The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.116)

2019 • 11 46 not had proper meals in a while and had been surviving on homemade chapatti, which was barely enough for sustenance. Anjum and her sons looked weak and underfed, evoking the volunteers’ concern for their apparent lack of nourishment. The volunteers promptly supplied the family with groceries such as rice, cooking oil, biscuits, eggs and bread. Anjum was moved by the volunteers’ kind gesture, leading her to confess, “I would lose my will to live if there is no hope for recovery. I’ve even contemplated taking my own life, along with my sons’…” The volunteers sympathized with her and attempted to set her mind at ease for the operation, besides encouraging her to focus on seeking treatment. In August 2018, Anjum successfully underwent her second tumour removal surgery with financial assistance from Tzu Chi. The volunteers also appealed for her living expenses to be subsidized to allow her to recuperate at home without having to worry about putting food on the table. Lee Yen has been visiting Anjum and her sons with fellow volunteers every month since the family was placed under her care to extend concern and understand the family’s needs. She was curious about Anjum’s habit of saying “Please keep me in your prayers and wish me peace” each time she took her leave. She and her fellow volunteers initially justified it as a customary farewell greeting Anjum adopted back in her homeland, but they eventually discovered its significance. Anjum shared that she had full faith in the volunteers’ character as kind souls with hearts of gold, whose blessings, she believed, carried the most weight. Therefore, she hoped for the volunteers’ blessings to keep herself and her sons safe from harm. Lee Yen appreciated the reassuring power of the seemingly simple greeting, as it brought a glimmer of hope and represented Anjum’s longing for heartfelt blessings to relieve the agony of having to fend for herself on foreign soil, separated from her family, as well as the anguish of suffering from prolonged illness. “You’re a resilient, courageous mother. I believe you’ll overcome all obstacles in your way for the sake of your children,” offered LeeYen as a blessing to Anjum, for whom the volunteers’ well wishes are a source of strength. Renewed hope In Lee Yen’s eyes, Anjum is not only a devoted mother, but also a grateful person. Ever since receiving assistance from Tzu Chi, she starteddevelopingan interest in theorganization’s work. Upon learning of the significance of the bamboo bank, she requested for a bamboo bank from the volunteers and began contributing spare change as little as 10 or 20 sen. Her sons emulated her kind deed. Anjum was also keen to participate in recycling work upon learning of it as a way to conserve the environment, but Lee Yen and the other volunteers were worried that her wound might be exposed to infection in the process. ouching Life Story Volunteer How Lee Yen performed a sign language rendition of the song “We Are Family” while explaining the significance of the lyrics to Anjum.