY 400 per week financed intermittently by a kindhearted person from Malaysia.” She was worried that if the funding fell short, the children could not afford to eat. At the time, we gave all of our remaining CNY 20,000 to the orphanage. (For more details, please refer to News Magazine No. 213) Later, we learned that the orphanage lacked funding, so we started sending money to cover the living expenses for the orphans. In September 2016, we again contributed CNY 50,000, which was used to buy food by our Myanmar Association members and delivered to the orphanage on a weekly basis. The elderly principal and teachers repeatedly thanked us.
May Heaven bless these underprivileged groups to soon have lives filled with peace, love and prosperity.
Loving Care for a Dog Shelter in Bijiguan Village, Yunnan Province, China
To also assist our canine friends in need during with wintertime, on December 4, our relief team went to a dog shelter in Bijiguan Village and offered them 1,000 kilograms of rice and 20 five-liter buckets of vegetable oil. More than 300 dogs welcomed us. We noticed that the main structural beam on their kitchen was damaged, making the workers prone to accidents. Although Ms. Duan, the woman in charge of the shelter, had already contacted the repair workers, she was worried about the lack of funds. Thus, we financed the shelter with RBM 2,000 based on the cost of the repair, and asked Ms. Duan to have the workers start immediately. Ms. Duan was very touched and said, “We can now enjoy the New Year, thanks for the blessings from the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.” We wish all the best to this caring dog shelter, its thoughtful workers, and the loving dog friends.
Expenditures by The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for Assisting Schools, Internally Displaced People in Myanmar, an Orphanage in a Myanmar Camp for Internally Displaced People, and a Dog Shelter in Yunnan Province, China
| Description | Amount (CNY) | Receipt |
|---|---|---|
| Comforters and clothing (250 extra-soft comforters, 60 quilts measuring 1.6 meters long, 310 quilt covers and 200 clothing sets.) | 21,400 | A |
| Stationery (4,320 pens, four boxes of pencil sharpeners, 1,920 notebooks, 3,215 pencils and four boxes of erasers) | 6,771 | B |
| Rice and soybean oil | 4,700 | C |
| Donation to the dog shelter in Bijiguan Village for repair work | 2,000 | D |
| Donation to the Shapan Boarder orphanage in Maija Yang, Myanmar | 50,000 | E |
| Transportation and other expenses | 8,795 | F |
| Total | CNY 93,666 (US$13,729) |
Delivering Supplies to Schools in Need Near the Yunnan Province, China – Myanmar Border – November 2016
Delivering Supplies to Schools in Need Near the Yunnan Province, China – Myanmar Border – December 2016
Packing Shoes for Delivery to a Myanmar Camp for Internally Displaced People – December 2016
Delivering Food Supplies to a Dog Shelter in Bijiguan Village, Yunnan Province, China – December 2016