Volunteerism and community work are nothing new to 63-year-old Benjamin Chai.

"It runs in the family," said the self-made entrepreneur.

His grandfather and father used to be leaders in the church and also in the community, while his wife Liza is one of the founding members of the Sunflower Centre for special children in Miri that she also currently runs.

Always with a soft spot for the needy and for "society's underdogs", Chai who's fondly known as "Uncle Ben" among volunteers, founded the Malaysian Medical Relief Society (Mercy Malaysia) Sarawak Chapter in 2003.

Mercy Malaysia is a non-profit humanitarian organisation and has been mobilising medical teams to provide health care to communities in the interiors of Sarawak since 2002.

Prior to that, Chai served in several international relief efforts under the banner of Mercy Malaysia, namely in war-torn Afghanistan, the earthquake disaster sites in Bam, Iran and tsunami-hit areas in Sri Lanka and Aceh, Indonesia. He was also part of several medical missions in Sabah.

After returning from these missions, he felt there was a need to provide medical relief to the hard-to-reach areas of Sarawak, and try to live up to the organisation's motto of 'Healing Across Borders'.

Since then, there has been no turning back for this grandfather of four and his wife. Even his children and grandchildren have joined in the act, as they help out wherever and whenever they can.

His grandchildren are part of Mercy's 'Young Volunteers', who help to pack "hygiene packs", used clothing and soft toys, before a mission.

The Sarawak Chapter embarked on its first medical mission to Long Bedian, Miri in February 2004, and to date the chapter has conducted 12 medical missions and nine projects in various places in the State, to bring medical relief and hope to the rural community.

He explained that volunteers comprising medical (doctors, medical assistants, dentists, dental assistants, nurses, pharmacists) and non-medical personnel from various backgrounds, spend days to plan, prepare and treat the people without expecting anything in return, except maybe the smiles of those they helped and making new friends along the way.

He pointed out that they did it for the betterment of mankind.

"It's about saving lives, as well."

He said in two missions this year to Long Panai and Long Loyang, Baram in Miri, they found out that one woman out of 168 who underwent the Pap smear check was diagnosed with cancer and was then advised to go for a medical check up in Miri Hospital.

He explained that Mercy Malaysia Sarawak Chapter just started its Pap smear campaign this year, which was carried out in collaboration with Sarawak Community Nurses Association and Sarawak Family Planning Unit.

Sometimes, Chai said patients had to be flown to Miri Hospital for further treatment.

During September's mission to Long San in Baram, a Penan boy suspected of having either idiopathic thrombocytopenic/ purpura (ITP) or aplastic anaemia, and a teenage Penan girl with a lump on her neck, returned with the team for further examination and treatment at Miri Hospital.

The three-year-old Penan boy, Anthony Nyaling Arun, who could be suffering from ITP or aplastic anaemia, is a classic example of how Mercy Malaysia touches the lives of people from all walks of life.

His father, Arun Nyaling from Ba'Abang was grateful for Mercy Malaysia's help in bringing Anthony to Miri for further check-ups.

"Thank goodness for Mercy, otherwise I won't know what to do. I already lost one child and I don't want to lose another.

"I was very worried and felt lost at first but the doctor and Mercy volunteers assured they would take care of me and my son and bear our travelling expenses from Long San to Miri, and then back to Long San."

Arun, who is illiterate and plants padi for a living, said his family's livelihood was dependent on subsistence farming and hunting.

He explained that although he had no income, the jungle could always provide for their daily needs in the village. He, however realised that life was not as simple when it involved travelling to the city.

Chai revealed Mercy Malaysia Sarawak Chapter was very fortunate to have many individuals and corporate supporters, which included supporters from Brunei, assisting the organisation's missions or projects, and hoped that such goodwill and generosity would continue on in the future.

Sarawak Chapter also received substantial assistance from Pharma Niaga -the corporate sponsor for Mercy Malaysia's medical supply - that gave about RM200,000 per year for missions in the State.

Another piece of good news was that Mercy Malaysia headquarters finally granted Chai's request to have an office and one permanent staff for Mercy Malaysia, Sarawak Chapter, early this year.

The office -a bungalow in Miri - also serves as a storeroom for the Chapter's medicine stock, used toys and clothing, and accommodation for outstation volunteers.

Before this, Chai's home was the designated storeroom for such things, while volunteers would also converge at his house to pack sleeping bags, food and cooking utensils needed before each mission.

