The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.111)

2019 • 06 10 eature O ne day in August 2015, Yap Yoon Hong arrived at the Tzu Chi Sri Petaling Recycling Centre at his neighbour Mee Hong’s invitation, and was confronted by the sight of volunteers sorting heaps of recyclables. He dismissed the work as not worthy of his time; it was a thankless and filthy undertaking. However, his adamant stance softened upon witnessing an elderly volunteer trip over the protruding roots of a tree and fall while carrying a pile of scrap paper. As the incident kept on replaying in his mind, his sympathy for the elderly volunteer grew and a sudden thought came to him: If even the elderly are capable of carrying out recycling work, why not an able-bodied, much younger person like me? Yoon Hong, who is a building contractor by profession, has been dedicating himself to voluntary work ever since. He leveraged his professional expertise to solve the Recycling Centre’s various inconveniences after hours, offering to repair defects, install piping andwiring systems, and cover exposed tree roots to prevent untoward incidents of volunteers tripping over and falling. The recycling volunteers are now able to work in a safe and conducive environment at the refurbished Recycling Centre, which was modified from an old cargo container. Setting sights on change Peer influence drove Yoon Hong to the gambling habit in his youth. After starting a family, he matured into a responsible husband and father and built a successful career, but the lure of his gambling habit was too irresistible to ignore. The stakes of his bets grew with his flourishing business, while his temper took a turn for the worse, taking out his frustration at his