Since December 2008, Colombia has suffered continuous flooding in different regions of the country due to heavy rainfalls, leaving countless local citizens homeless. Deeply concerned about the flood victims, Master sent a total of US$100,000 to provide aid and our Association members conducted three relief operations.

On December 19, fellow initiates from our Bogota Center in Colombia went to the Department of Magdalena and delivered 1,375 food parcels to the affected families in the Municipalities of Santa Barbara Pinto, Santa Ana and Remolinos, where water had submerged many homes. With the assistance of the local government, they took boats and canoes and worked late into the night to bring God’s comfort to the people.

From February 16 to 26, 2009, joined by the Costa Rica Association members, the Bogota Center organized a relief team to bring aid to those whose lives were extreme disrupted by the flooding of overflowing rivers and the heavy rains which particularly affected 1,350 families in the Municipality of Unguía, Department of Chocó. Together with two representatives of the Local Government House, they visited the neediest villages of Ticole, Cuti, Loma Estrella, Citara, Ciparado, Arquía, Cuque, Tanela, Marriaga, Tumarad, Roto, El Puerto, Titumate, Gilgal, and communities in Unguía center. In addition, the local government generously provided guides and vehicles, and even helped to prepare the food packages.

From March 12 to 22, Costa Rica and Bogota Association members again formed a relief team and traveled long hours by boat to reach flood victims in more than 32 villages in the Municipalities of Barbacoas, Roberto Payan and Maguí Payan in the Department of Nariño. Many members of the Local Government House and the Chief of Barbacoas Fire Station accompanied them to help distribute the food to the hungry families.

All the recipients were very happy and deeply grateful to receive the timely food supplies, as the situation regarding their hunger and great difficulties they were experiencing were getting progressively worse. For them, these things were a gift from Heaven and in their appreciation to Master for Her love, some said, “Tell your Master that She is an Angel from Heaven on this Earth,” while others said, “Give thanks to Master Ching Hai from all of us, especially our children who were desperately hungry. Many times they had gone to bed with their stomachs empty, but these days, at last, they will have enough food. God must have blessed us and blessed Her, because She has a big and compassionate heart.”

Durng the third relief effort, our Association members saw people put Master’s SOS flyers on the walls of their homes and asked to keep the banners with Master’s picture so that they could put them up in their villages. Everyone was exceptionally attentive when the information about the connection between climate change and the vegetarian diet was being explained. The wife of one of the Mayors personally cooked vegan food for the fellow initiates.

The relief team members were very touched by the pure-hearted local people, who, even in their time of great need, help each other as much as they could and recognized God’s love for them through Master’s gifts.

Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai
and Her International Association
for the Flood Relief Work in Colombia

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To view the Humanitarian Relief Activities by the Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her International Association, please visit :http://www.GodsDirectContact.org.tw/humanitarian (The list can be sorted by year, country/region and type of events.)