Mdm Goh happily interacting with volunteers. Celebrating her birthday the very next day, Mdm Goh wishes for peace on earth and a speedy recovery for Japan.
A quarter of a century ago, when education on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was yet widespread, AIDS was widely misunderstood and people infected were treated like a plague. After a group of American artists started using red ribbons as a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS and their caregivers in 1991, pinning red ribbons was since seen as a symbol of hope and a desire for equality.
Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore Branch) began reaching out to its first HIV beneficiary in 1998. Since then, in addition to medical assistance, Tzu Chi periodically organizes a befriending session for the increasing number of patients and their families, hoping that the variety of activities and encouragement among fellow beneficiaries would give further meaning to their lives.
This year's first “Heart-to-Heart” befriending session fell on the first Sunday of April. As the day coincided with the Chinese's Tomb Sweeping Day and Tzu Chi's Japan relief street fundraising, the session was held at 2pm so that volunteers could make time to meet with the Foundation's Friends of the Heart Lotus (alternative name for AIDS patients under Tzu Chi's care).
Everybody was smiling and greeting each other joyously upon seeing one another at Jing Si Hall. To kick-start the long-awaited gathering, a group of young volunteers went on stage to perform the bubbly "Happy Face" song, with the Mandarin lyrics translated into English and screened as subtitles for the Malay and Indian friends to understand its meanings and join in the fun.
Regaining purpose of life
The emcees of the session were always multi-lingual, sharing in Mandarin, Malay, English and occasionally Hokkien and Cantonese. In the event that video screenings were in Mandarin, the volunteers would act as on-the-spot translators, ensuring that our Malay and Indian friends were not left out.
The video story featured that day was about a primary school pupil named Yang Pei Ying who suffered from severe thalassemia, a blood disorder disease that requires constant blood transfusion. In order to help Pei Ying's family to afford treatment, Pei Ying's teachers and classmates organized a donation drive and a charity sale in their campus to raise funds for her bone marrow transplant operation. Their collective kindness and the resilience of little Pei Ying moved many Friends of the Heart Lotus to tears.
"She is a brave girl," said Mr Kong, his eyes reddened.
Mr Kong truly identified with the love showered on Pei Ying as when Tzu Chi volunteers first walked into his life, Mr Kong himself was in a battle against the chronic illness. Sick and unable to swallow, he had to rely on nasogastric tube for food intake and was constantly in pain. Fortunately, with the companionship of family members and Tzu Chi volunteers, Mr Kong’s health gradually improved. Two years on, Mr Kong is now able to walk out of his residence and volunteer in Tzu Chi's monthly recycling activity.
When the Singapore government extended the Medifund assistance for HIV treatment last year and subsidized his medication, Mr Kong gladly requested that Tzu Chi terminates the medical assistance rendered to him and further signed up as a donating member to the Foundation. "I'm very grateful to Tzu Chi and my involvement is just a small act of sharing," remarked the beneficiary with a beaming smile.
We are one family
"Because we are one family, we depend on and give gratitude to each other. Because we are one family, we share and shoulder each other's burden..."
The second song of the gathering, "One Family", was not translated into English but instead sung by Malay student, Muhd Rakin, in both Mandarin and Malay. The surprising performance by the 17-year-old received multiple applauses from the floor.
Rakin is a beneficiary of Tzu Chi’s "Seeds of Hope" bursary programme. When Tzu Chi volunteers first visited his family and understood the family’s financial constraint, extra living assistance was rendered, including the emergency transport allowance for his mother when Rakin was hospitalized for a heart bypass surgery three weeks ago.
With a grateful heart, Rakin hoped that his voice can offer encouragement to the Friends present. Although impoverished, Rakin thinks he is fortunate to live in Singapore – a country without any natural disasters – and that he should play his part in spreading the seeds of love, just like the love given to him by the Tzu Chi uncles and aunties.
Giving without expecting returns
The Chin’s family is another family that deeply felt the volunteers’ love. Mdm Chin shared that two years ago, the financial burden from sustaining her four young children, her elderly mum and her youngest brother’s HIV medication, which amounted to over a thousand dollars monthly, almost left her gasping for air. Just when she was at the brink of breaking down, Tzu Chi offered a helping hand to her family and greatly lessened her burden.
On the day of the befriending session, with her brother’s medical bills being subsidized by Medifund and her own financial situation improved, Mdm Chin handed a cheque of a thousand dollars to the volunteers after hearing that Tzu Chi was raising funds for the Japan earthquake and tsunami disasters.
“I'm always happy to give. I'm just worried that I may not have the capacity to support every cause,” remarked Mdm Chin, who also became a donating member during the session, joining her two brothers who were already donors of the Foundation.
The spirit of mutual love and giving without expecting returns was strongly felt not only by Mdm Chin but among the Friends of the Heart Lotus and their families as well. Understanding that a little money can go a long way, the Friends gladly offered their part by donating towards the Japan relief fund. They also penned blessing cards, offering their blessings and well wishes to Japan.
The red ribbon is a visual symbol that demonstrates compassion for people living with HIV. Through a small gesture, Friends of the Heart Lotus showed that they too can be givers of compassion, spreading love and concern to people in need.
The sign language of "Happy Face” brought smiles to everyone’s faces.
Mdm Chin (2nd from right, sitting), together with her mum and brother, specially prepared a cheque donation to Tzu Chi after hearing that the Foundation is raising funds for Japan disaster survivors.
Singing "One Family" in both Mandarin and Malay, Seeds of Hope recipient, Muhd Rakin, hoped that his voice can offer encouragement to everyone.
Friends of the Heart Lotus pray earnestly for Japan’s disaster survivors. With his health greatly improved, Mr Kong (3rd from the left) joins our volunteers for recycling every month.
Understanding that little money can go a long way, the Friends gladly played their part by donating towards the Japan relief fund.
A Friend penning her wishes for the affected people in Japan.
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