![At the end of the first semester, five children were awarded the Best Participation Award, Best Performance Award and Perfect Attendance Award. [Photo by Ch'ng Kooi Tick]](/images/Articles/CS/2022/KL20221028_zgh02_006.jpg "At the end of the first semester, five children were awarded the Best Participation Award, Best Performance Award and Perfect Attendance Award. [Photo by Ch'ng Kooi Tick]")
On a wet afternoon, Tzu Chi volunteers hastened through the drizzle towards a flat in Puchong with two bags of daily necessities. It was the monthly Charity Day, and the family of care recipient, Sitrah a/p Annapan, gave the volunteers a warm welcome to their home.
Sitrah lives with her husband, seven children aged 8 to 16, and her bedridden mother. There were two desks on the left side of the living room, a sick bed at a corner, and stacks of books here and there. As the two rooms were filled with clothing, cooking utensils and stuff from their previous businesses, the living room became the only space left for the family to spend their days at, and sleep in at night.
Sitrah used to sell clothes around the flat premises, and had also worked as a food hawker. In 2019, she suffered from a hernia, and her health deteriorated post the surgery. Coupled with the need to take care of her children and mother, she was no longer able to go out to work. After the initial home visit and due assessments, Tzu Chi began to subsidize the family’s daily necessities on a monthly basis.
Sitrah shared that she excelled in her studies, but had to stop schooling by Form 4 to give opportunities to her younger siblings. That loss has led her to pay attention to her children’s education. She kept her older children’s workbooks for the younger children to use. She would also go to the Internet café to search for suitable materials, which she would then download and make a copy for her children. She believes that education is the key to helping her children distinguish right from wrong, and to allow them an opportunity to break free from poverty.
Upon learning that Sitrah had only one mobile phone for her children’s online classes, volunteer Lai Phew Ngor applied on her behalf for two new computers and subsidies for data package from Tzu Chi, and provided another second-hand computer donated by a volunteer.
Every Wednesday at 8 p.m., Sitrah will call out loudly, urging her children to attend online class on time. Instantly, the living room will turn into a space for serious learning, with the children seated at a few different corners. Nine-year-old Yubhashana, who shared a computer with her two elder brothers, would be especially excited and often raised her hand to answer questions actively. Their earnest attitude often brought smiles to Sitrah’s face.
Sitrah revealed, “Yubhashana is a child with learning disabilities. The doctor advised me to double the time I spent on her. I could only teach her English words and get her to memorize them while busy folding the laundry.”
◎ Cherish the learning opportunity
At the end of the first semester, five children were awarded the Best Participation Award, Best Performance Award and Perfect Attendance Award. Although eight-year-old Mathan Raj did not win any award, he got a high score of 95% in Mathematics and could recite the multiplication table fast and accurately. For that, volunteer Lee Poh Hoon gifted him a jar of murukku as recognition for his efforts and performance.
Sitrah’s teenage son, Mohin, used to roam around and often got into fights due to bad temper. One by one, the glass shutters at home were broken by him. After attending humanistic culture lessons for four months, he has become calmer, better behaved and polite. He also joined volunteers for post-flood clean-up last year.
Sitrah read the teacher’s comment on Mohin’s report card to the volunteers, “Mohin is a strong leader who always encourages and assists his classmates to complete their homework.” Then, she proudly showed the volunteers that her son scored an A for each and every subject.
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Sitrah said, “I believe that if my children continue to attend the humanistic culture lessons, they will stand a chance to do well one day, even if they just bear in mind one word or one sentence, and put it into practice. I hope my children will emulate the volunteers and become a person of good character and have the virtue of giving when they grow up.”
A mother’s love flows like water. Sitrah has devoted herself to her children without complaint, and the care and support from Tzu Chi have added a dose of hope to her journey in nurturing her children.
