The world of Tzu Chi February 2020 (Vol.119)

2020 • 02 18 eature A s the sun shone brightly outside and a gentle breeze caressed the delicate flowers blooming vibrantly in the settlement on a languid Sunday afternoon, Heng Pak Nang, 82, was having a leisurely conversation with several Tzu Chi volunteers in the female ward. She has been quite busy lately, attending to a long-time friend and fellow patient who had recently moved to the ward following the untimely demise of her son. She also runs errands for other fellow elderly patients from the female ward and assists the nurses in feeding elderly patients who are incapable of feeding themselves. “I’m following the example of Tzu Chi volunteers and their kind deeds!” Pak Nang beamed as she recounted her first encounter with Tzu Chi volunteers Yesterday once more By Tan Kim Hion Translated by Choo Suet Fun Photograph by Low Mai Yin A former leprosy patient, Heng Pak Nang has had to endure discrimination and rejection throughout most of her life. Nevertheless, the comforting presence and kind gestures of Tzu Chi volunteers remain a mainstay in her recollections of her time in the Sungai Buloh Leprosy Settlement.