The world of Tzu Chi March 2020(Vol.120)

TZU CHI 120 39 inscribed with well wishes, paper hearts, Jing Si instant rice, instant soup packs, vitamin C supplements and two apples. Executive Secretary of Tzu Chi Singapore, Khor Chooi Kim remarked that although she could not fight the virus side by side with the frontline personnel, she hoped that patients, children, as well as their families and friends would find solace in the messages of love and blessings and pay the kindness forward. On the afternoon of February 14, the Tzu Chi Singapore executive team and volunteer representatives formed three groups to personally deliver the care packages to staff from the medical and education missions, as well as three partner hospitals, namely Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. The head of Tzu Chi Singapore’s Education Mission, Tai Nyeok Moi knew of the visit in advance, but deliberately hid the news from the staff and volunteers on duty as she wanted to spring a surprise on them. The team arrived at Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool during recess, allowing the teachers to receive the blessings from the deputy CEO of Tzu Chi Singapore, Tan Chai Hoon. The gift came as a pleasant surprise to preschool teacher Cai Nan Nan, who shared, “I found out from Facebook that the volunteers were preparing gifts for us and assumed we have to collect them from the office. I did not expect the deputy CEO to personally deliver them to each one of us.” Cai, who hails from China, revealed that a small number of Chinese nationals were discriminated against by the public during the outbreak. However, receiving the warm wishes from the executive team reminded her that there is no lack of supportive people who care, adding that the gift made this Valentine’s Day all the more meaningful. The teachers at Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool took the initiative to source for colourful picture books on disease prevention to guide the children in protecting themselves from the outbreak. “The children are aware of the implications of the virus and have started to pay closer attention when washing their hands,” Cai observed. Volunteer Willy Ang, who has lived through the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Singapore, opined that the local community needs more positivity instead of fear. He continues to go about his daily activities although his wife is currently undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. “We should gain a balanced view and proper understanding of the current situation rather than fall prey to rumours. Make sure to obtain verified information from reliable sources, such as government- run platforms and the mainstream media,” he advised. Global News