At the conclusion of their two day camp, Singapore Tzu Shaos held a celebration that featured a talent showcase, as well as a food, arts and crafts bazaar to raise funds for the Tzu Chi Seeds of Hope Financial Assistance Scheme. （Photo by Chen Yong Liang）
From 21 to 22 November, Singapore Tzu Shaos (students of the Tzu Chi Teenagers Class) were busy with a two-day camp which concluded with a celebration at the Jing Si Hall on the last day. The celebration was attended by 300 people and featured a talent showcase, as well as a food, arts and crafts bazaar to raise funds for the Tzu Chi Seeds of Hope Financial Assistance Scheme.
With the help of team facilitators, the Tzu Shaos were fully involved from planning to execution and displayed great team spirit. Tzu Chi volunteer Hong Li Huan commented that the great unity of efforts shown by Tzu Shaos resulted in the successful completion in every area of the event, from food preparation to cleaning. Hong firmly believes in the potential of the Tzu Shaos and remarked that be it a talent performance or contribution of hard work, as long as the teenagers have a willing spirit, success will follow.
Tzu Shaos hard at work rehearsing for the next day’s programme. （Photo by Xu Jing Sheng）
Surmounting Obstacles to Benefit Oneself and Others
“You must hold the knife this way, (and with) fingers holding the food steady, your hand would not be injured as you slice.” Volunteer Su Zhang Xing carefully instructs 14-year-old Xu Xiu Qi.
Xu does not normally venture into the kitchen and had always felt that using a knife was dangerous. However, he chose to be part of the culinary team for the celebration and soon overcame any qualms he had. Holding a knife for the first time, he carefully sliced ingredients for the vegetarian sushi; with each slice, his actions became more confident. He completed his task and even volunteered his help with another team to help cut up fruits. After he was done, Xu who is tall and sturdily built, confessed that his body was aching from bending over to slice the ingredients. He realized then, the discomfort that his mother experienced in preparing food for the family.
Xu also had another task which he carried out tirelessly with a cheery demeanour—promoting pineapple pastries to visitors at the event. His mother observed that since he joined the parent-child bonding class when he was in Primary Three, the normally introverted boy had become more considerate of others and had become better at social interactions. Watching him introduce the confections to strangers to raise funds for charity, she could not help but be touched by the change in his character.
With the help of team facilitators, the Tzu Shaos were fully involved in the planning and execution of the camp. Here, Xu Xiu Qi is pictured preparing fruit. （Photo by Zhou Zheng Yang）
Actualizing Potential Through Actions
On the first floor of the Jing Si Hall, cute handiworks of animals and action heros handmade by the Tzu Shaos were out in full display. Among the many exhibits from calligraphy to various types of arts and crafts, the 3D origami display doubtless received the most attention.
The Tzu Shaos displayed what a pair of creative hands could do with paper— origami art could give life to a whole range of cute animals and cartoon characters. （Photo by Guo Pei Gen）
Bai Jie only picked up the art of Chinese calligraphy three months ago, and regardless of whether he was familiar with the Chinese character or not, he had duly reproduced the strokes under the guidance of experienced Tzu Chi volunteers. Knowing that the proceeds of the charity bazaar would go towards education for needy students, he worked on the calligraphy pieces even more mindfully and with greater zeal.
Tzu Shaos busily decorating the Jing Si Hall for the event. （Photo by Chen Yong Liang）
At the prayer hall on the third floor, apart from a generous spread of food available for tasting, visitors were also treated to a feast for the eyes with performances of Scottish bagpipes, singing, Wushu and drama. Warm applause would frequently ring out from the appreciative audience.
Apart from a generous spread of food available for tasting, visitors at the camp were also treated to a feast for the eyes with performances of Scottish bagpipes, singing, wushu, and drama. （Photo by He Yao Yong）
In the drama “A Grateful Heart”, a mother works as a cleaner during the day and takes on a part-time job collecting recyclables at night. Her children feel ashamed of their mother and only understand the extent of her love when she is taken ill from exhaustion.
