Senior Volunteers Too Busy Serving to Count the Years during Overseas Medical Mission

During the Dragon Boat Festival in May, the aroma of rice dumplings wafted from the kitchen of the Tzu Chi Free Clinic in Takeo Province, Cambodia. These rice dumplings had been brought from Singapore to a remote village by the free clinic’s advance team, a comforting taste of home lovingly prepared by volunteers in their 70s who have a “motherly heart” for the team.

On 27 May 2025, Tzu Chi volunteers from Singapore set out for Kabas, Takeo Province, Cambodia, to hold a free clinic. The first wave of the advance team comprised 13 members of the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA), 17 logistics volunteers, and 15 support volunteers managing a range of essential functions. Together, they departed with 31 suitcases filled with medical equipment, devices, and medicines.   

Tzu Chi volunteers from Singapore took leave and travelled at their own expense to Cambodia, joining teams from four other countries to hold a free clinic. On 27 May 2025, a total of 45 members of the advance team gathered for a group photo at the airport. (Photo by Yeo Chee Hwang)     

The medical team and volunteers participating in this free clinic came from five countries in Asia: Cambodia, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The free clinic offered services across five departments—internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, dentistry, and traditional Chinese medicine, and was expected to serve between 3,500 and 4,000 underprivileged villagers who are sick in remote areas.

At 7:30 a.m. on 28 May, the volunteer team headed to Prey Kabas Referral Hospital to begin preparatory work. Items were unloaded from a vehicle one by one, and volunteers formed a human chain to move them indoor. Everyone quickly took their positions—sweeping, mopping, washing, cleaning windows, and disinfecting. The logistics team took charge of pulling electrical cables, setting up water pipes, installing sinks, setting up beds, and pitching tents. Meanwhile, team leaders of various medical departments began organising medical equipment and supplies to ensure that the clinic would be in optimal condition to welcome the villagers.

At the clinic’s preparatory site, volunteers bustled about like busy bees, many of whom were elderly. Unfazed by their age, they gave wholeheartedly, using their skills to quietly and diligently support the free clinic.

In the surgical department of the free clinic was 77-year-old nurse Monica, who continued to serve in medicine with unwavering dedication. With extensive experience in overseas free clinics, Monica has followed the Tzu Chi medical team to countries including Nepal, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

With 58 years of nursing experience, Monica was a senior operating room assistant at Singapore General Hospital until her retirement in March this year. Despite having undergone surgeries on both knees, calves, and ankles, and occasionally relying on crutches, she did not let this stop her from participating in the Cambodia free clinic.

One experience that left a lasting impression on Monica was the free clinic in Nepal. Instead of being discouraged by the physical challenges or her age, the experience became a turning point. The sight of impoverished children in Nepal touched the softest part of her heart. True compassion, as Master Cheng Yen often says, arises from empathy: “When others are hurt, I feel pain; when others suffer, I feel sorrow.”

Monica (pictured below), known for her cheerful personality and passion for her work, shared, “The greatest satisfaction for a medical worker is seeing the love and bright smiles of patients. That joy is irreplaceable!”

(Photo by Phang Wei Wan)

Lee Hui Chuang, 75, may be in her 70s, but she remains on the front lines of the free clinic. While the medical team cares for the patients, she ensures the team is well-fed and cared for, and the kitchen is her battlefield. Thanks to her, hot meals are always served on time, warming the hearts of both the busy medical staff and the villagers waiting for treatment. Her lovingly prepared chili sauce has become the volunteers’ favourite “magic touch” that makes every meal with rice unforgettable.  

One medical staff member remarked, “Seeing Hui Chuang busy in the kitchen is like taking a dose of reassurance.” With the care of a tireless grandmother, she turned simple meals into comfort, bringing warmth to the volunteer team abroad, where the expression of compassion of a doctor begins with a warm bowl of rice. 

Lee Hui Chuang humbly shared, “I just cook whatever ingredients that are available here. I don’t have time to think much; I just prepare simple dishes.” Though she said it modestly, her smile radiated confidence.  

The free clinic coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival. Before departing from Singapore, Hui Chuang prepared vegetarian rice dumplings and brought them all the way to Cambodia to share with the volunteers. She carefully selected fresh, seasonal ingredients and used her decades of culinary experience to prepare wholesome vegetarian dishes. In her hands, simple ingredients can always be transformed into nourishing meals that comfort both body and mind.

(From left) Lee Hui Chuang, Ng Hi Nai, Yeo Ah Lin, and Lim Wah Chun, proudly call themselves the "Female Generals of the Yang Family", and jokingly said, “The Food and Beverages Team take care of your stomachs, you take care of the patients.” (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)

In the overseas free clinic team, you can always spot the energetic figure of 71-year-old Lim Kok Leong. As a member of the logistics team, wherever there is a need, his steady footsteps and warm smile are never far behind. He uses his professional skills to ensure the smooth operation of every free clinic.

Lim Kok Leong’s persistence in giving stems from his deep understanding of the suffering faced by all living beings, an awareness that fuels his motivation. When facing the challenges and difficulties brought on by unfamiliar environments, he believes that maintaining a positive mindset is important.

From an empty field to a fully equipped temporary clinic, and eventually back to its original state after the event, he has come to appreciate the wisdom in the phrase “the wondrous existence of true emptiness.” Everything arises through the convergence of causes and conditions and eventually dissolves back into nothingness. He is especially grateful for the united efforts of all the volunteers, whose selfless dedication makes every overseas free clinic a complete success.  

The logistics team is busiest during venue setup before the free clinic and the cleaning up afterward. Once the setup was complete, Lim Kok Leong (second from left) continued to fill in wherever help was needed, even assisting the housekeeping team with dishwashing during the clinic.  (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)