(Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)
Exiting Khatib MRT Station, what caught the eyes was a large banner across the street that read ‘Tzu Chi Festive Charity Fair’. After crossing the road, a row of brightly coloured orchids awaits, exuding a joyous festive atmosphere. One could instantly feel the anticipation of the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities.
(Photo by Donn Tan)
On January 27th and 28th, the 2024 Tzu Chi Festive Charity Fair took place at the covered multipurpose court opposite Khatib MRT Station (MPC@Khatib). In addition to the entire row of Lunar New Year flowers and Jing Si Humanistic cultural booths near the entrance, the fair featured around 80 vegetarian food stalls and stalls selling festive goods.
In collaboration with the Singapore Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP), volunteers also set up a booth for bone marrow donation advocacy. They encouraged compassionate individuals to register as bone marrow donors on the spot and undergo a sample swab test for registration. Over the two days, a total of 171 compassionate individuals registered as bone marrow donors.
(Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
(Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
On the morning of January 27th, at 9 am, before the two-day charity fair began, Tzu Chi volunteers engaged in sincere chanting and prayers.
(Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)
At 9.30 am, amidst the rhythmic beats of the Tzu Chi drum team, Carrie Tan, Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, and Dr Tung Chen-Yuan, Representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore, were warmly welcomed to the charity fair by Low Swee Seh, Managing Director of Tzu Chi Merit Organization (Singapore) Ltd., and Tzu Chi volunteers.
Front row, second from the left to right: Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament Carrie Tan, Managing Director of Tzu Chi Merit Organization (Singapore) Ltd. Low Swee Seh, and Representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore Dr Tung Chen-Yuan. (Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)
When inaugurating the charity fair, Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, Carrie Tan, commended Tzu Chi for its advocacy of environmentally friendly lifestyles in the Yishun and Khatib communities, "Tzu Chi is a leader in environmental conservation, and Nee Soon GRC is fortunate to have such a community partner. They inspire residents towards leading sustainable lifestyles, teaching everyone how to celebrate the New Year in an eco-friendly manner through reducing waste and promoting conservation".
In her speech, Carrie Tan mentioned that the two main themes advocated by the charity fair, "Going Green" and "Vegetarianism” align with what she wishes to implement in the community. She shared that community event organisers now encourage residents to practise environmental conservation through actions such as bringing their cups and tableware.
Carrie Tan mentioned, "In Yishun and Khatib, we have a significant number of elderly residents, and we encourage them to adopt healthy dietary habits. Tzu Chi's charity fair promotes vegetarianism, and personally, I advocate for a 'less meat, more vegetables' diet."
Front row, third from the left to right: Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament Carrie Tan, Managing Director of Tzu Chi Merit Organization (Singapore) Ltd. Low Swee Seh, and Representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore Dr. Tung Chen-Yuan, inaugurating the charity fair alongside other representatives. (Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)
During his welcome speech, Low Swee Seh, Managing Director of Tzu Chi Merit Organization (Singapore) Ltd., expressed gratitude for the annual Tzu Chi Festive Charity Fair returning to the community's outdoor venue. He said, "Yishun and Khatib communities have many Tzu Chi touchpoints, including Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool, Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre, Buddhist Tzu Chi Traditional Chinese Medicine Free Clinic (Khatib), and Tzu Chi Glow On Gallery. We are very grateful for the support from the community."
MP Carrie Tan struck the gong three times, expressing three wishes: first, for everyone's health and well-being; second, for the vibrancy and success of the charity fair; and third, for the purification of hearts, social harmony, and a world without disasters. With the resounding and powerful sound of the three strikes on the gong, the charity fair officially commenced!
The lion dance troupe, composed of Tzu Chi volunteers, welcoming the guests with an energetic performance. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
The weather for the two days of the charity fair was exceptionally clear, dispelling the daily drizzles that had persisted for the past two weeks. After six months of preparation, hundreds of volunteers from various teams, including the Deco Team, Transport Team, Traffic Team, Eco Team, Housekeeping Team, Reception Team, Education Team, and booth volunteers, dedicated their efforts to make the event a success.
Volunteers of different ages, including seniors, adults, youth, children, and even toddlers, were seen bustling around the venue, each performing their designated tasks and contributing their part to the compassionate cause. Their collective efforts ensured visitors to the charity fair felt welcomed and at home.
(Photo by Tew Yu Rui)
The charity fair promotes an eco-friendly philosophy by not using disposable tableware for both dine-in and take-out. Therefore, there was an area designated for dishwashing, where volunteers take turns collecting and cleaning bowls, utensils, and plates. While people may think that older volunteers would contribute in this task, there were actually many young and energetic individuals enthusiastically joining in, becoming valuable helpers to the seniors.
Chan Bao Xuan, a teacher from the Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool, brought her young child to help out at the fair. As many older volunteers may find it challenging to stand for extended periods or immerse their hands in water for too long, Chan Bao Xuan chose to support the dishwashing area along with a few other teachers. She expressed her alignment with Tzu Chi's educational principles, believing that as a teacher, her actions should match her words. She mentioned that she felt very happy to contribute to a meaningful cause.
