The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.110)

2019 • 05 18 eature Anticipating blue skies ahead Chong Ngoi Lee had encountered two road accidents; he escaped the first one unscathed, but the second one left him paralysed from the waist down and hampered his ability to live independently. He seeks solace from his daily routine tethered to hospital visits andmedications by gazing upwards at the clear, blue skies with fluffy clouds drifting by – a comforting reminder that there is hope in life after all. By Tan Kim Hion Translated by Lim Wen Xin Photograph by Yong Mun Fei C hong Ngoi Lee was driving his car – modified for disabled drivers and loaded with recyclables – down a road with sparse traffic on a leisurely Sunday morning, with his mother in tow. Soon, Ngoi Lee pulled up outside the Tzu Chi Damansara Damai Recycling Point, which is located close to the main road. The recycling volunteers would collect and sort out recyclables sent by the public on every third Sunday of the month along the underutilized pedestrian walkway adjacent to the road. The lush, verdant trees lining either side of the road provide ample shade for the recycling point, making it Ngoi Lee’s favourite spot. Ngoi Lee and his mother are invariably the first to arrive at the recycling point every Recycling Day. After assisting her son onto his wheelchair, Ngoi Lee’s mother would sweep away the fallen leaves scattered along the pedestrian walkway and the main road. As