The world of Tzu Chi April 2020 (Vol.121)

2020 • 04 38 By Lee Peh Seng Translated by Choo Suet Fun Photograph by Gan Boon Hong One’s time on earth might be as transient as a flower in bloom or the changing of seasons, but Low Poh Luan made full use of her lifetime by selflessly devoting herself to charitable causes and furthering Tzu Chi’s core missions, leaving behind a lasting legacy after succumbing to lymphoma in March 2019. Charity as aWay of Life V eteran volunteer Low Poh Luan was born in the turbulent era of 50s Malaya, a generation that had witnessed the nation’s struggle for independence and the Communist insurgency, during which the Communist Party of Malaya and other radical guerrilla forces infiltrated the country. Armed conflicts were rife and tensions ran high in those tumultuous eople times, with locals living in a state of emergency. Memories of warfare throughout childhood had left a traumatic impact on Poh Luan, who grew up surrounded by a sense of insecurity and fearing the worst. Poh Luan’s father juggled two jobs to support the family of eight. He sold poultry and eggs at the wet market in the morning before