At the recommendation of the Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore, the Children’s Charities Association (CCA) confers the annual Elaine Field Award to Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore Branch) for its volunteering services at the Cerebral Palsy Centre. Sister Hsu Hsueh Yu, the volunteer leader of Tzu Chi Singapore’s charity division, accepted the Elaine Field award from Member of Parliament of Paris Ris-Punggol GRC Mr. Michael Palmer on behalf of Tzu Chi.

A group of spastic children performed a simple ensemble for their guests under the guidance of their teachers during the award ceremony.

Representatives of the awarded organizations had a group picture with Mr. Palmer after the presentation.

The Spastic Children’s Association of Singapore was established in 1957 and caters to the medical and physiological needs of children. Its subsidiary, the Cerebral Palsy Centre (CPC) currently provides education to over 200 children aged from 5 to 18 according to their learning ability.   

The Tzu Chi Foundation got to know about CPC in 2005 during the officiating of its new chapter house at Pasir Ris. The Guest of Honour, Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC and Minister of Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean had a lasting impression of Tzu Chi then. At his request, Tzu Chi volunteers began visiting the neighbouring CPC right after the Foundation officially moved to Pasir Ris.

As the three-hour Friday musical and drama lesson progresses weekly, the friendship between the Tzu Chi volunteers and the spastic children blossoms and deepens while the feeling of lost and fear when faced with the twisted limbs and facial expressions of the children disappears. Together with the efforts of everyone, the spastic children were able to visit Tzu Chi’s Jing Si Hall twice with the friendly volunteers.  

Furthermore, the delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by Tzu Chi’s kitchen volunteers was nicely appreciated by many trainees at the centre’s Goodwill, Rehabilitation and Occupational Workshop (GROW).

Although Tzu Chi has stopped its services to CPC at the start of this year, the three years of volunteering and love earned recognition from both the teachers and school. On 10 October this year, during the presentation of the Elaine Field Award, Sister Hsu Hsueh Yu, the volunteer leader of Tzu Chi’s charity division, accepted the award from Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Mr Michael Palmer on behalf of Tzu Chi.

Tzu Chi’s blessings will always remain with the children. May they continue to grow happily.