Another duty that Chai carries out is to survey or conduct a "recce" of the mission site, to ensure the volunteers' basic accommodations were taken care off.

With the facility and a full time staff in place today, Chai said the Sarawak Chapter could organise more missions, projects and HIV/AIDS awareness talks for the rural people.

He said each mission would normally benefit more than 500 people who turned up to have general health, eye and dental check-ups.

Chai said the Chapter's 12th mission in Long San, Baram benefited a total of 518 people from about 20 other villages such as Ba' Ajeng, Ba' Laman, Ba' Abang', Long Laman, Ba' Lai, Long San, Long Sait, Long Mekabah, Lio Mato, Long Jekitan, Long Selatong, Tanjung Tepalit, Long Liam and Long Tebangan.

According to Long San Health Clinic's medical assistant Ahmad Ehsyam Daya, the number of patients who turned up at the camp was equivalent to a month's turnout at the clinic.

"It's amazing that Mercy Malaysia could treat and provide the much-needed medical attention for the people here in just two days,

"Normally, the clinic registers about 500 patients a month, but Mercy Malaysia did it in just two days' he said.

Ahmad who helped out in the mission conceded that with Mercy Malaysia's visit, he could refer some patients to the doctor for further examination and clarification.

All in all, the mission in Long San had 763 cases of which the medical department registered 293 cases, eyes (273), dental (233) and about 50 women turned up for the breast examination and pap smear.

Long San community leader Penghulu Paul Kalang commended Mercy Malaysia for serving the needy rural folk, saying that it was difficult for most of them travel to Miri or Marudi to seek treatment, as they either had no money to do so or were too shy to go to the city.

"Although we have a health clinic here, we don't have a doctor, dentist and eye specialist. For a poor man to travel to the city is very expensive.

"To say thank you is insufficient'I want to salute you all for a job well done," he said.

Meanwhile, a first-time volunteer with Mercy Malaysia, Dr Aini Ibrahim from Kuching who joined the mission in Long San, was humbled by the opportunity to be able to serve the rural community during the two-day medical camp in September.

"It's interesting to know people's problem and their living condition in Long San and it has been a good experience. The medical camp really benefits the rural people and saves them from going all the way to the hospital in Miri," she said.

"However, it's quite sad to see that many of them, particularly the children, are suffering from malnutrition," said the surgeon.

Dr Aini revealed that although she has globe trotted in recent years, she admitted that by taking part in Mercy Malaysia's mission, she was able to make her first ever visit to the interiors of Sarawak.

She said she looked forward to more missions in other remote areas in the State, as she believed the experience was invaluable.

As for another first-time volunteer, Sheila Phan, she left her comfortable office and home in Kuching to join the mission to Long Panai, Miri in June.

She found the whole experience of serving in the medical camp deeply satisfying.

"I was given the freedom to assist with and inquire about medical care and the chance to view how the doctors examined their patients and recommended referrals if needed."

During the mission, the petite company secretary also helped in giving out non-prescription reading glasses.

"Mercy Malaysia also focuses on vision care and meeting local needs by providing non-prescription reading glasses to many of the old folks, to enable them to continue carrying out their daily chores.

"With every mission, Mercy Malaysia has been able to reach more elderly people and give them the gift of sight. Imagine doing something as simple as giving eyeglasses to someone and giving them the gift of sight, after they have been deprived

of it for so long' personally, it's so satisfying," said Phan.

Almost everyone, who visited the medical camp, had their teeth checked, while the children were given lessons on dental hygiene, namely the correct way to brush their teeth.

"This is a good step in the right direction as the beginning of dental hygiene starts with the children,"she said, while noting that volunteers also had a chance to visit the school in Long Panai and held awareness talks on HIV and AIDS.

She said they had a wonderful time playing with the children there, as they were a joy to be with.

"They sang for us with such energy and it was such a great way to connect with them. If there's one thing I would like to see incorporated in the future, it would be that children receive enough books and other educational materials.

"I joined Mercy Malaysia's mission in Long Panai not knowing what to expect and left with a renewed sense of myself. It was really difficult to leave my new found friends at the end of this mission and I have already vowed to go back and visit them again one day."

Phan said her days in Long Panai made her appreciate life and also realised that the luxuries town people were so accustomed to in their daily lives did not contribute to putting a big smile on their face.

"But gentle, friendly people do. And I had a big smile on my face the whole time I was around the people in this amazing village."