There was so much to be done after the tsunami, and the people themselves were so standoffish, that Tzu Chi's volunteers were unsure where to begin. "Master Cheng Yen told us that the safety of the volunteers came first, followed by the construction of a tent city, and then the community," says volunteer Lie Sarpin.
災後百廢待舉，加上民情冷漠，慈濟人從建屋造村到「教化」民心，一路如何走來？「上人（證嚴法師）指示我們，志工安全第一，然後先建帳棚區，再蓋大愛屋，」慈濟人暱稱「阿彬師兄」的李彬光表示。