The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

TZU CHI 115 45 L im Siew Hwa, 49, was born and bred in Malacca as the eighth of ten children. “When I was old enough, I had to deliver more than 100 kg of latex for sale on a motorcycle, so manual labour isn’t a problem for me,” proclaimed Siew Hwa, who started helping her parents tap rubber from a young age. After graduating from secondary school, she left home to work in Singapore and met her husband there. The couple tied the knot in 2004 and relocated to Kuala Lumpur to further their careers while raising six children. A friend introduced Siew Hwa to Tzu Chi, but the latter had her hands full with domestic obligations and work commitments, so she gathered her family to sign up as Tzu Chi donors instead. Following her husband’s demise in 2014, Siew Hwa sustained the family’s livelihood by planting crops and farming bees on the plot of land her husband left behind, with the help of two Nepali labourers. Siew Hwa ensured that the family’s bread and butter were in order, but the devastating grief of losing her husband overwhelmed her. A friend sympathized with her despair and sought the help of her elder sister, Tan Lay Heong, a Tzu Chi volunteer, to guide SiewHwa into Tzu Chi’s fold. Overcoming grief with solidarity When Lay Heong first approached Siew Hwa, the latter mistakenly assumed that the former needed assistance with handling computer software, but was led to the Taman Sri Petaling Recycling Centre instead. Initially, Siew Hwa was not particularly invested in recycling work and would only spend two hours at the Recycling Centre. However, as she observed the elderly recycling volunteers sorting recyclables, she gradually developed a deeper interest in their work. From then on, she offered to stay on to lend a hand to the elderly volunteers and even fetched them home at the end of the day’s work. “I’ve sensed that Siew Hwa is a capable person, so I assigned her to be in charge of the Desa Tun Razak PPR Recycling Point, to which she willingly agreed. I entrusted her in the care of fellow volunteer Ng Mee Hong, who is keen to take new volunteers under her wing,” said Lay Heong. Mee Hong, who owns a hair salon in the Taman Salak Selatan neighbourhood, remembers Siew Hwa’s no-nonsense demeanour from their first encounter, which seemed to warn others to keep their distance. “Mee Hong looked very stern too!” quipped Siew Hwa in response. Nevertheless, Mee Hong broke the ice and a sisterly friendship blossomed between them as they slowly warmed up to each other. Siew Hwa herself admitted that she is likely to appear intimidatingly serious with a straight face. Once, she was concentrating on her own tasks when Lay Heong unexpectedly approached her to express concern. She was surprised by the gesture, but later learnt that Lay Heong was worried upon seeing her grim expression. Since then, she would remind herself to exchange pleasantries with fellow volunteers to avoid any misunderstandings. Siew Hwa is grateful to Mee Hong for constantly providing her with timely advice. “Whenever I have problems, I would phone Mee Hong for help. She always has a solution. She’s not only quick-witted and humorous; her thoughts are informed by Master’s teachings. We developed a close camaraderie.” Both Siew Hwa and Mee Hong would often collaborate on tasks, particularly those that demand physical labour. In early May 2019, the duowere involved inmanaging the logistics for the Buddha Bathing Ceremony. It took tremendous