A group of Tzu Chi volunteers in Jordan overcame scorching temperatures and blowing sand on a journey to the Jordan Valley, about 130 kilometers northwest of the capital city, Amman. Their mission was to provide new school bags and educational supplies to underprivileged students, including Syrian refugee children. Despite the sweltering heat, on August 8th and September 10th, the volunteers arrived in the Jordan Valley and at the Bridge School in Amman, and delivered these special back-to-school gifts to 2,600 children. Their goal was to bring joy to these young learners and ensure they could start the school year with the necessary tools.
This effort is part of the volunteers’ ongoing commitment to support 900 disadvantaged students. Their dedication to these impoverished children reflects a sincere desire to protect and empower them and help them achieve their modest yet invaluable educational aspirations.
Love from the World
On the morning of August 8, a group of 19 Tzu Chi volunteers traveled for about an hour and a half on a dusty bus journey from Amman to the Jordan Valley, at the northern end of the Dead Sea, 212 meters below sea level. Accompanied by a forty-foot cargo truck filled to the brim with lovingly prepared school bags and stationery, they arrived at three locations that have been the focus of their long-term dedication. Their mission was to bring fresh hope to 900 young students as they began a new school term.
As they arrived at the schools, the children had already gathered, their youthful faces unable to conceal bright smiles of anticipation, as they warmly welcomed the volunteers who had traveled from afar. The Tzu Chi team was a diverse group, including mothers and children from Tzu Xin House; in total, there were eleven individuals unwavering in their commitment to bring abundant love. They willingly participated in organizing, carrying, and distributing the school supplies.
The volunteers, including Khader Khalifa and Mohamed Khir Alriz, took the time to introduce Tzu Chi and Master Cheng Yen, founder of Tzu Chi, to the children. They explained, in detail, that the funds used to purchase these school supplies were donated by kind-hearted people all over the world.
Their purpose was to help the children understand that this support was a culmination of love and care from Tzu Chi members worldwide, with the hope that these children would learn something new every day and strive for personal growth.
In an atmosphere of gratitude, respect, and love, the children approached one by one to receive blessings. There were warm greetings, smiles, and encouraging words exchanged; this created a ceaseless flow of affection, with everyone understanding one another’s hearts. The brand-new school bags and notebooks adorned with the Tzu Chi logo carried hope that will accompany these young students throughout the entire year of their learning journey.
Luxuries?
Notebooks and pencils are considered luxuries in the Jordan Valley region, a poverty-stricken area. Most of its residents are engaged in farming or labor, and many earn a meager hourly wage of only US$1.24. With most families struggling to make ends meet, they can hardly afford to buy school supplies for their children. “Our area is extremely impoverished, and some children use plastic bags as school bags because they simply cannot afford pencils and notebooks.
We are immensely grateful for the stationery and backpacks you’ve provided; these items make a significant difference in their lives,” said Amal, a representative of the volunteers in the Jordan Valley region. For these children, notebooks and pencils are indeed considered luxuries. The volunteers, through their actions, convey the spirit of Master Cheng Yen, who greatly values education and aspires to transform lives through it. This selfless love deeply touched Amal’s heart.
The scorching sun made everyone sweat profusely; despite this, the volunteers from the Tzu Xin House remained unwavering in their determination. Maha, one of the volunteers, said: “The temperatures are extremely high, and we pray that Allah watches over the people living here as they endure this heatwave. We came to distribute aid, and, even though we can feel the hardships of their lives, we are happy because we see the smiles on the children’s faces.” Witnessing the children having enough stationery to attend school with peace of mind brought an even broader smile to her face.
Lamiya Lin expressed heartfelt appreciation for the small donations from Taiwan; through the foundation, they were transformed into beautiful and practical backpacks and stationery for underprivileged children in the Jordan Valley, 8,240 kilometers away. She emphasized that this gift of love was not only tangible items but, more importantly, a gesture of goodwill. Just like the warm local sun that continually brightens the hearts of these children, each volunteer willingly contributed their effort, and all their hardships turned into sweet satisfaction.
Tzu Chi Notebooks: Learning Happily with Gratitude
Just before the school year began, Tzu Chi volunteers were on the move again. On September 10th, they returned to the Bridge School in Amman, a private institution they have been supporting for four years. The school serves students from kindergarten through the 10th grade, after which they must transfer to other schools for further studies. In the new academic year, Tzu Chi Jordan Branch sponsored 130 students, including 32 from the Tzu Xin House along with Syrian children from nearby impoverished families.
The children lined up in an orderly fashion waiting for the volunteers. The volunteers bent down to deliver blessings personally; when the children received their back-to-school gifts, their faces lit up with joy, like radiant flowers in bloom. With the assistance of their teachers, the children formed a human chain to create a heart-shaped formation and loudly expressed their deep gratitude.
To ensure that children no longer face educational obstacles due to a lack of supplies, the Tzu Chi Jordan Branch prepares 2,600 backpacks filled with stationery every August. Each stationery kit includes ten notebooks, a dozen pencils, erasers, a ruler, a pencil sharpener, and colored pens. What was special this year was the notebooks with the Tzu Chi logo, serving as a reminder to the children that love comes from all over the world. Hopefully, these students can learn happily and become valuable people who, in the future, are willing and able to help others.
Contentment and Gratitude: The Best Education
Starting in 2021, a group of young volunteers from the Tzu Xin House joined the effort to pack school supplies. During their summer vacation, they dedicated twenty days, and worked six hours each day, to prepare stationery kits for children living in challenging circumstances.
Having once been recipients of assistance themselves, these young volunteers now pay back by donning the adult-sized volunteer vests and joyfully engaging in their tasks. They unpacked boxes of school supplies and backpacks, worked together seamlessly to sort, package, and assemble, and became the front-line volunteers for Tzu Chi's distribution of backpacks and educational supplies.
"I'm twelve years old, and we're gathered here today to help underprivileged children by packing school supplies and notebooks," earnestly said young volunteer Reemas. Taim, another young volunteer, echoed his sentiments: "Thank God for giving me the opportunity to help those in need through Tzu Chi." Despite their tender age, their cooperation was flawless, and with hearts of service, they understood the joy of helping others.
The volunteers firmly believe that “giving love sets in motion a cycle of kindness and teaches the next generation contentment and gratitude.” They also look forward to seeing all children defy the odds, make academic progress, grow up in peace and good health, and take each step in life to ignite the light of their own existence, not only illuminating themselves but also warming the hearts of others.
Join Tzu Chi. Let us light up the world with Great Love.
Story by Wu Xiu-Lin; Lamiya Lin
