The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.106)

2019 • 01 38 of my younger brother and sister and give tuition to my neighbours’ children. We would have dinner after my parents come home from work.” After dinner, she would help wash all the dishes and continue revising her studies until 11 pm before going to bed. She has no complaints over such routine, but instead, feels blessed that she can have dinner and spend time with her family every day. Her mother, Rogini a/p Ponnudurai, always says that Misshadarni is like a “second mother” in the family. Rogini works in a coffee shop and only returns home late in the evening every day. When she returns home, she is greeted by a neat house with dinner already prepared, which warms her heart. She shared, “Misshadarni is a loving child and even at such a young age, has shouldered a lot of responsibilities in caring for the family. When she was five years old, I had a high fever. She brought water and cleaned my face to bring down the temperature. Last year, the doctor found a small tumour in my breast that required me to be treated in hospital. She took care of her younger siblings and handled all the household chores so well that I did not have to worry.” Rogini is thankful to have a well-behaved and thoughtful daughter which has undoubtedly allowed both husband and wife to focus on their jobs. During the year-end school break, Misshardarni even offered to take care of her little sister instead of sending her to the nanny. Rogini is also relieved that both the younger children obey their “little mother”, who would play with them and never once scolded them. An ambition out of love for others Misshadarni has been a student beneficiary of Tzu Chi study aid since Primary 2 – a total of five years. This year (2018), she qualified again to become a recipient of the study incentives with excellent Primary School Evaluation Test scores (UPSR) of five (A), two (B) and one (C). Volunteers Lim Choy Kim and his wife, Chong Kon Khyun, who have been caring for Misshadarni, have witnessed her growing up. They were particularly impressed by her diligence and persistent efforts in her studies, despite shouldering responsibilities while her mother was at work. Besides, Choy Kim is also touched by Misshadarni’s filial affection towards her parents and her love for her siblings. Misshadarni has been striving for excellent academic results so that she could eventually graduate as a medical doctor and treat her family. Misshardarni’s father, 10-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister were all born with foot deformities. This means that they cannot press their feet flat on the ground, hence they need to drag their feet as they walk. Despite numerous visits to the doctors, this condition cannot be totally corrected. Choy Kim recalled that four years ago, when Misshadarni’s sister too was diagnosed with the same congenital condition, the whole family was disheartened and saddened. At that time, he told Rogini and her husband to keep their spirits up. He realized Misshardarni too was affected by her parent’s sadness, so he encouraged Misshadarni to turn her sorrow into motivation by studying harder because only education can change her family’s future. His sincere words inspired Misshadarni to set her mind to become a doctor, so that she can cure her family members, thereby enabling them to walk normally. Whenever Choy Kim and Kon Khyun visited the family, they would review Misshadarni’s homework. They found that even pecial Feature