The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.112)

TZU CHI 112 37 Global News I n a remote elementary school in Brazil, located a two hours’drive away from the nearest major city of São Paulo, four Taiwanese Tzu Chi volunteers strive to instil positive values and focus on character- building among the young to eradicate social problems at the root. Their approach to education that focuses on character-building, supplemented by an appreciation of Jing Si Aphorisms , has earned its place in Brazil’s educational landscape. Monthly lessons on Jing Si Aphorisms have been incorporated into the school’s curriculum since 2018. However, the volunteers are limited in their efforts to impart the nuances of the Aphorisms due to the language barrier, as Dr Wu Ying-xiu (left pic, far left) is the sole volunteer fluent in Portuguese, the official language of Brazil. Despite having migrated with her family to Brazil in her childhood, Ying- xiu is able to comprehend the Taiwanese dialect as her parents and elders converse in the Taiwanese dialect at home. Yet, she lacks proficiency in Mandarin. When class is in session, her fellow volunteers would assist her by conveying lesson pointers to her in the Taiwanese dialect to be communicated in Portuguese to the students. Among the team, volunteer Liu Ru-zhu (left pic, far right) is responsible for devising lesson plans and preparing pedagogical materials. She even went the extra mile by acquainting herself with Brazilian nursery rhymes in her attempt to bridge the linguistic and cultural gap between the volunteers and the local students. She would rehearse her lesson delivery before her own grandchildren, employing interactive and lively methods such as songs and lyrical sign language to encourage retention. Her devotion to her lessons stems from a sense of obligation to support the students as if they were her own children. The volunteers firmly believe that achieving a harmonious society starts with cultivating pure minds, hence they hope to leave a meaningful impact on the students and inculcate in them time- honoured virtues through a holistic education that combines elements from both the East and the West. Brazil 2019.06.16 An Engaging Approach to Education