Fang Yuting walks along the Tzu Chi path hand in hand with her seven-year-old daughter. (Photo by Donn Tan Zheng Yu)
What if a single story could ignite a lifetime of purpose? That is exactly what happened to Fang Yuting in 2003. She picked up a Taiwanese magazine and was captivated by a story of how volunteers from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation in Taiwan transformed an impoverished family's life.
The words leapt off the page, and the lessons of service, compassion and love ignited an inner fire. Even as a youth, she already had the heart to serve the community, often initiating visits to residents of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital during the Chinese New Year period to bring festive cheer. "I thought, how nice if Tzu Chi had a Singapore branch," she said, believing that she would be able to contribute more to society through Tzu Chi.
As fate would have it, that very weekend, while ambling along the streets of Chinatown, she chanced upon Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore)'s 10th anniversary exhibition held at its former headquarters. "I walked through the doors, and I learnt more about the far-reaching impact of the Foundation’s works. That day was the beginning of my Tzu Chi journey."
A month later, Yuting enrolled into the Singapore Management University (SMU), entering a new phase of her life. Her experience as a newly minted Tzu Chi volunteer was so transformative that she felt compelled to share it with others. "Tzu Chi’s teachings centre on cultivating sincerity, integrity, faith, and steadfastness, all while practising loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. I felt that with the right environment, more students could come to embody these values and find ways to serve the world and benefit society."
Even as a freshman navigating new commitments and uncharted territory, Yuting had the courage and determination to establish a brand-new Tzu Chi chapter at the university. "I was truly humbled when the school approved my application for the Tzu Ching (Tzu Chi Youth) Club to become official. It coincided with my birthday, and that was the best present ever!"
Fuelled by camaraderie, the Tzu Chings approached every volunteer mission as a team, supporting one another while creating a meaningful impact on the community. (Photo provided by Fang Yuting)
Advocating Tzu Chi’s way of life in SMU
As President of the Tzu Ching Club, the onus was on Yuting to drive recruitment. “It wasn’t easy, as business students tend to possess a ‘what’s in it for me’ mindset. Many Tzu Chi teachings were in Mandarin, so we struggled to find content suitable for English-speaking students.”
Undeterred, she organised many activities to spread awareness. To encourage fellow students to adopt vegetarianism, the club held a food fair called "心素食仪”, highlighting the benefits of a plant-based diet. As many of her university peers enjoyed attending talks and seminars, the club hosted an illuminating seminar titled “My Happy Life”. “We invited Brother David Liu, then CEO of Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), to give a talk and inspire young people who were at a crossroads in their lives. The seminar received an overwhelmingly positive response.”
In the spirit of giving back, the club also held a fundraising campaign to support Tzu Chi’s medical mission to Batam. Using plain t-shirts as canvases, students were invited to paint and write messages of hope. The Tzu Ching Club then presented the t-shirts to children in Batam.
Two decades later, Yuting still remains close friends with Poh Yu Gui, her fellow alum and successor.
Yuting still remembers fondly the home visits to Singapore Leprosy Relief Association (SILRA). Circa the 1940s, leprosy was thought to be contagious and incurable, so patients were confined at SILRA. Many were stigmatised and neglected by their families. Decades later, despite medical breakthroughs and a deeper understanding of the condition, many of the residents were still shunned by society. Undeterred, the Tzu Chings visited the elderly residents and provided companionship. On occasions like the Mid-Autumn Festival, they performed for them and took them on lantern walks around the compound. "We wanted them to know that while the rest of Singapore was enjoying their celebrations, they were not forgotten.”
Yuting caring for SILRA’s residents as a Tzu Ching. (Photo by Wong Twee Hee)
A Strengthened Sense of Purpose
A chance encounter, which transpired some time before her first year as a Tzu Chi volunteer, would deepen Yuting’s dedication to volunteerism. After enjoying a sedate afternoon at Jing Si Books and Cafe, she came across an elderly woman who was doggedly pushing a cart. When she saw that the hunched-over woman had difficulty picking up pieces of cardboard, Yuting swiftly went to help.
One piece of cardboard led to another. Together, they scoured the streets, rummaging through garbage for cardboards, cans and bottles. Through their conversations, she learnt that the elderly woman lived alone in a nearby rental flat. After two hours of toiling in the scorching heat, it was finally time for the elderly woman to receive payment. "I thought she would get at least five dollars for her laborious effort. But alas! She only received 95 cents, and the buyer initially even wanted her to return 5 cents in change. My immediate thought was I could've given her the one dollar myself!" But a sudden realisation stayed Yuting’s would-be gesture: collecting recyclables was the elderly woman's way of earning a living, maintaining dignity and preserving independence. There and then, her sympathy turned into admiration.
