The world of Tzu Chi May 2020 (Vol.122)

TZU CHI 122 31 with adult diapers and a RM30 subsidy every month to defray his medical expenses. Wong Ping was grateful to the volunteers for staying by his side and for making him feel belonged. He resolved to commit himself to recycling work to reciprocate the volunteers’ kindness towards him after hearing of Tzu Chi’s recycling initiatives from the volunteers. Since 1997, Wong Ping had been trudging through the settlement grounds to collect recyclables, supported by a pair of wooden crutches. He would scour the markets and food stalls for used cardboard boxes, aluminium cans and other recyclable items, depositing them into a large bamboo basket tied to his right crutch as he moved along with much effort. He had no qualms retrieving soiled, soaked or pest- infested newspaper pages from the ground to add to his collection. After completing his rounds, he would haul his loaded basket back to his wooden chalet to be stored in a corner, awaiting the volunteers’ upcoming visit. Despite the tedious labour involved, Wong Ping had never given in to fatigue. Rather, he once shared with the volunteers that he took pride in the opportunity to learn from the volunteers, to serve the community and to contribute to environmental cleanliness through his recycling endeavours. The burden of negative emotions he had been struggling with was replaced by a stream of positivity that flowed through his entire being. Moreover, Wong Ping spread awareness on the concept of “turning trash into treasure” among the residents through his recycling efforts, explaining that transferring the earnings gained from the sales of the collected recyclables to Tzu Chi would enable the organization to channel the proceeds to those in need. As Sek San compared himself to Wong Ping, he realized that he had no reason to see himself as incapable of coping with recycling work, when the latter managed to rise above his disability and persisted in his recycling efforts despite suffering from chronic pain and illness. Sek San took his first steps in recycling by collecting cardboard scraps and used cardboard boxes within the compound of the ward. Admirable tenacity Sek San gathered recyclables from every source possible, from scraps of paper, cardboard and PET bottles strewn by the road to medicine bottles and cardboard boxes from the medical staff – he even procured recyclables from the greengrocer and janitor. During festive seasons, he would share his knowledge of recycling with the organizations who donated supplies to the settlement, besides requesting them to sort their recyclable waste and transfer them to him. The recycling advocate believed in leading by example, encouraging his fellow residents to partake in gathering and sorting recyclables through his actions. Sek San felt empowered by the collaborative spirit of recycling work; its accessibility enabled him to participate despite his impaired mobility. His involvement in recycling work had also eased his conscience, knowing that he was capable of contributing to environmental conservation instead of selfishly adding to the mound of litter plaguing the Earth. Following Wong Ping’s demise in 1998, Sek San shouldered the responsibility of leading the recycling movement in the settlement and had been defending his post for over a decade, guided by unwavering conviction. Volunteer Lee Shiou Long, who was part of the support team in charge of the volunteers’ Passing the Baton of Environmental Awareness