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MID TO LONG-TERM RECONSTRUCTION

INTRODUCTION

After the Haiti Earthquake on 12 January, 2010, Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide mobilized immediately.
From January to May, distributions and free medical services were carried out. In addition to the
provision of relief to the Haitian people, Tzu Chi also built up a strong relationship with the OCHA
cluster, NGOs, religious organizations, and the Haitian government. After half a year, the emergency
period of distributions came to an end. However, these distributions were just the beginning. Tzu Chi
volunteers proceeded to follow the short-term emergency distributions with mid to long-term care,
cultivating the seed of love in the Haitian people’s hearts and minds. As illustrated in Dharma Master
Cheng Yen’s teaching “education can’t wait,” education is the only hope to save Haiti from poverty.
The Sisters of St. Anne have been working in Haiti for 65 years, building a strong relationship with Tzu
Chi during disaster relief efforts. The Secretarial school and the Mary Anne school were damaged
by the earthquake, and after on-site inspections and receiving Master Cheng Yen’s approval, Tzu Chi
formally agreed with the Sisters of St. Anne’s request for reconstruction, carrying out the mid to long-
term humanitarian aid proposal.

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