The jolting encounter opened Yuting's eyes to the dark corners of Singapore, how many elderly folks had to work arduously just to make ends meet. "Many of our pioneers contributed tremendously to nation building, but in their twilight years, they’re abandoned to live in loneliness. I felt compelled to make sure they receive the care they deserve."
Determined to be a beacon of light for this forsaken group of elderly, Yuting stepped up to be a part of Tzu Chi’s Elderly Care Day, an initiative that cared for elderly folks living alone in Chinatown’s rental flats. Every month, at the open-air square near the former headquarters, Tzu Chi volunteers would perform for them, provide massages as well as serve them lunch. The elderly woman in Yuting’s fateful encounter was also a regular participant, and the two of them enjoyed a meaningful friendship until she eventually passed away.
Three Generations of Tzu Chi Females
2004 marked a watershed year for Yuting. Participating in the year-end Tzu Ching camp, which was replete with Master Cheng Yen’s teachings and group sharing, was a deeply enriching experience. During the camp, they received news of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. All the Tzu Chings — hailing from Singapore, Malacca and Taiwan — were immediately mobilised to do street fundraising. From her very first flag day experience to the warmth permeating the camp, Yuting was touched to her core. “It was at this camp that I made a vow to follow Master Cheng Yen, lifetime after lifetime.”
This vow she has kept until today. Even with the pursuit of a career and starting her own family, Yuting continues to devote her time to Tzu Chi. Having earned the rank of Tzu Chi Commissioner, she is currently a key member of the Training Group, which trains the new crop of Tzu Chi volunteers. Facilitating the sessions requires her to study Master Cheng Yen’s Life Wisdom and the teachings shared by other Masters at Jing Si Abode, helping her grow both in wisdom and in dedication to the Bodhisattva path.
For Yuting, her rewards as a Tzu Chi volunteer are not just the lives she has touched or the friendships she has forged, but also stronger familial ties. Both her mother and daughter are a part of the Tzu Chi community. It was a deliberate decision to sign up for the Parent-Child Bonding Class along with her seven-year-old daughter Zhixuan, fondly known as Xuanxuan to many volunteers. The sessions include teaching of Jing Si Aphorisms and aim to improve communication skills between parents and children, impart filial piety and inculcate environmental vegetarianism. Through the sessions, both Yuting and Xuanxuan learnt lessons on love and care towards each other.
“Children in Singapore are very blessed. Not only do they have to cherish what they have, they also have to give back to society.” For this reason, Yuting regularly involves her daughter in Tzu Chi events. “I know that the friendships she makes at Tzu Chi will withstand the test of time, just like mine have.”
Yuting’s mother is also a stalwart in Tzu Chi’s community of volunteers. “She is actively involved in events such as Charity Day and Environmental Sustainability Day. In fact, whenever my life got too busy, whenever I felt like giving up, she’s the one who kept me from wandering off the Tzu Chi path.”
Together with her mother, Yuting pays care visits to beneficiaries on the first Sunday of every month, which is Tzu Chi’s Charity Day. During these home visits, they provide a listening ear, help ease worries and identify areas where the beneficiaries may need assistance. Her unwavering dedication to befriending vulnerable elderly folks has spanned over 20 years, tracing back to her junior college days when she first brought joy to the residents of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital.
Together with her mother, who is also a Tzu Chi commissioner, Fang Yuting makes use of their day off on the first Sunday of every month to visit families receiving assistance. (Photo by Donn Tan Zheng Yu)
An Enduring Motivation to Serve
Yuting’s natural affinity with the elderly comes as no surprise. Her late grandparents helped raise her, as her parents were often busy with work. “My grandfather used to hold my hand and, stroke by stroke, taught me how to write my Chinese name. He was a chess master, and during the holidays I would spend countless hours playing with him.” Simple gestures — from her grandmother mending a hole in her clothes to her grandfather preparing his braised specialities for Chinese New Year — were their way of expressing love.
Bathed in such abundant loving-kindness, Yuting grew into the compassionate soul she is today. Whenever she spends time with elderly folks, she is whisked back to the precious moments with her own grandparents. These memories not only bring her comfort but also inspire her to offer the same warmth and companionship to others, turning every interaction into an act of heartfelt connection.
Over the past 20 years, Yuting has met people from all walks of life. Like every true blue Tzu Chi volunteer, she treats every beneficiary with respect and gratitude. “When we present beneficiaries with something during disaster relief missions, we do so with both hands, and we execute a 90-degree bow.” She also expresses gratitude to those she serves, upholding the Foundation’s humanistic values. “As Master Cheng Yen says: ‘By seeing the suffering of others, we come to realise our own blessings.’ Our beneficiaries give us the opportunity to serve them, and rather than expecting them to be thankful, we should be grateful to them.”
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