The world of Tzu Chi September 2020 (Vol.126)

TZU CHI 126 25 flower’!” “Aiyo! How embarrassing that would be!” That was the first time Hoey went to the centre since the MCO. Back in mid-March, the centre was closed. She was bored at home and started to develop an illness. At first, she developed symptoms such as itchy wrists and back, then numb feet, and eventually, light-headedness. When the centre reopened in July, Hoey’s condition prevented her from visiting for a month. “I love recycling. I feel more alert after sweating. It’s also a good way to pass time. We can always take a break when tired, it’s not tough at all.” The trip to the centre is much more bearable compared to her routine trip to the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital located more than 10 km away. That trip involves two rounds of bus transfers, one round of train transfer and another round of bus ride. She said, “We’ve to always count on ourselves because others might not be able to help. Just do if can. Doing recycling is a good deed, how can I miss it? Fortunately, I can come to the centre, otherwise how should my spouse and I pass the time when our children and grandchildren are away at work or school?” Be green, be healthy Happy Garden is located on Old Klang Road, an old area in Kuala Lumpur that was developed in the 1960s. The area has evolved over the years, but many residents have remained. Since a centre was established there in 2012, many elderly volunteers have come to help out. At 9-ish a.m., 77-year-old “Zhong Hua (middle flower)”, Lee Siew Hua, would be sent to the centre by her husband. Sook Kuen asked her, “Do you still need to see the traditional Chinese practitioner?” and suggested that she could get her husband to send her home after her treatment. It turned out that Siew Hua had accidentally fallen three times during the MCO, leaving her ankles and left wrist swollen. When news of the centre reopening reached her, she requested her partner to drive her there at once. “I’m sorry to trouble you all!” “Don’t mention that. Your safety and health are more important. It’s getting late, your husband has poor eyesight, give the young people a chance to do good.” Siew Hua lives with her 85-year-old husband. Her children only visit on weekends. Her husband can only drive during the day, hence the volunteers would often offer to send her home because it would often be dark after her treatment. Despite her injury, her mobility is not affected. She took a chair and sat with the group to start sorting. “It’s good coming here to do recycling. We get to move our limbs and meet some old friends. Time flies when we chat happily,” she said. Siew Hua and her husband are both retired civil servants. Their neighbour, Lim Ean Soo, who is a Tzu Chi volunteer, invited Siew Hua to the centre to keep her busy, so she would not overthink at home. Siew Hua has been frequenting the centre since 2013. Ean Soo commented, “Elderly volunteers are gems in the eyes of Master Cheng Yen. Master said, one should contribute with their pair of hands. Whenever Siew Hua is here, she’s relaxed and cheerful, and forgets her bodily pain.” As the “little flower” Ng Gek Hui was Tzu Chi’s Three Decades of Recycling