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

2021 • 03 34 pecial Feature feeding her hungry children. Volunteer Ng Siew Khim revealed that it took them some time to get Mrs. Lim to open up. Their continuous care for the family also moved Shely. She was motivated to volunteer in the future. The home visits exposed her to a different world and helped her shift her perspective on life and learn to care for others. Enlightening voluntary service Due to her mother’s historical mental condition, Shely and her brother were entrusted to the care of their grandparents. After the grandparents’ demise, they continued to stay with their aunt. Shely, now a Form 4 student, was ranked in the top ten of her class with average scores of 70-plus. During their initial visit, volunteers contacted Shely’s aunt to enquire about the siblings’ predicament. They then recommended Shely to apply for the Tzu Chi study grant for the 2019 school year. To qualify, Shely was required to serve 12 hours of voluntary service. Initially, she found the home visits boring and time consuming. However, she became motivated after a few visits. She shared, “The motivation came from me wanting to listen to other people’s stories. They made me count my blessings and appreciate what I have.” Home visits to two Indian women with six to seven children reminded Shely of the care she had received from her family members. It gave her a sense of gratitude and hope to study hard to repay their kindness one day. Observing the children who were robbed of an education opportunity, she felt fortunate and cherishes her blessings even more. She emotionally expressed “I am grateful to my family members for sending me to school, and that I do not have to worry about food and clothing. I only appreciate it now but grandma is no longer around.” She shared that in the past, she could not accept the reality of her family situation, especially her mother’s actions which left fear lingering in her heart. After watching many inspiring videos, listening to volunteers’ advice and insights, she is now able to let go of her past and move on. Follow the examples With exposure to home visits, Shely tried to emulate the care that Tzu Chi volunteers showed, towards a Malay classmate who had lost her loved ones. Inspired by a speaker at the student reporters’ camp, she plucked up courage to become a student reporter, learning to conduct interviews and write reports for school activities. Her interview skills were largely influenced by her observations of how Tzu Chi volunteers interacted with the care recipients. Shely has also been helping out with plastic sorting at Tzu Chi’s monthly recycling activities and sharing about the concepts of environmental protection with her family. Although the impact seems minimal and her family has yet to take up the practice, the ideology of environmental protection and caring for the planet has impacted her. Shely had initially volunteered as it was a criterion for applying for the Tzu Chi study grant. However, it had turned out to be life changing. It has now become a monthly routine for her to volunteer!