Feng-Ying Peng, Cai-jie You | Türkiye

"The camera has no end; every refugee child in its frame is not just an image but a recipient of Tzu Chi's enduring love and companionship." Every footprint tells a story. David Yu remains committed to the original mission of Tzu Chi’s documentary volunteers, steadfastly walking the Bodhisattva path. | Photo courtesy of David Yu

Every step taken leaves a footprint, but sometimes footprints are missed along the way. The role of the Tzu Chi volunteers is to make these footprints more visible, allowing time to etch lasting impressions. Over a decade ago, a single phrase from Master Cheng Yen, "Selfless giving leads to boundless reward," inspired David Yu, a Tzu Chi volunteer in Türkiye, to wholeheartedly join the documentary volunteer team.

Over a decade ago, a phrase from Dharma Master Cheng Yen, "Selfless giving leads to boundless reward," inspired Turkish Tzu Chi volunteer David Yu (first left) to wholeheartedly join the documentary volunteer team. | Photo courtesy of David Yu

Never Forget Tzu Chi's Sincerity and Compassion

This year (2024) marks the 25th anniversary of Tzu Chi in Türkiye following the 1999 earthquake. In 2019, David sought to reconnect with the families who had received Tzu Chi's help two decades earlier. He spent seven days and six nights in the former disaster area, and eventually found a mother and daughter who had been aided by Tzu Chi after the quake. Back then, the mother, Necla, was 25 years old, and her daughter, Ümmügülsüm, was just two. Twenty years later, Necla was 45, and Ümmügülsüm was 22.

When he found them, Necla retrieved a towel from her daughter's dowry chest, a towel that had been preserved for 20 years. "This is the towel Tzu Chi gave us back then," she said.

When David (left) found the mother and daughter, Necla (right) took a Tzu Chi towel that had been preserved for 20 years out of her daughter's dowry chest and said, "This is the towel Tzu Chi gave us back in 1999."| Photo courtesy of David Yu

"Why did you keep it in your daughter's dowry chest?" David asked curiously. Ümmügülsüm responded, "Because my mother didn't know how to contact Tzu Chi." The goodwill Tzu Chi first brought to Türkiye wasn't widely known, and the pronunciation of Tzu Chi in Turkish was difficult to remember. So, Necla placed the precious towel in her daughter's dowry chest, keeping it safe for 20 years.

Ümmügülsüm shared that her mother had always reminded her, "We may never meet Tzu Chi volunteers again in this lifetime, but don't forget: if we ever meet them, be sure to express our gratitude. Never forget that when we had nothing, Tzu Chi volunteers came from Taiwan to help us with their warmth and kindness."

To this day, David remains in contact with Necla and Ümmügülsüm to ensure that Tzu Chi's sincerity and compassion continues to be remembered. He admits, "Initially, it was about reporting the news, and sometimes you couldn't always find a story. But when love is involved, the outcome is different!"