Chan Bao Xuan (first from right), a teacher from the Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool, chose to support the dishwashing area along with a few other teachers. (Photo by Donn Tan)
Thirteen-year-old Tzu Chi Youth Tee Xing Yu was visiting her grandmother in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, with her family. Before the charity fair, she convinced her parents to let her take a bus from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to Singapore on Sunday morning. This was her first time travelling alone from Johor to Singapore. She left home around 9 am and arrived at the charity fair venue around noon, immediately joining as a volunteer in the Housekeeping Team.
Tee Xing Yu mentioned that she started volunteering with her uncle at the age of seven and fell in love with it. At such a young age, she had already planted the seed of doing good and benefiting others. Tee Xing Yu enjoys learning at Tzu Chi, where she acquires values like etiquette and respect for her parents, and being able to volunteer at the charity fair made her very happy.
Tzu Chi Youth Tee Xing Yu persuaded her parents to let her return to Singapore alone to volunteer at the charity fair. (Photo by Lai Tong Heng)
Luo Jie Bing and her husband, Fan Wei Xian, who volunteered at the food stalls, have been actively involved in environmental and charity activities since they learned about Tzu Chi in October last year. To contribute to the vegetarian food stalls this time, they even took time out to obtain a food hygiene certificate. Witnessing the implementation of eco-friendliness at the charity fair for the first time, they were deeply impressed. Despite being very busy, the couple felt tremendous joy, knowing their efforts were for a charitable cause.
Tzu Chi volunteer Delphine Cheong, under the introduction by her colleagues who are also Tzu Chi volunteers, became acquainted with and joined Tzu Chi as a volunteer. As a Christian, she believes that the heart to help others transcends religious boundaries. This time, she took the initiative to obtain a food hygiene certificate, dedicating her time to contribute at the annual charity fair.
(Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
Certainly, the stage at the charity fair was not left idle. In addition to musical performances, singing, and theatrical acts, the adorable children from the Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool also showcased their talents through singing and dancing.
(Photo by Fong Kwai Kin)
The first day of the charity fair also welcomed thirteen Tzu Chi volunteers from Batam, Indonesia. They made a round trip on the same day solely for the purpose of observing and learning at the charity fair. The Deputy Head of Tzu Chi Batam, Megawati, expressed, "Singapore's charity fair is successful every year, and we have come to learn from the volunteers in Singapore!"
Upon entering the vast charity fair venue, which spanned four basketball courts, Megawati's first impression was that the atmosphere was "very Tzu Chi" and that it was integrated into the community. She admired the implementation of eco-friendly principles, saying, "We were very impressed, especially when we walked to the dishwashing area. It is not easy to comprehensively implement environmental protection in such a large-scale event. There will surely be resistance, as some may find it inconvenient. Singaporean volunteers overcome all obstacles for environmental protection, and we must learn from the example of the dishwashing area."
The Deputy Head of Tzu Chi Batam, Megawati (fourth from right) and Indonesian Tzu Chi volunteers exchanging insights with the coordinating team at reception. (Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
The annual charity fair has many loyal supporters, and these compassionate individuals came with hearts full of love to show their support. Among a group of friends, Lin Li Xin shared that they arrived at the venue from the eastern part of Singapore at 9 am. They have been attending Tzu Chi's charity fair every year for so long that they have lost count.
Lin Li Xin and her friends enjoy the atmosphere at the charity fair because besides relishing vegetarian delicacies and buying Lunar New Year goods, the fair encourages attendees to bring their eco-friendly bags, unintentionally instilling a good habit in their daily lives.
(Photo by Bong Kian Hin)
For such a large-scale charity fair, the Tzu Chi entrepreneur volunteers spared no effort, with the overall coordination led by Mai Ah Ngo, who is described as a superwoman. With a simple "I am willing to do it," Mai Ah Ngo, together with entrepreneur Teo Siew Leng and Ong Wee Heng, took on the task of coordinating the charity fair.
Both Mai Ah Ngo and Teo Siew Leng had a deep friendship with the late entrepreneur volunteer, Sim Hee Chew. Sim Hee Chew's sudden passing left behind his exemplary life and the spirit of great love he devoted to Tzu Chi deeply imprinted on their hearts. Although they knew that coordinating the charity fair would be challenging, they took on the responsibility without hesitation to fulfill Sim Hee Chew's aspirations, overcoming all obstacles.
Throughout the preparation process, Mai Ah Ngo maintained a mindset based on the Jing Si Aphorism: "A beautiful heart sees beauty in everything." Facing the intricate details with a heart of gratitude and understanding, she believed that everything was a result of good affinities. As a coordinator, Mai Ah Ngo considered the most important task was to ensure that every participant comes to contribute happily and leaves with a heart full of dharma joy.
This was the third year that Teo Siew Leng had taken on a role in coordinating the charity fair. From the first year, when she knew nothing about online charity sales, to coordinating the Lunar New Year goods section in the second year, and now being one of the main coordinators for the charity fair, she mentioned that she has developed courage and adaptability in handling people and situations. Witnessing corporate partners progress from merely making donations to actively joining the ranks of volunteers and contributing their skills at the charity fair gives her comfort and joy.
Tzu Chi entrepreneur volunteers Mai Ah Ngo (first from the right) and Teo Siew Leng (second from the right), with their superman-like capabilities, took on the responsibility of coordinating the charity fair. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
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