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

TZU CHI 133 39 his family of four slept on mattresses placed in the living room. Months after struggling to earn an income, Eddy finally managed to get a job as a cook in a restaurant. Unfortunately, two weeks into the job, his wife was hospitalized for a week, and he had to apply leave from work to look after his children. He reported to work immediately upon his wife’s discharge from the hospital. With a meagre salary, providing food and tending to his children’s needs became his top priority. Long overdue water bill payments had resulted in disconnection of water supply to his house. So, each day he had to transport a big bucket of water on his motorbike from a mosque located some ten-minutes away from his house. After learning of his predicament, volunteers brought him cash relief and advised him to settle the water bills first. He said with gratitude, that he truly needed the money to solve his immediate problem, and promised that he would repay the kindness by helping others one day. On hearing that, volunteer Lau Bok Lan took out a bamboo bank and told him that he could help others now even with a small amount of 10 or 20 sen. “You must believe that receiving help from others is only temporary. One day, you will be able to stand on your own, and help others who are more in need than you.” She assured him. Eddy immediately asked his eldest daughter to get some coins from the room, and he and his children each deposited a coin in the bamboo bank, feeling happy that they too, had the ability to help others. Volunteers also visited Azhari bin Mohd Tamin. Upon entering his house, they saw him, looking frail and bony, lying on the mattress in front of the television and groaning in pain. He had been sick for several months. Initially, he only experienced pain in both his legs. As he was jobless, he endured the pain and continued to take odd jobs to earn some incomes. It was not until mid-November 2020, when he was in such immense pain that he could no longer walk, that he went to the hospital to seek treatment. After diagnosis, the doctor told him that he was suffering from bone cancer. Before the doctor scheduled for his chemotherapy, he requested to return home. With four children and an elderly mother-in-law under her charge, his wife, Ain Noorasikin, felt helpless and lost. She had also run out of milk powder to feed her three-year- old child. On seeing Norasikin’s predicament, the volunteers duly provided milk powder on their subsequent visit. Noorasikin felt sad and worried at the sight of her husband losing so much weight. she was also troubled by the preparation that she had to do for her husband’s follow-up hospital visit the following month, and other nitty-gritty matters that her duty called for. Other than visiting and calling her to show their concern, the volunteers also assured her that they will always be there for her if she ever needed help. When the volunteers handed her the cash aid, she thanked them with tears in her eyes, “I am deeply touched. Thank you very much Tzu Chi, and thanks to everyone who has helped us.” After the volunteers’ visit that day, Azhari succumbed to his illness that very night. The volunteers consoled his wife over the phone, and made another visit to extend their care on December 5, 2020. With the three-month relief aid programme, volunteers were able to provide help according to the needs of each household. Hopefully, the warmth of love will stay with them and bring them lasting hope for better times.