Written by Shuli Lo
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
Tzu Chi’s free vision care clinics in Tijuana, Mexico, have become regular monthly events. Thanks to community members spreading the word about these events, countless residents have benefited from the vision care services provided at the Tzu Chi campus. Resident physician Dr. Lina Lin fits eyeglasses for underprivileged children and adults, helping improve their daily lives. Every three months, retinal specialist Dr. Jennifer Aye also joins the clinic, bringing a ray of hope to patients with retinal disease and offering them a chance to restore their vision.
Love and Care Drive Their Dedication
Early mornings and long drives have become routine for many Tzu Chi volunteers in the United States. To help as many patients as possible, volunteer Chris Yang often takes a day off work to drive from Los Angeles to Tijuana and set up the necessary equipment for Tzu Chi’s free vision care clinic events. On the day of each event, he rises earlier than everyone else to pick up other volunteers and doctors along the way, often leaving as early as 4:00 AM to ensure everything is ready for patients by 8:00 AM. Sometimes, due to school, work, or event-related tasks in Tijuana, he doesn’t get to bed until 2:00 or 3:00 AM the night before.
Meichuan Su, Yang’s mother, is the administrative director of Tzu Chi’s Tijuana campus and equally dedicated. She often loses sleep planning the next event or handling other campus matters. Then, she makes the three-hour drive to Tijuana, unloads a car full of supplies or equipment, and immediately gets to work preparing for the free clinic event.
Despite the hard work, this mother and son, like all the volunteers serving at free vision care clinic events in Tijuana, remain humble, quietly supporting both doctors and patients behind the scenes. This medical outreach has become a true collaboration, uniting volunteers from across the region with the local Fundación +Luz. Together, they dedicate themselves to caring for vulnerable residents. As Master Cheng Yen teaches, Tzu Chi people “cannot bear to see others suffer.” When those in need cannot reach out for help, the volunteers do all they can to go to them, always striving to improve lives and transform futures.
Patients Find Hope Through Assistance
As Tzu Chi’s recurring free vision care clinic events in Tijuana continue, they are making a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals who might otherwise go without medical attention. For many patients, this outreach offers not only treatment but also hope for a better future.
Juvenal Morales, a taxi driver, came to the Tzu Chi campus in January seeking medical help after his son, Carlos Liñán, learned about the free vision care event through his sister’s school. Morales, who had already undergone surgery on one eye due to diabetes-related bleeding, was now experiencing pain and worsening vision in his other eye, to the point where he could no longer drive and support his family. Desperately hoping to preserve what vision remained, he turned to Tzu Chi for help.
After an examination by Dr. Jennifer Aye, it became clear that his condition was too severe to be treated on-site with the available equipment. Volunteers quickly arranged a referral to Fundación +Luz, and Tzu Chi covered his medical expenses for three months. The doctor also prescribed eyeglasses and provided sunglasses to help protect his sensitive eyes from intense light, though further treatment would be necessary moving forward.
During a follow-up visit at the Tzu Chi campus on June 7, 2025, Morales shared that while his eyes no longer hurt, he still could not see. The doctor asked him to return in another three months for further evaluation. Deeply grateful, Morales expressed his hope that, with Tzu Chi’s continued help, he might one day regain his vision and return to normal life.
Thank the Lord, this great foundation [Tzu Chi] has reached out to help me fulfill my wish. Yes, it supports us. May the Lord bless it.
Cases like that of Juvenal Morales are common in the local area, where diabetes remains a leading cause of vision problems. Tzu Chi volunteers are committed to continuing health education efforts and are working toward the future establishment of an ophthalmology hospital to better serve the community’s long-term needs.
Partnerships With Local Nonprofits
A key element of Tzu Chi’s recurring vision care clinic events in Tijuana is its partnership with Fundación +Luz, a local nonprofit ophthalmology institution. Founded on October 15, 1998, in Tijuana, it provides high-quality yet affordable eye care to underserved communities. In 2021 alone, it delivered over 22,300 ophthalmology services, including general and subspecialty consultations, surgeries, screenings, and post-operative care.
