The world of Tzu Chi April 2021 (Vol.133)

TZU CHI 133 17 unforgettable case of domestic violence. The wife of the abuser is a person with disabilities (OKU) holding an OKU card. Her husband, who is suffering from pancreatic disorders, had a bad temper. When things did not go well, his temper would flare and his anger would be directed at his daughter. On one occasion, he brutally beat his daughter, bruising her all over. The wife immediately sent the daughter to the hospital for treatment. The doctor filed the case as child abuse and immediately called the police. The husband was charged for domestic violence and as a result, the daughter was placed under the care of the DSW. Feeling despair over the violence, the wife considered divorce, and even contemplated suicide after sending her other children to an orphanage. When Lee Poh received the phone call from the crying wife, she hurriedly went to the family, with her fellow volunteers to calm the situation. She related, “Before stepping into the house, we saw the fuming husband sitting in the yard. The wife was wailing and she came over to hug me. The atmosphere in the house was extremely bad…” Lee Poh recalled that she had not thought too much about her own safety when dealing with this domestic violence case. She reasoned, “Perhaps I had already cared for this family for several years, and it was the first time such a serious situation arose.” To calm the situation down, the volunteers comforted the wife before taking the husband out for coffee. Lee Poh advised them to place priority on their family and children. When talking to the volunteers, the husband expressed regret for beating his daughter. Noticing his remorse, Lee Poh encouraged him to apologize to his wife. After he apologized, the wife calmed down. She brought the daughter home from DSW and withdrew the police charges. Lee Poh said with relief, “Now, even though the couple is unable to work due to illnesses, with financial subsidies from Tzu Chi and the Government, as well as eight years of care from volunteers, the family is doing pretty well.” The volunteers’ timely assistance had resolved this family crisis. “I am very pleased to see a broken family getting back up again. Keeping them company is of great help. Thanks to the volunteers’ genuine care and companionship, this couple was so touched that they now don the grey uniform of Tzu Chi and participate in Tzu Chi’s recycling and other activities. They have repented and hoped to use their meagre strength to care for the environment and share their experience with families having similar problems.” Helping others and oneself However, not all cases of family crisis can be resolved by the volunteers. In her 14 years of charity work, Lee Poh has offered advice to countless families. She sighed that there are such prevailing social problems. Every time she receives a phone call at night, such as that from Ah Qing, she can only try her best to help, by reporting the problem to the police. She said, smiling, “In charity work, there is more joy than bitterness. It is a joy to be able to help families under our care. If we feel bitter when turned away, we may miss the opportunity to help others.” Lee Poh related an experience of being turned away by an applicant of “Kita1Keluarga” relief programme, which Tzu Chi KL & Selangor launched last year to assist The ‘Big Dipper’ – Social Workers