The world of Tzu Chi Nov-Dec 2022 (Vol.144)

2022 • 12 22 A better future awaits I n October 2022, when universities and colleges in Malaysia were welcoming their new students, Hemah a/p Manugaran was struggling to fork out extra money for his 19-year-old son, Puaneswaran a/l Arumugam, who would report to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Johor. Albeit feeling proud of her son, she faced financial constraints and had no time to accompany her son to prepare for his enrolment. She could not help but asked a volunteer who rang her up: “I have no idea what to prepare. By Low Siew Lian Translated by Chung Chin Sei Photo by Low Siew Lian It may take time to overcome hardship. However, with support and company from others, it may feel less overwhelming and more hopeful that a better future awaits. Can aunty volunteer help me?” The “aunty” volunteer she mentioned was Lee Chew Yee. Upon learning that Puaneswaran had only two sets of clothes, Chew Yee quickly invited volunteer Ng Ton Leong to drive Puaneswaran from Alor Gajah, which is 21 km away, to the Tzu Chi Ayer Keroh Recycling-cum-Education Centre to choose some clothing from the pre-loved item section. After selecting a few shirts, t-shirts and jeans for him, volunteers took him to town to pecial Feature