Volunteer Chee Chen Sin, who is a member of the Tzu Chi International Medical Association and one of the play writers, said, “The play reflects (the situation of) how many children feel ashamed of their parents’ (lowly) social status and experience emotional upheaval, especially in front of their friends.”
Chee hoped that the short play would bring across the message that children should be grateful for the sacrifices that their parents have made for the family, while parents need to show love and patience when communicating with their children.
Madam Chen Li Zhen, whose son attends the Tzu Chi Teenagers Class despite the fact that they live one and a half hour journey away, said that the experience of performing on stage had built confidence in her child. She ranked good character building ahead of academic success, as good grades could still be achieved if one puts in the required hard work.
In the drama “A Grateful Heart” put up by Tzu Shaos, a mother works as a cleaner during the day and takes on a part-time job at night. Her children feel ashamed of her and only understand the extent of her love when she is taken ill from exhaustion. （Photo by Fu Ya Tian）
Dr. Chee Chen Sin (seated, second from left), who is a member of Tzu Chi’s medical association and one of the play writers for the drama performed at the camp, experienced closer interaction with his children after sending his son to the teenagers class. He is pictured here with his wife receiving tea from his son. （Photo by He Yao Yong）
Putting Learning into Practice and Benefitting Others
During the preparations leading up to the event, He Jia Ling could frequently be seen taking the initiative to help others. Whether it was helping with food preparation in the kitchen or moving items from the first to third floor, she was happy to be of help. Her mother, too, had accompanied her in the activity.
“Being part of this large (Tzu Chi) family and helping to achieve a common goal, (whereby) funds raised will help needy students buy food is very meaningful,” she said.
Tzu Shao He Jia Ling (first from left) serving food to volunteers at the camp. （Photo by Zhou Zheng Yang）
He’s mother Madam Liao Ying Hua has noticed that since her daughter joined the parent-child bonding class at the age of eight, she had become more proactive and disciplined. As the only child, He would help out with housework on her own accord as her mother suffered from a sensitive skin condition of the hands. Her mother noted that she would now wash and take the clothes in without being told and this change was especially obvious after her father’s passing this year.
Madam Liao was grateful for the concern shown to her daughter during that difficult period, and seeing that the event was a means to raise funds for charity and engage in good, she wholeheartedly encouraged her daughter to support the activity.
For the family of Lin Zhen Xing, creative 3-D paper craftwork was a family affair that included his wife and two children who are also students of the parent-child bonding class and teenagers class. His nine-year-old daughter Lin Xin Ying even played the role of teacher and taught the Tzu Shaos how to fashion origami artwork. As each Tzu Shao could receive a token of $10 in value with which to shop at the bazaar, little Xin Ying hoped that the craft work would not be priced too high so that every one of them could have some money left over to buy snacks or other items.
Lin Xin Ying, a student from the parent-child bonding class (right), teaching Tzu Shaos how to create origami art. （Photo by Liao Ying Chun）
A Bedrock of Support for Others
Both Hong Ling and Zhuo Su Fei, former Tzu Shaos themselves, shuttled busily among the Tzu Shaos, helping them with the day’s arrangements. The girls expressed how they had learnt so much about life principles by attending the classes, as the invaluable concepts could not be picked up elsewhere. They were passionate about continuing their mentoring of the later cohorts of Tzu Shaos, just like how their seniors had done the same for them. Currently local tertiary students, they spend most of their free time helping out with the curriculum of the teenagers class.
The bazaar drew to a close with a sum of almost $4,000, and this would go towards benefitting more than 40 student recipients of Tzu Chi’s educational financial assistance scheme. At the same time, it can be said that the Tzu Shaos have found the right direction in life by allowing the seeds of good to take root firmly when they are still young, working to benefit others even as they benefit their own spiritual development.
Local tertiary student Hong Ling (right), a former Tzu Shao, now helps with lesson planning for the teenagers’ class. （Photo by Pua Poo Toong）
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