Disaster Relief

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2011 Queensland Floods: The Beginning of Tzu Chi's Care

In early 2011, Queensland was struck by severe flooding, and the Brassall area of Ipswich was among the communities badly affected. Following the disaster, Tzu Chi volunteers from the Gold Coast responded immediately, conducting disaster assessments and extending care and support. Volunteers travelled back and forth to the affected areas to understand the needs, while working with schools and the local government to assist with post-disaster recovery. Brassall State School became one of the starting points for the volunteers' care.

On 24 January, the school reopened. Fifteen Tzu Chi volunteers arrived early to clean the campus and clear the walkways before students arrived, welcoming the children back to school.

The volunteers met with Principal Peter and parent representatives to share Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s care and blessings, and to better understand the school’s needs. When they learned that students’ uniforms had been damaged in the flood, they quickly provided support so the children could return to school with peace of mind.

Buying Locally, Helping the Community Stand Again

After the disaster, the school needed to be rebuilt, while local businesses also needed to recover and resume operations. Therefore, whenever possible, volunteers purchased the supplies locally, allowing the relief effort to support the local economy and helping the community stand again.

When they learned that the school lacked sports equipment, volunteers purchased four table-tennis tables and a variety of sports equipment locally. They also helped provide equipment including a refrigerator, television and video recorder, with a total value of more than AUD $8,700.

These may have seemed like ordinary items, but for a school recovering from a flood, each one was an important step towards restoring normal life on campus.

Tzu Chi Volunteers Share Love Through Books, Bringing the Library Back to Life

After the flood, the library at Brassall State School was left almost completely empty of books.

From February to June 2011, Tzu Chi volunteers donated books to the school on four occasions, providing more than 25,000 books in total. Volunteers also returned several times to help clean and sort the books, stamp them with the school library seal, and organize the library.

The four donations of books were valued at AUD $17,843.36.

With the volunteers carefully putting the books in place, one by one, the library that had once been almost empty was filled again with books, restoring a space for children to read and learn.

From Material Assistance to the Classroom, the Connection Continues

Post-disaster recovery was not only about restoring the school, but also about helping the children return to their normal lives.

Tzu Chi volunteers gradually moved from cleaning the campus and providing material assistance into the classrooms. Through Jing Si Aphorisms and stories from everyday life, they shared with the children the values of gratitude, respect and helping others.

The Jing Si Aphorism sessions were warmly welcomed by both teachers and students. As other teachers saw the positive response, they began scheduling Jing Si Aphorism sessions for their own classes, and Jing Si Aphorisms officially became part of the classroom experience.

From 2022, the Gold Coast Jing Si Hall also began the New Sprouts Scholarship programmer at the primary school, providing sponsorship twice a year.

Fifteen Years On, the Connection Continues

Fifteen years have passed. The floodwaters have long receded, and the school has been restored, but the connection between Tzu Chi volunteers and Brassall State School did not end in 2011.

From emergency disaster relief and campus rebuilding to material assistance and character education, what began with a flood has grown into a 15-year connection between Tzu Chi and Brassall State School.

What began as care in the aftermath of a disaster has continued through years of walking alongside the school and its students.

2011 - Sharing Jing Si Aphorisms at Brassall State School (Photo by Peter Lin)