The world of Tzu Chi December 2020(Vol.129)

2020 • 12 46 were usually scheduled for the early hours of the day, one of the volunteers, Tan Lee Ling was ever willing to fetch him to the hospital at 5 a.m. Furthermore, another volunteer, Tan Kai Hwa, who learnt that my son attended the same tuition class as his daughter, offered to fetch my son home…” However, to the volunteers, who steadfastly uphold the spirit of great compassion, these deeds of kindness are part of their obligations. Lee Ling had to wake up earlier than usual in order to arrive at Amutha’s house by dawn and ferry Vijaya to his follow-up appointments before heading to work. Yet, she remarked, “I’m on my way to work anyway; stopping by the hospital is a piece of cake.” Interestingly, volunteer Kai Hwa and his wife, Ho Tsae Feng, shared a particularly close affinity with Amutha’s family. When the couple brought their daughter along on their first visit to Amutha’s home, not long after they joined Tzu Chi as volunteers in 2017, they realized that their daughter attended the same tuition centre as Amutha’s eldest son, who depended on his mother for transport to and from the centre. Kai Hwa was concerned about Amutha’s safety as she had to make trips on her motorcycle at night. Hence, he volunteered to fetch Amutha’s son home, which also helped her to save on transport expenses. This practice persisted for two years, until Amutha’s eldest son graduated in 2018. When Amutha’s youngest son was transferred to the same tuition centre in June this year, Kai Hwa gladly offered to give him rides too. “We were worried about the trouble Amutha had to endure having to ride alone at night to fetch her son. It’s not only dark outside; sometimes it rained. It’s convenient for us since we have to fetch our daughter anyway. We’re willing to help so long as it’s within our capacity – it’s all a matter of convenience,” explained Tsae Feng smilingly. The volunteers’ kind gestures might seem trivial, but to Amutha, their assistance came as a timely relief and helped her through life’s troubles. The volunteers even encouraged Amutha to participate in a needlework course to learn how to craft cloth bags as a means of earning additional income for the household. Tsae Feng, who is skilled in sewing, welcomed Amutha to her home for nightly lessons and not only taught her sewing skills, but also guided her in producing bags. The family was deeply moved by the volunteers’ earnest dedication. Vijaya once told his wife, “The volunteers are kind-hearted souls who are willing to lend a helping hand regardless of race or religion. I admire them!” Even when Vijaya was battling illness, he had Amutha’s eldest son, Marveen, helping her to make murukku. ouching Life Story