Dr. Jennifer Aye, a Myanmarese-Chinese physician, explained her role in this collaboration. “I come here to Tzu Chi in Tijuana to check out patients who have diabetes,” she said, “make sure that they have minimal diabetes in their eyes. And if they have advanced diabetes that needs treatment, we send them to Fundación +Luz for their local doctors to take care of those patients.”
I enjoy being a volunteer. It's really nice to be able to use the skills that I have built up over the years to help people take care of their own eyes and get better.
The Next Generation of Volunteers in Action
Tzu Chi’s free vision care events in Tijuana also provide meaningful opportunities for the next generation to serve. Arlan Huang, a Tzu Chi Youth Group volunteer and the son of Dr. Lina Lin, participated in the clinic on June 7, 2025. This marked his fourth time volunteering at the Tzu Chi Tijuana campus. He initially joined these medical outreach events to follow his mother and observe her work, and saw volunteering as a meaningful way to better understand what she does while also helping those most in need in Mexico.
“In Mexico, I see that the conditions in which these people live are not the greatest. But I come here because it’s beautiful to see how these people, simply by living in these circumstances, can remain so happy. They are all connected, they all have a family, and they are genuinely happy. I think that’s very meaningful to me,” said Huang. “I continue to come here because I love the community that Tzu Chi Tijuana provides, and how everyone works together towards a common goal: to help those in need. And I think it’s a really beautiful place. So I continue to come here, and I plan to come here again in the future.”
Another volunteer, Daniel Sanchez from Los Angeles, is a psychology student who joined the Tzu Chi free vision care clinic at the Tijuana campus for the first time. After a full day of service, he described the experience as both meaningful and fulfilling. “I got the opportunity to work with an amazing team that helps a lot of patients who need glasses,” he said. “Some of them couldn’t afford to buy glasses. The amazing team takes the meaning of life in helping others. I feel fulfilled, I feel very happy that I’m here helping.”
During the June 7, 2025, vision care clinic, the principal of a vocational technical school and teachers from the eyeglasses manufacturing department visited the free clinic at the invitation of Tzu Chi volunteers. Tzu Chi has established two Classroom of Hope programs at its Tijuana campus to support out-of-school youth through free academic and character education. Volunteers hope that in the future, these students will have the opportunity to pursue vocational training at the technical school based on their interests, with lens grinding and eyeglass production as one possible pathway. Since many have already gained a basic understanding of eye exams through clinic participation, the volunteers view this collaboration as an opportunity to help them build practical skills and explore careers in vision care.
Celebrating Teamwork and Shared Commitment
To make the June 7, 2025, vision care clinic event even more memorable, volunteers and students organized a heartfelt surprise that highlighted the spirit of unity and appreciation among the team.
Everyone gathered in the dining hall during the lunch break to surprise Chris Yang with a small celebration in honor of his recent achievement of earning a PhD at the age of 22. The gathering also expressed heartfelt gratitude to Yang and his mother, Meichuan Su, who is the administrative director of Tzu Chi’s Tijuana campus, for organizing the free vision care clinic events that bring volunteers together at the campus to serve the underprivileged community.
To plan the celebration, Classroom of Hope students spent two weeks teaching staff members the sign language for the song One Family. During the party, everyone performed it together, creating a warm and touching moment of unity.
Dr. Lina Lin and her husband also contributed to the occasion by preparing curry soup and pancakes for patients, doctors, and volunteers to enjoy. Dr. Lin presented certificates of appreciation to Meichuan Su and Chris Yang on behalf of the team, recognizing their dedication and service.
This joyful moment filled everyone with positive energy and deepened their shared sense of purpose. All looked forward to the next opportunity to contribute to the Tijuana free vision care clinic.
