Two weeks ago, Tzu Chi and Paya Lebar-Kovan Community Club’s Senior Citizen Executive Committee (SCEC) jointly organized an eco-awareness seminar at the club’s premises. Many residents were attracted to the idea of environmental conservation and had expressed their interest in purchasing environmental friendly dining sets from Tzu Chi. Picture: At the recycling station, visitors learn how recyclables are grouped into different categories.

During their visit to Jing Si Hall, residents of Kovan learnt about Tzu Chi’s missions from volunteers with the help of display boards.

After learning more about environmental protection from the volunteers, many residents purchased eco-friendly cutleries to show their support.

Recycling volunteers See Seng Hwa (left) and Chong Wei Luen showed the residents a mini display box with samples of various types of recyclables while they explained Tzu Chi’s pithy formula for the different categories of recyclables.

The residents visited Tzu Chi’ thrift shop and were surprised to see how new the discarded items (2nd hand) were.

Mr Chen De Li was deeply touched when he learnt that Tzu Chi is using the funds generated from the sale of recyclables to help needy students. He immediately passed some money to a volunteer as a donation in aid of those who suffer.

“Good morning!”
“Well, hello! We met not long ago!”
“That’s right. You have a good memory, Mdm. Guo!”

A simple exchange of greetings with Qigong instructor Guo Ya Meng marked the arrival of today’s guests – residents of Kovan neighborhood.

Two weeks earlier, Tzu Chi and Paya Lebar-Kovan Community Club’s Senior Citizen Executive Committee (SCEC) jointly organized an eco-awareness seminar at the club’s premises. Many residents were attracted to the idea of environmental conservation and had expressed their interest in purchasing eco-friendly dining sets displayed in the seminar. Hence, while planning the committee’s June 13 half-day excursion, Mdm Ang Hui Lan, chairwoman of SCEC, specially included Jing Si Hall in the itinerary so that the residents could gain a better understanding of environmental protection, vegetarianism and Tzu Chi.

The learning tour for the guests began with the recycling station and thrift shop behind Jing Si Hall. There were eight volunteers briefing the 46 residents in the hope to help them gain a better understanding of the categorization of various recyclables. In the thrift shop, the guests were surprised to discover how new the second-hand items were. One of the guests, Mdm Xu Yu Yin, told the volunteers, “When I thought of giving unwanted items to relatives and friends, those who’re wealthy did not bother to take them and those who’re less wealthy mistook we look down on them. In the end, I had to dispose all of them into the rubbish bin.” Now, Mdm Xu is happy to know where to send those items to – the monthly Tzu Chi recycling activity.

The guests were shown around Jing Si Hall before settling down to a talk on environmental protection given by recycling cadre See Seng Hwa and his partner Chong Wei Luen. When the host introduced Tzu Chi’s pithy formula for the recyclables, the guests were asked to stretch their arms straight and recite the formula aloud, counting the fingers at the same time. The elderly residents couldn’t help laughing as it was as if they had returned to their childhood days attending class.  

After the fun-filled lecture, it was time to have a taste of the vegetarian luncheon prepared by the kitchen volunteers. After Mdm. Cai Huang De had finished her lunch, she remarked that the food served was really delicious. As both her son and daughter-in-law were vegetarians, her family had plenty of vegetable dishes and very little meat during meal times. After learning that going vegetarian can help reduce global warming, Mdm. Cai pledged to try her best to be a vegetarian like her son and daughter-in-law. The volunteers were happy to hear that.    

When lunch was over, the guests went to the Jing Si Book Hut to purchase eco-friendly dining sets to show their support for environmental conservation. Mr. Chen De Li, who came with his wife, bought a dozen of reusable cups in a single purchase. He thought that the cups could be carried about easily and could help reduce paper cups usage, and make perfect gifts for relatives and friends too. When he learnt that Tzu Chi is using the funds generated from the sale of recyclables to help needy students in its ‘Seeds of Hope’ bursary project, Mr Chen immediately expressed his wish to make a donation in aid of the poor.