Brazil

 

First Relief Effort

Due to weeks of torrential rains and flooding that swept Brazil in mid-January 2011, over 700 lives were lost, 300 people went missing, and approximately 14,000 were displaced from their homes. According to the United Nations, the event was the second largest natural disaster ever to occur in Brazil, and local officials said that the force of the water and mud that struck the region had permanently changed its topography. The most devastated areas were the mountain communities of Nova Friburgo, Teresópolis and Petrópolis in Rio de Janeiro state.

With a contribution from fellow Association members, a relief team from Brazil and Paraguay was formed to render aid in the city of Nova Friburgo. Then, with help from the local community, the team purchased food and supplies, which were assembled into 400 packages and distributed to the needy on January 21.

Upon learning that the conditions in Brazil had worsened, Supreme Master Ching Hai sent US$65,000 to assist in the relief work, while expressing Her sorrow and prayers for those affected. In February, a team of Association members from Brazil, Costa Rica and Colombia returned to Nova Friburgo, and after learning from local officials about the people’s most urgent needs, delivered more food and supplies to several shelters in the city and nearby villages. The relief team took this opportunity to share SOS flyers with the people and explain the importance of adopting the Earth-saving vegan diet. The recipients shed tears of happiness and thanked Master for Her timely aid, saying they would pray to God for Master’s health so that She could continue helping people around the world.

The relief efforts were covered by local TV channel TV Zoom, which also invited the team members to give a vegan cooking demonstration on March 5, to show people how easy it is to prepare plant-based food, and to discuss the issue of global warming and the benefits of the compassionate vegan diet. Our Association members also shared the SOS message with the congregation at an evangelical church and prayed for all those affected by the disaster.

The relief team next flew six hours across the country to São Luis in the state of Maranhão, where they met with Colonel Robério from the city Civil Defense Bureau to assess the disaster situation. The team then prepared 900 packages, each containing enough food to last a family for 15 days, as well as 1,200 hygiene-and-cleaning kits, and distributed the items to families and shelters in the most devastated cities of Trizidela do Vale and Pedreiras, with help from local officials. The team later purchased additional special cleaning kits for the shelters, in an effort to help prevent the spread of disease due to lack of hygiene. They were touched to see how Master’s love had brought smiles and comfort to those enduring such difficult circumstances.

During their visit, the team also had the chance to bring the SOS message to seven local TV stations and to share related informative materials with many journalists, who promised to make the public aware of the important information.

Second Relief Effort

Due to prolonged torrential rains in April 2011, Brazilian officials declared a state of emergency in seven cities throughout the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. According to Civil Defense officials, nearly 36,500 people across ten cities were directly affected, with 100,000 being left without power, and thousands becoming homeless due to the floods.

With Master’s loving contribution of US$25,000, our local Association members went to two of the most devastated cities. In Novo Hamburgo, with help from the City Office of the First Lady, they distributed 350 food baskets and 320 sets of winter clothes for children up to 15 years of age, and in São Lourenço do Sul handed out food baskets, towels, pillows and bed sheets, as well as toys and sweets for the children, with assistance from several churches.

News coverage of our Association’s relief work by local newspaper Jornal NH

Third Relief Effort

At the beginning of August, heavy rains again caused flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, displacing thousands of citizens and damaging buildings and infrastructure. With Master’s kind contribution of US$15,000, our Association members from Brazil and Paraguay distributed a total of 700 relief packages in the most affected cities of São Sebastião do Caí and Montenegro with help from local officials. Later, the Brazilian relief team went to the municipality of Eldorado do Sul and handed out an additional 243 food packages to the residents of five communities, who had lost their homes and banana plantations to the rising Ribeira River. The recipients were deeply comforted by Master’s loving care and the children were happy to receive some sweets.

Fourth Relief Effort

On October 4, our Association members from São Paulo and Paraguay traveled to Santa Catarina state and visited Rio do Sul, one of the cities most affected by the heavy rain that had occurred in early September. The entire city was practically under water. About 300 families had to go to municipal shelters and the city hall declared a state of emergency. Master lovingly provided US$8,000 in aid, while sending Her love and sympathy. The relief team distributed 200 mattresses, 100 bed-sheet sets including pillowcases, along with food and clothes. The recipients were overjoyed to receive the gifts, especially the mattresses, because the rainwater had soaked all their possessions and they could find no place to sleep but the floor.

We are grateful for the efforts of the Brazilian relief personnel and all the others working to ease the conditions of the disaster-stricken people. With our sincere sympathy for the lives lost, we pray that the affected residents are graced with resiliency and a swift return to their normal lives, as we strive to restore the stability of the ecosphere through more compassionate regard for all beings.

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