The Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Camp aims to inspire youths to serve the society in love. Photo by Chen Ming Yao
A fun ice-breaker game kick-started this year’s Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth (aka Tzu Ching) Camp. Waves of joyful laughter accompanied the camp’s theme song titled, “Little Giant”, stirring up a lively atmosphere within the usually austere Jing Si Hall.
The camp was held between 25th to 27th August, and attended by 23 students from various tertiary institutions. Over the three days’ camp, the youths temporarily put aside their smartphones, and embarked on a journey of self-discovery through a series of activities, including group games, inspiring and educational talks, video viewing, a visit to an old age home, etc.
A fun ice-breaker game kick-starts this year’s Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Camp. Photo by Chew Zheng Yang
The Beauty of Etiquette
To better understand the culture of Tzu Chi, the camp participants attended various “Beauty in Etiquette” classes, to learn about the basic decorum and etiquette in grooming, attire, dining, etc. observed in the organisation. As Dharma Master Cheng Yen says, “The beauty of a team comes from the beauty of each individual.” Thus Tzu Chi volunteers, including members of the Collegiate Youth Association, wear neat uniforms while engaging in the organisation’s activities, presenting a beautiful picture of unity.
At the dinning etiquette class, besides learning how to gracefully hold and eat with a bowl and chopsticks, the students also learned to cultivate a heart of gratitude and to cherish food. They learned to respect the food they have and not to be wasteful as every grain of rice comes from the hard work of farmers.
“There’s a great difference between walking with our eyes looking or not looking at our smartphones,” shared Tzu Ching senior Tai Kai Pik with much conviction. He explained why one should not look at one’s smartphone while walking and encouraged the student campers to cultivate a habit of living in the moment.
Although modern technology has brought many modern conveniences, there have been some undesirable side effects that have developed as a result. The students were also given the opportunity to participate in a debate to discuss the pros and cons of social media on humanity.
In the “Technology and Humanity” lecture, Tzu Ching senior Er Chern Han highlighted that man should be the master of technology, and not be controlled or influenced by it.
Tzu Ching senior Er Chern Han said in the “Technology and Humanity” class that man should be the master of technology, and not be controlled or influenced by it. Photo by Chuah Wen Cian
In a world where disasters are happening one after another, humanity needs an awakening call, to be aware of the impact of our actions on the environment. Tzu Ching senior Bernard Ng used the aid of short videos and environmental statistics, to raise the awareness of the urgent call to protect the earth. He hoped that everyone would start from themselves, by making changes to daily habits, such as choosing a simple lifestyle and going vegetarian, to protect the earth that we depend on for survival.
Finally, Tzu Ching seniors Tan Chu Yong and Hsu Tun Ying as well as Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Associate member Chen Jin Cai, shared their collective experiences of being active Tzu Chi volunteers. They shared that the work of charity and disaster-relief means giving the beneficiaries what they truly need, to encourage them to work to restore their lives, and is never about what we intend to give.
Hsu Tun Ying shared a touching account of how 51 children, who had received aid from Tzu Chi, saved a handful of rice each day and accumulated 110kg of rice, which they donated to Tzu Chi. This story deeply impacted the students; they were surprised and touched to learn of how aid beneficiaries could also leverage on their own efforts to be charitable and pay forward the love they had received.
The contribution of a single volunteer may seem as insignificant as a droplet of water. But as droplets of water can wear through stones, every bit of effort has its significance. As the Jing Si Aphorism says, “To seek the answers to life, we must first gain realisations through our actions.”
Penning Down Heartfelt Words for Parents
In the evening, the camp held a segment on “Filial Piety”, where the students listened to the sharing by two experienced Tzu Ching seniors, about their lives with their own parents. The sharing evoked feelings of empathy and compassion for the students’ own parents.
“Our parents will age, and there will come a time when they will leave us. Don’t wait until it’s too late; write down your heartfelt words for them now…”
The host gently coaxed the students to listen to the gentle voice in their hearts, and put their unspoken words to their own parents on paper.
As the students thought about their loved ones, many emotions and thoughts were brought to mind, and some stained their emotional letters with hot tears. A few even reread the heartfelt words they had written before slipping the letters into envelopes. When the letters were handed to their parents, they would personally read those touching words to them.
Students penning their heartfelt messages to their parents on paper. Photo by Chew Zheng Yang
On the final day of the camp, the students were brought to Evergreen Place (a nursing home for senior citizens). The youths exchanged shy greetings with the “grandmas” and “grandpas” at the home, gently stroking their wrinkled hands and holding their shoulders, akin to the real grandchildren of these lonely elderly folks. Then, they were divided into five teams, which presented different items of entertainment, including songs, sign language, skit, etc. Their lively performances brought much joy and cheer to the elderly residents. An elderly woman who is aged over 80 was so excited that she actually stood up and moved along with the youths, eliciting much joyful laughter from everyone.
Tzu Chi’s collegiate volunteers bring much joy and laughter to the “grandmas” and “grandpas” at Evergreen Place. Photo by Chew Zheng Yang
Liu Shi Ni, who was accompanying a granny, while looking at the joyful face of the granny, couldn’t help but think of the infirmed in the hospital where she served as a third-year nursing intern from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. In the process of her internship, she came across lonely and sick patients waiting in vain for their family members to visit them, but could only look upon the neighbouring patients, who were visited by their families, with some degree of envy.
“They must really need love and care from people,” shared Liu.
Cai Qi Qian, who was performing Gu Zheng in front of an audience for the first time, didn’t feel exhausted even though she practised till 11:30pm on the night before. She said, “Although I felt a little anxious, witnessing the happy smiles on the faces of the grandmas and grandpas filled my heart with joy.”
There is Benevolence in Everyone’s Heart
At the closing ceremony, nursing student Zhang Wen Cong shared, “When we were doing the sign language for the song, ‘The Face of Happiness’, the grandmas mirrored our hand-signs. The last action was to hold our own smiley faces with both hands, and when I saw them reveal such a look of happiness and joy, I, too, was elated.”
Presently a nursing student, Zhang enjoys interacting with the elderly. Thus, the care visit to the nursing home really touched his heart.
Zhang Wen Cong, a nursing student, was deeply moved by the care visit to Evergreen Place. Photo by Chew Zheng Yang
Student, Zhang Ying Er, supported Tzu Chi’s efforts in protecting the environment through recycling, and was even willing to cut down on meat consumption to show her care for the environment. She also hoped to be able to take part in disaster relief efforts one day, to reach out to those in need.
Towards the end of the ceremony, the main hall in the venue was lit up by beautiful lamps arranged into a heart shape by the youths. There was an illuminated Chinese character, “humanity”, within the heart, as if to remind everyone: “There is humane love in every human heart.”
Our society indeed needs more young people with hearts of compassion, to protect our planet, and to spread love and kindness around the world.
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