"Over the past few days, no one has slept for more than three hours." Since January 13, Tzu Chi volunteers have been providing hot meals to residents of Noto Peninsula in western Japan hit by an earthquake on New Year’s Day.
To alleviate the burden on shelters, volunteers work tirelessly late into the night, preparing bags of drinking water and stocking up on ingredients at their accommodation. They rest just after midnight, and by 06:00, they are on their way to the disaster area.
"We told the locals that lunch is at twelve, so we cannot delay," said the volunteers. After the powerful earthquake, the affected area is faced with water and food shortages. Tzu Chi volunteers surveyed the disaster area and began supplying hot meals to the people of Anamizu. On learning of the availability of hot meals, residents queue up even before mealtime. The hands of the volunteers tremble from chopping all the vegetables but, thinking of the warm smiles of the survivors enjoying hot meals, they push through their  fatigue with determination.
Overcoming Obstacles with Determination
The earthquake-stricken area in western Japan was already bitterly cold. The  arrival of the strongest cold wave of the winter had made the work of the volunteers even more difficult. During the past few days, they had to melt the ice and snow on their car windows with hot water before setting out. Driving in the snow is difficult; with roads damaged and uneven due to the earthquake, many sections are yet to be fully repaired. Local residents have warned the volunteers: "Driving too fast can easily lead to burst tires."
On the 14th, with a temperature of -2 degrees Celsius (28.4 Fahrenheit), the challenges continued at the outdoor makeshift kitchen at the Anamizu Town Sawayama Communication Hall Pluto. Due to the freezing weather, gas canisters froze; so some soups needed a long time to boil. Fortunately, volunteers from the Hall assisted Tzu Chi volunteers in replacing the gas canisters. The situation was similar with the rice. The rice cooker automatically turned off halfway through cooking; volunteers had to keep the switch pressed on with their hands. However, around 11 o'clock, they discovered that both rice cookers had stopped working. Volunteers urgently used udon noodles as a substitute and managed to serve the meals on time.
The next day the gas switch for cooking rice jumped again. The volunteers soaked the gas canister in hot water and used windbreak panels -- but it was futile. Fortunately, volunteers from the hospital quickly adapted to the situation, and provided full support in cooking rice, and meals were served on time in both locations. In the following days, with the use of commercial electronic rice cookers, the problem of cooking rice was finally resolved.
Community Support from Local People
In a disaster-stricken area with numerous challenges, the daily supply of hot meals requires ingredients sourced from other prefectures. Sometimes facing shortages, volunteers encounter kind-hearted people who actively offer support.
Two farmers from Nagano Prefecture set out at 2 a.m. to deliver apples, vegetables, and rice to the evacuation center at Sawayama Communication Hall. Mr. Ishiko, the person in charge of distributing hot meals daily, informed the volunteers: "Friendly local farmers have sent a lot of vegetables; feel free to use them." On the 14th, when there was an urgent need for an alternative to rice, Mr. Ishiko and his team inventoried frozen udon noodles, allowing volunteers to cook them as a substitute for rice.
The hospital also showed its caring support. While volunteers were preparing, they suddenly heard someone saying "Tzu Chi, Tzu Chi" with perfect pronunciation. It turned out to be the Japan Self-Defense Forces delivering food ingredients and hand sanitizers. The great compassion of the local Japanese people has been a significant source of support for the small team of ten Tzu Chi volunteers at the disaster zone.
Reported by Lu Jian'an, Chen Jing-hui, Zhong Jia-ling, and Iwata Tatsunari | Japan | 2024/11/16
