The world of Tzu Chi January 2020 (Vol.118)

2020 • 01 14 eature However, Ho Leh adamantly refused to call it quits. She contemplated entering the workforce first before resuming tertiary education with her earnings and applied for a student loan from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN). Meanwhile, volunteer Tai Ah Lien advised her to apply for the Tzu Chi Higher Education Scholarship, which was recently established by Tzu Chi KL& Selangor to ease the financial burden of tertiary students in need. She was successful in her application and became the first beneficiary of the scholarship. Fond memories of university life remain deeply etched in Ho Leh’s mind. She could still recall vividly her first steps in living independently, starting from the moment she arrived at the UTAR Sungai Long campus to settle the registration procedures by herself and moved into rented accommodation on her own. Volunteer Ong Saw Tin once visited Ho Leh in her lodgings – a room no larger than an attic, minimally furnished with a mattress and a small desk. Ho Leh’s belongings were arranged along the walls, which reeked with dampness as rainwater leaked through and moisture seeped in from the adjacent washroom. Saw Tin sympathized with Ho Leh’s living conditions, but the latter reassured her that the landlord was kind enough to request an affordable rental of RM150 monthly. Otherwise, she would have been hard-pressed to secure a room that is more spacious but demanded a higher rent. Living on a shoestring budget Ho Leh received a monthly allowance of RM400 through the PTPTN student loan, nearly half of which would be spent on paying the rent. Her only option was to tighten her belt, limiting her daily expenditure to RM10 by sustaining herself on bread or oatmeal for breakfast and a plate of economy mixed rice for lunch, in addition to cooking her own dinner to save on meals. She would also take on temporary jobs during the holidays and work as an assistant to a TCM physician on weekends for extra income. Times were tough, but instead of complaining, Ho Leh was content with her frugal lifestyle. Ho Leh faced a steep learning curve in her studies as her course syllabus covered not only knowledge on TCM, but also Western medicine to equip students with well-rounded professional competency. She once doubted her ability to fulfil the demands of such an academically rigorous programme that aims to hone comprehensive mastery of both fields of medicine, but eventually pushed through with sheer perseverance, burning the midnight oil almost daily to complete her assignments. Ho Leh was due to graduate in 2017, but she had to overcome one final hurdle before qualifying for her degree. All prospective TCM graduands were required to undergo an internship at the Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, incurring costs of RM15,000 that weighed heavily on Ho Leh’s mind. A group of volunteers conducted an assessment of Ho Leh’s family background and found her eligible for financial assistance, enabling her to complete her course. Saw Tin offered to help with Ho Leh’s living expenses abroad, but the latter declined and insisted on earning her own keep. “Tzu Chi