Tzu Chi 3rd Disaster Relief Team, comprising mainly of medical personnel, departed from KLIA for Myanmar on 20 June 2008. They will be providing free medical service to the victims, as well as, assisting in the relief distribution activities.

Dr. Li He Qin (squatting) was very pleased to have the opportunity to go to the disaster area.

The 9-member 3rd relief team, comprising mainly of TIMA members from Penang and Kuala Lumpur, successfully took off for Myanmar from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on 20 June 2008 morning. They brought with them 335 kg of medicines and rations.

With permission from the Myanmar Government to carry out relief mission, the 2nd relief 10-member team of volunteers from Taiwan and Malaysia went to Myanmar on 13 June to assess the situation for further relief work. After a meeting with government officers, two locations were proposed by the Myanmar government for Tzu Chi to adopt. These were the township of Tontae, 75 minutes drive west of Yangon, and Kaw Mhu Township, approximately 2 hours drive south of the largest city.

In Tontae and Kaw Mhu, 200,535 and 120,258 people respectively were affected by the onslaught of the cyclone. The 2nd relief team went immediately to these two locations to make an assessment. They also went to South Dagon (one of the locations where the 1st relief team had distributed rations) to follow up on the children's schooling condition.

Although it was raining, the victims still came out to give the volunteers a warm welcome and happily learnt the sign language from the volunteers.

Dr. Li He Qin, an Oncologist who comes from Penang, is a member of the 3rd relief team. Having joined Tzu Chi in several international relief missions previously, she said she felt very sad and shed tears for the victims when she heard the news of the disaster. She was also very anxious as the Myanmar government did not allow foreign aid to enter the disaster area initially.

Dr. Li did eventually get the opportunity to go to Myanmar. Her family was very supportive of her trip and her daughter even gave her the toy she was holding in her hand, to take along when she learnt of her mother's trip to the disaster area. She knew that she was too young to join her mum but, all the same, she conveyed her blessings to the victims.