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

TZU CHI 121 39 proceeding to work at a small ice-cream factory in the afternoon. The family lived hand to mouth, earning only enough for three decent meals a day. When Poh Luan was 16, the sheet metal house she lived in with her family was destroyed by a raging fire. None of the family’s possessions were spared from the blaze, except for some clothing and important documents the family managed to salvage during their narrow escape. The tragedy evoked in Poh Luan a gaping sense of loss; the devastation of losing her home left an indelible mark on her and fuelled her longing for a stable family life. Like mother, like daughter Poh Luan’s family, like many other Chinese migrants fleeing poverty in their home country, settled in the Nanyang region and struggled to start life anew in a foreign land. The family was impoverished, but Poh Luan’s mother commiserated with her compatriots and often generously extended her assistance to them. Poh Luan took after her mother’s altruistic nature and developed a charitable spirit. Poh Luan was her parents’ only daughter and the third among five siblings. As a child, Poh Luan was precocious and sensible. She prioritized her family’s needs and spared her parents from unnecessary headaches, as she was well aware that her family’s circumstances allowed for neither hedonistic behaviour nor reckless whims. The young Poh Luan kept mostly to herself, but compensated for her reticence with exceptionally high levels of conscientiousness and attentiveness. She cast a watchful eye over the household and shouldered various domestic responsibilities, maturing into a reliable, influential figure of the family who subsequently managed to connect more than 60 members of her clan to Tzu Chi. Poh Luan’s eldest brother quit school after Primary 5 to help his father make ends meet, while Poh Luan and her second eldest brother left school for work upon completing their Form 3 education. Soon after, Poh Luan was able to leverage her bookkeeping experience to secure a job managing finances. Her dependable personality and steadfast attitude quickly earned her a reputation as a competent employee as well as the recognition of her employer, who promoted her to the role of a supervisor. At the age of 48, Poh Luan made acquaintance with a couple who introduced her to the home visits conducted by Tzu Chi volunteers. She was moved by the visits to the disadvantaged as the volunteers’ acts of kindness struck a chord with her, reminding her of her mother’s commitment to charity. At the same time, she was searching for a spiritual cultivation ground to practise the Buddhist teachings she had acquired, hence her decision to volunteer with Tzu Chi. Wholehearted dedication When Tzu Chi Kedah was first established, its liaison office was located on the upper floor of a shophouse. Poh Luan gathered her family for a discussion and reached an agreement to donate the family’s 4,000 sq ft, double-storey bungalow to Tzu Chi Kedah as its base. The family residence held significant meaning for the household as it represented the hard-earned fruits of labour of Poh Luan’s parents and symbolized the nucleus of the clan’s lineage. Poh Luan’s decision to offer the property to Tzu Chi was her way of fulfilling her filial duties by honouring her mother’s philanthropic legacy and repaying her parents’ love.