In recent years, Tzu Chi Singapore branch has been actively promoting its mission of environmental protection with the message “Protect Our Planet with Love”. With cordial support from community groups, the Foundation has held eco-awareness seminars in several neighbourhoods in end May to help instil environmental consciousness among local residents. On September 12, the Southeast district volunteers hosted an “Eco-Awareness Nite” for residents of Siglap Lucky Valley.

A total of 380 tickets were given gratis by the RC to the residents following three rounds of visits to the residents’ homes to ensure that every resident was invited.  The volunteers were happy to see many more turned up on the day itself.

Mr Samuel Lim commended on Tzu Chi’s proactive green approach in his speech and called for a paradigm shift in the residents’ mindset towards mindful living.

Audience paying attention to the videos and PowerPoint slides showing environmental facts.

Volunteers explain the origin of the eco-friendly blankets – that they're made from recycled PET bottles – to the residents.

The volunteers put up a rousing rendition of the Hokkien Tzu Chi song “Let’s All Recycle”, much to the amusement and delight of the audience. Picture shows the latter sportingly joined in in a repeat performance.

An expatriate Indian couple registered as members to support Tzu Chi’s cause.

Quoting last month’s Typhoon Morakot disaster in Taiwan, the emcees invited the audience to pray for a disaster-free world in accordance with their respective religions before the programme closing.

In October 2006, British economist and academic Professor Nicholas Stern released a report entitled “The Economics of Climate Change” which clearly points out that severe flooding, famine, and drought are the devastating consequences of climate change in which worsening greenhouse effect is the main contributing factor. Professor Stern also stressed that industrialized countries’ commitment to curb greenhouse gas emissions needs to be translated into actions urgently.

Since global warming is largely fuelled by human activities, only humankind can help save the Earth from further damage. In recent years, Tzu Chi Singapore branch has been actively promoting its mission of environmental protection to the public. Its 10 recycling points which operate monthly on every second Sunday have attracted the attention of many curious residents, some of whom have been inspired to join the ranks of the recycling effort.

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For over three years, Mr Samuel Lim, Chairman of Siglap Lucky Valley RC, has been zealously trying to promote recycling programme in his community. The result was however barely satisfactory: Only 20 families had supported the programme till now.

Last May, having introduced by one of his committee members, the 37-year-old Chairman, who is also a History lecturer at Hwa Chong Institution, paid a visit to the Chai Chee Tzu Chi recycling point. The organized effort and dedication of the recycling volunteers not only had him impressed but also shed light on his vision. He decided to collaborate with Tzu Chi in hope that its volunteers can help give a push to the community’s eco-awareness level.

The Eco-Awareness Nite is what came out from the two parties’ meeting discussions.

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On the morning of September 12, the first batch of volunteers arrived at the Open Plaza which lies between Block 66 and 68 along Bedok South Avenue 3 to fix up the venue. Despite the afternoon heat, the Open Plaza looked very cosy and welcoming after their decoration.

Bags of recyclables and an organic compost- and enzyme-making booth which lined one side of the venue formed the eco-education zone. A mini gallery where photographs with explanatory notes on the missions carried out by Tzu Chi Singapore branch were hung on tall wooden racks and a stall selling eco-friendly products were set up on the other side. Delicious and healthy vegetarian snacks, magazines, little booklets and leaflets providing information on Tzu Chi and environmental protection were beautifully arranged on every row of tables by the volunteers. Even dates were prepared for the Muslim residents who break their fast in the evenings of Ramadan (the month of fasting). 

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Residents started flocking into the Open Plaza after 6.30 pm and soon the venue was filled with merry chatters of a 400-strong crowd made up of families, neighbours and friends.

A few minutes after 7pm, the emcees went on stage and extended a warm welcome to all. As an introduction to Tzu Chi Foundation and its Singapore branch, a video - “Great Love in Lion City” was shown to the audience. Then, the emcees introduced the “Seeds of Hope” programme which provides monthly meal and transport allowances to needy secondary school students.

Following the introductory segment was a ceremonial vegetarian dinner presentation and a brief explanation on the health benefits of meatless diet by the emcees. There was also a free flow of soy milk sponsored by Mr Bean, a leading soya bean food and beverage retailer in Singapore and a keen supporter of charity programmes.

After dinner, Mr Samuel Lim gave a welcome speech to the guests and stressed that environmental protection has become an imperative and hoped that the residents would play a more active role in protecting the environment. The audience’s attention was later drawn to images on the screen depicting the devastating effects of global warming. The video highlighted the fact that scientists had predicted an increase in the frequency of climate-related disasters of greater intensity due to greenhouse effect. It also suggested three ways to reduce emissions as recommended by the IPCC (the United Nations’ Nobel Prize-winning scientific panel on climate change): Eat less meat, ride a bike and lead a simple life.    

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle

Next, active home visit and recycling volunteer Cai Rongfu was invited to share on the lifestyle his family is leading. His 10-month-old baby daughter uses cotton nappies at home and wears clothes and plays with toys that are passed down by her elder brother or children of friends and relatives. Quoting several daily do’s and don’ts, he urged everyone to start practicing the 5 Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle for the sake of the future of their loved ones. 

Another volunteer Fung Soon Yoke then shared how she conserves water and electricity at home. “I reuse the water collected from showers, hand-washing, and those from the washing machine to wash toilets and mop the floor.” The volunteer also ensures that all her electrical appliances are switched off at the sockets when they are not in use as this will cut down on energy consumption. Highlighting the fact that disposable bamboo chopsticks are dipped in toxic chemicals in the production process, Sister Fung appealed to the audience to shun them and use eco-friendly chopsticks instead.         

A remark to ponder

“Although parents may leave their money and property to their children out of love, material possessions are no longer useful when the environment becomes seriously polluted.”

Following the emcees’ earnest remark, a team made up of five Tzu Chi families and young volunteers went on stage signing to the melodious song “A Clean Earth”. The audience were quick to connect with the beautiful lyrics “Let’s leave for our children, a planet clean and pure…” and clapped along the music.

Janet, a 30-year resident of Bedok South, was seated with some of her old friends and neighbours that night. She commented that the night’s programme was “a good start” and “very touching”. “(Being environmental responsible) is not for us, it is for the future generation,” said the middle-aged lady.

Monica Ma, an RC committee member who went to the same convent girls’ school as Janet, was deeply impressed with how well the volunteers had organised and run the night’s event. “It’s very enlightening for the young who have never suffered as it shows them what the real world is like outside.” Her daughter, a polytechnic student majoring in Biomedical Science, said that environmental protection is a very basic thing to do as “everybody wants to live in a clean environment”.

Indeed, nobody wants to live on a planet damaged by pollution. The following day happened to be Tzu Chi’s monthly recycling day and the residents were invited to join the recycling activity at the recycling points in Chai Chee and Bedok.

After all the guests had left, the RC committee members including Mr Samuel Lim stayed to wash the floor of the venue. In less than an hour, the Open Plaza was restored to its original condition. The Tzu Chi volunteers of the Southeast district had a long but fulfilling day.