The world of Tzu Chi March 2021 (Vol.132)

2021 • 03 22 eature In May 2020, TCISKL teachers launched the “21-day self-challenge” improvement project, in encouraging students to challenge and breakthrough their limits, and develop a good habit. Participating students were required to perform a self-review based on key indicator of KISS—What to “Keep”, what to “Improve”, what to “Start”, and what to “Stop”. Amongst the many participants, seventh grader Heah Junn had a very interesting list. Heah Junn and her younger sister had never cooked. Her first challenge was to prepare breakfasts for her family and to teach her sister to bake a cake. The sisters went online to search for recipes and after many trials and adjustments, Heah Junn finally succeeded in whipping up a delicious breakfast for her family, and guided her sister to the secrets of baking. Her second challenge was to teach her younger brother with Down Syndrome to dress and brush his teeth, develop a habit of personal hygiene and improve on his pronunciation. By this, she hopes to reduce the burden on her mother. These were no easy task which requires love, patience, endurance and time. It took Heah Junn three days of constant coaching and reminding to finally succeed in getting her brother to develop the habit of washing hands. This gave Heah Junn a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction seeing how her mother’s burden is reduced as her brother learnt to be more independent. It was a handsome payoff for her effort. In the process, Heah Junn also learned that persistence leads to success. In a matter of just five months at TCISKL, her parents had witnessed significant changes in Heah Junn, who has grown to become more independent, responsible and caring. A guardian to her Down Syndrome brother Watch video news: