The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.112)

TZU CHI 112 17 experienced poverty as a high school student who could not afford a proper lunch. Thankfully, he was eventually able to pursue his studies with peace of mind, courtesy of the goodwill extended to him by well- intentioned quarters. He reciprocated the kindness post-graduation and continued the philanthropic cycle by initiating charity fairs and fundraising events to the meal sponsorship programme. Approximately 50 underprivileged students have benefitted from the free nutritious meals provided by the programme annually since its inception in 2013. “I’m gratified beyond words to be able to give back to society by granting more opportunities to the next generation to pursue an education in their mother tongue,” he said. Help from the community Chin Siong excelled in his studies in primary school. Upon completing his primary education, Chin Siong received an offer to enrol in Pay Fong High School, Malacca by a teacher from the school who was recruiting prospective students from rural schools. However, the encouraging news came with a high price. Tuition fees amounted to over RM100 monthly, a hefty burden for the average family back in the 90s, let alone Chin Siong’s extended multi-generational family who lived under one roof and depended on farming for a living. Furthermore, his parents are deaf and mute, raising four children with their meagre earnings as vegetable farmers and rubber tappers. Chin Siong was the only child to gain entry into the school, but the cash-strapped family was in a dilemma over the monthly tuition fees and miscellaneous expenses incurred, including uniform purchases and transportation fares. Fortunately, Tzu Chi Malacca, along with several kind Samaritans and charitable organizations, offered to sponsor the tuition fees of a selected group of underprivileged students, including Chin Siong. The timely assistance ensured that Chin Siong’s welfare was taken care of, enabling him to concentrate on his studies. Otherwise, he surmised, he would have ended up dropping out from school. The power of education Chin Siong and his siblings would help their parents tend to the farm after school, especially during peak seasons. Basic sign language was the primary medium of communication among the family. Chin Siong’s most enduring memories of his parents are of them toiling away in the fields, wading through knee-deep water. “My father worked from dawn to dusk. He tapped rubber trees in the morning and tended to the vegetable farm in the afternoon. He now suffers chronic cramps in his legs from prolonged contact with water. My parents were unable to express their love for us verbally, but their actions spoke volumes. They exemplified the spirit of the adage ‘as you sow, so shall you reap’ and instilled in us the values of diligence and perseverance,” reminisced Chin Siong. Chin Siong would roam the neighbourhood with his father to peddle their farm produce, while striking up conversations with their customers along the way. Those were rare moments of happiness Chin Siong shared with his father. Chin Siong learnt to appreciate OneStepataTime SavingtheEnvironment