The stage curtains have fallen for the second season of the VERO campaign. In order to show their token of appreciation to everyone involved, the VERO committee held a warm appreciation tea at the Tzu Chi Singapore Free Clinic on the 15th of December. Through video clips and sharing by the organizers, thirty participants were set off on a time machine, viewing back the bits and pieces that happened during VERO activities in year 2012.

18 year old Rakin has to learn to control his food intake to minimize his medicine intake frequency due to his family’s tight financial situation. He was born with ventricular septal defect (hole in the heart), and later on developed diabetes, high blood pressure and hereditary obesity, etc. Notwithstanding his medical conditions, he still goes all his way out to work part time after school to supplement his family’s income. He also reciprocates the assistance he receives from Tzu Chi and the society through singing with a soothing voice.

On 15 and 16 December 2012, more than a thousand students under Tzu Chi Seeds of Hope (SOH) bursary programme received blessings from their teachers, parents and Tzu Chi volunteers during the four sessions of SOH Bursary Presentation Ceremony held by Tzu Chi within the two days. For the past four years since the programme was first launched, Tzu Chi volunteers in Singapore have been actively involved in engaging the schools and families over the island. In the process, some of the teachers and students are being motivated to participate in Tzu Chi’s community recycling activities. Some students have also responded to Tzu Chi “Bamboo Coin Bank” collection campaign which provides them an opportunity to pay back and reciprocate their love for Tzu Chi.

Together with Tzu Chi Chapters from 20 other countries, Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore Branch) launched the “Help Hurricane Survivors, Send Love to USA” Street Donation Drive to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

On 25th November 2012, Tzu Chi volunteers fanned out across Neighbourhood Centres on the island and also the central shopping districts such as Orchard Road and Bugis Street in the hope of raising as much funds as possible. From dawn till dusk, a total of 816 volunteer man hours were recorded with donation boxes gradually filled with love, kindness and blessings to the Hurricane victims on the other side of the globe.

The 2nd Tzu Chi Forum was taking place on November 3-4 at the Yifu Conference Centre of Renmin (People’s) University in Beijing. It was hosted by Tzu Chi University, Renmin University, Peking University and the foundation and attended by leading members of the foundation and scholars and religious leaders from the mainland.

Tzu Chi Singapore Branch has been taking care of HIV patients for close to 15 years, gaining in recent years recognition and identification from many in the society. To top it all, Tzu Chi Singapore Branch is even invited to participate in the 8th Singapore AIDS Conference for the first time in 2012 to showcase its achievements accumulated over the years.

On the 11th of November, TIMA dentists, together with medical assistants and Tzu Chi volunteers, completed dental check up for 15 mentally challenged kids. The children received their dental examinations amidst laughter in a relaxed environment, much to the relief of their parents.

From 29th to 31st October 2012, 8 members of the Singapore’s Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) flown to Taiwan with the main objective of visiting Tzu Chi Hospital in Hualien. From there they had a deeper understanding on how Tzu Chi conducts its integrated care and upholding it vision of humanity in medicine. At the end of the 3 day visit, the group also took the opportunity to visit Master Cheng Yen at the Jing Si Abode.