The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.116)

2019 • 11 30 pecial Feature 2014. Cindy noted that Edy has become more forgiving and understanding ever since walking the Tzu Chi Path. Siswanto Widjaja Lauwensi runs a steel hardware trading company with his family and serves as the vice executive committee of Da Ai TV Indonesia, to which he contributes a substantial sum yearly. He believes that Da Ai TV plays a significant role in imparting positive values to the masses with its wholesome programming. A visit to the Jing Si Abode in Hualien in 2010 changed the course of Siswanto and his wife, ShellyWidjaja’s life. The couple pledged to serve dutifully as Master Cheng Yen’s disciples. Shelly revealed that participating in home visits opened her eyes to poverty and suffering, instilling in her a sense of obligation to give back to society. Her work with Tzu Chi has also exposed her to the premature deaths of cancer patients and the grief of bereaved families, reminding her to cherish every living moment and not take life for granted. Eva Wiyogo was a precocious child; she started trading watches at a young age to make ends meet for her family and escape poverty. Her first business venture flourished into a luxury timepiece enterprise with a clientele comprising the rich and famous. As her business expanded and her wealth inflated, so did her ego. She developed a competitive streak and became aggressively ambitious. However, thoughts of death and dying filled the feisty Eva with fear and an acute awareness that time is running out for her. This realization led her to commit to kind deeds by volunteeringwithTzuChi. “In our more than 20 years of marriage, she has never served me food – not even a bowl of rice. I’m touched that she is now willing to personally prepare meals for me,” praised her husband, Hendro Wiyogo, drawing laughter from the participants. The event concluded on an uplifting note with new relationships forged between participants of both countries, leaving them with renewed motivation to encourage the spirit of kindness in the workplace and at the same time, leverage their entrepreneurial ventures to give back to society. According to Tzu Chi Philippines volunteer Alfredo Li, Tzu Chi implemented the cash-for-work initiative to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan rebuild their lives in the disaster sites of Ormoc and Tacloban City. [Photograph by Chan Tuck Meng]