Chok Min Ong, who works in sales, rarely gets a chance to spend time with his children due to his demanding job and limited off days—he only goes on leave twice annually. This year, he reserved one of those days for the parent-child outing organised by Tzu Chi Malacca for its care recipients. His younger son, Chok Chun Han, was so excited that he kept reminding his father about the event. Curious, Min Ong asked, “What are you looking forward to?” His sons simply replied, “Because we can go out and explore!”
To their surprise, the outing led them to places beyond their expectations. Min Ong’s elder son, Chok Chong Kim, was very affected by the actions of a prison warden demonstrating the act of flogging on a mannequin, while his younger son was saddened by the sight of orphans at a welfare home, wondering, “Why would parents abandon their off springs?”
◎ Sharing love at the welfare home
On June 30, 2024, a group of 80 Tzu Chi care recipients and their families, accompanied by Tzu Chi Malacca social workers and volunteers, embarked on an outing that nourished their hearts and souls. Divided into three groups, each group experienced varied activities throughout the day.
Fourteen primary school age children transformed into “Loving Angels”, spending time with children at a welfare home. Through interactive games and singing, they bonded quickly. After that, everyone moved outdoors to participate in “Happiness Courier” and “Pass the Love Forward”—enjoyable games that taught the children about recyclable and non-recyclable items. The air was filled with laughter, and the winning teams beamed with joy as they were rewarded with thoughtful gifts prepared by the volunteers.
Afterwards, the welfare home director provided a brief introduction of the residents, who are aged between 2 to 18 years old. Some have lost both parents, while others reside there due to parental divorce or imprisonment. The director encouraged the visiting children, who are fortunate to have their parents’ love, to study hard and repay their parents’ kindness.
The experience reminded Hemala a/p Visualingam on how fortunate she is to have her single parent’s maternal love and care. A top student, Hemala felt inspired by the director’s words to strive in her studies and repay her mother with excellent grades.
Since her husband’s demise, Hemala’s mother, Kannangi a/p Mukutalayan, has been raising her four children single-handedly. The demands of daily life often leave her too exhausted to take her children out. When she learned about the outing, she unhesitatingly signed up for her family, including her mother-in-law and younger sister.
On the day of the outing, her three daughters were able to visit either the welfare home or the prison museum, while she and her eldest daughter stayed at the recycling centre. She was grateful for the knowledge she gained about water and electricity conservation, as well as recycling practices, and plans to implement what she has learned to help protect the planet.
At the end of the visit, the Loving Angels presented handmade bouquets to the children at the welfare home. Friendships had formed despite the brief but well spent time, with some already asking when the next opportunity to visit would be.
◎ Heightened vigilance against crimes
Another group, consisting of 25 secondary school students formed the “Freedom Exploration Team” and visited the Malaysia Prison Museum in Malacca. Guided through long corridors, they saw the bath area, temporary detention cells, and the execution room. The cells varied in interior. Some were just narrow spaces with walls, some had a squat toilet, and some were equipped with bare utilities, consisting of only a bucket for human waste and a thin mattress.
In the prison artefact exhibition room, they were greeted by harrowing screams from a video showing scenes of prisoners being flogged. To instil a sense of caution and deter the adolescents from a life of crime, a prison warden demonstrated the flogging process on a mannequin. The sharp cracks of the whip caused some visitors to instinctively cover their ears.
“Even though the flogging was performed on a mannequin, the sound alone was deeply unsettling. The pain must have been excruciating for the prisoners,” reflected Soh Hui Qi. “The video showing scenes of prisoners bleeding from the punishment was truly horrifying. The visit serves as a stark reminder that we must be mindful in action to avoid committing regrettable offences.”
Hui Qi’s elder sister, Soh Hui Ying penned down her thoughts: “It’s only now that I realise how terrible prison life must be. There is no privacy and no access to mobile phones or computers, only books to pass time. It’s also the first time I learned about the various methods of execution. Imagine if I were a prisoner, only allowed to see my family once a month and lose my freedom, I think time would drag on endlessly.”
◎ Fostering environmental awareness
The third group, consisting of parents and young children, visited the Tzu Chi Ayer Keroh Recycling-cum-Education Centre. They explored the exhibition zone, book pavilion, sorting area of recyclables, pre-loved items area, and the “Sustainable Environmental Education” exhibition hall.
Kasturi a/p Viganasan listened attentively to the volunteers’ explanations and was amazed to learn that used plastic bottles, seemingly useless, could be transformed into eco-blankets, clothing, multipurpose foldable beds, and furniture.
Natasha binti Abughani, who attended alongside her mother, Che Wan binti Yusof, was delighted to gain new knowledge. “I’m surprised that aluminium foil packages can be turned into roofing tiles. It’s incredible!” she exclaimed. Natasha has been collecting used aluminium cans, plastics bottles, and cardboard at home for recycling. Initially, she did so to supplement her income, but it later became a way to maintain a clean environment.
She explained, “I eventually realised that reducing waste and recycling is crucial for environment preservation, and we must patiently sort recyclables. Small actions can have a big impact. We need to help more people understand what we’re doing so they will join in too.”
Through the volunteers’ sharing, Natasha became more aware of the close connection between human actions and the environment’s well-being. She is now committed to reducing plastic use by opting for reusable items, thereby fulfilling her responsibility to protect the planet.
Her mother remarked with a smile that it was the first time she had heard the term “Mother Earth”. She now understands that the Earth, much like a mother, selflessly nurtures all living beings, a sentiment that resonates deeply with her.
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The outing provided a meaningful opportunity for parents and children to explore and reflect on life’s lessons together. Hopefully, the experience will leave a lasting positive effect on the families.
