Tzu Chi Academy Australia commenced the new school term on 6 February2011. All the teachers, parents and students greeted each other with best wishes for the New Year and the new term, and wished that everyone is thankful for their beautiful and safe learning environment. We are lucky and should count our blessings, for even though the weather in Sydney was very hot, there were no disasters, and hence our hearts go out to the flood ravaged survivors in Queensland. We wanted to do our bit to help the people affected by the flood, therefore the whole school community raised fund for donation to the flood survivors.
The teachers collected related news and recounted the impact of the flood devastation to students and parents in their class rooms. About 30000 families were impacted by the flood and did not have a home to go back to; flood water was two storeys high in low-lying areas. One hungry cow, being stranded on a rooftop, was found stretching its neck trying to eat the leaves from a nearby tree after flood water receded.
Another piece of news was about a mother going to the shops with her two children, their car was caught in the rapid of the flood water and would not start, water was rising rapidly in the car, and the rescuers could only save the younger boy. Both parents and students listened attentively and were very moved, hoping that it would never happen to them.During the last period of lesson, the whole school gathered in the school hall to watch documentaries on news about the Queensland flood from around the world, and the fund raising appeal and flood relief distributions in Queensland by Tzu Chi volunteers, broadcasted by the Da Ai channel. The volunteers helped flood survivors clean and sweep the dirt and mud from their properties. They offered with out-stretched arms essential packages, medical kits, eco-friendly blankets made from recycled PET bottles from Taiwan and A$500 cash cards, displaying respect, timely, direct and practical relief to the people affected by the disaster . They also hug the recipients to comfort them. The volunteers at the distribution sites shared their thoughts and feelings on the relief work, “when others suffer, we feel the sorrow”, they appeal to everyone to dig deep to make a donation for the flood survivors so they can rebuild their homes and restore their lives as soon as possible. Good deeds should not be deferred, let us extend the agglomeration of our compassion and let the cycle of love always begin in our schoolyard.
