The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.106)

2019 • 01 32 pecial Feature education can he change his own future. Joe Yin is in his final year in university. He encouraged everyone not to give up because not everyone has the opportunity to go to school and receive education. He reminded everyone of how parents work hard for them and hopes that they will treasure their time and study hard in order to take care of their parents in the future. Diligent students and filial children Fifteen-year-old Alvin Daniel is a Malay who can speak fluent Mandarin. He studies at SMJK Confucian and is a beneficiary of Tzu Chi Study Incentives Programme. Daniel’s parents set up a roadside food stall near their home, selling noodles and drinks to support their family of seven. Daniel has an older sister with impaired vision and a younger brother. His parents placed high hopes on him and always encouraged him to study hard so that he would be able to improve the family’s finances. A mature boy since young, Daniel did not disappoint his parents. Not only does he do well in his studies, he also helps his mother at home by monitoring his brother’s studies, helping with household chores and assisting his grandmother to care for his grandfather, who is bedridden. He is very grateful for Tzu Chi’s assistance that allowed him to pay for school fees and purchase additional reference books, which lightened the family’s financial burden. As they do not have additional money for him to attend tuition, he could only work harder than other students. Other than paying attention during classes, he would also stay back in school to seek further guidance from his teachers. Students from the Unity School for refugees performed a silent skit on environmental protection to remind everyone to conserve Earth’s resources and help rescue the ‘sick’ Earth. [Photograph by Ong Siew Geok]