Group briefing in progress. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
The global economic downturn has spared no country along its way, including Singapore. Doldrums loomed over almost every sector. Businesses are failing and workers are laid off or forced to take unpaid leaves. Families with financial difficulties are facing even harsher reality.
Despite the gloom, children’s access to education remains a topmost priority. Worried that many families may have been affected by the economic downturn, Tzu Chi Singapore initiated a large-scale bursary program immediately after the Chinese New Year last February, hoping to aid needy students with their meal and transportation expenses. Following the Foundation’s introduction letter to the school management, volunteers visited 55 secondary schools since March to explain this programme in details and request for the particulars of needy students for the subsequent home visits.
For some schools, encountering a Buddhist-based organization like Tzu Chi Foundation was a fresh experience and several mistook volunteers as evangelists. However, they soon grasp the intention of volunteers after some brief explanation. The volunteers’ zealous attitude further helped with their understanding as well.
One principal admitted to be surprised with the visit as he had never come across any organization that would visit the school to explain the help that they can offered. In addition, no limit was set for the bursary application. Tzu Chi Foundation’s plan to do home assessment surprised the schools further as it would literally solve their problem of insufficient manpower for conducting home visits.
“We have many students in our school and our teachers are simply too occupied with schoolwork to visit the students at their homes. With your assistance and concern, I think the students will be able to focus more on their studies,” said Dunearn Secondary’s Civic and Moral Education (CME) Subject Head Mr. Jeffrey Tan.
Mdm. Ng Ngoing Keng, principal of Yishun Secondary, revealed that there are quite a number of students in her school who do not meet the criteria for Ministry of Education (MOE)'s current help schemes. She likened Tzu Chi Foundation’s initiative as “timely rain” to the students’ families whom she believed will need the assistance following the global financial crisis. Impressed and moved, Principal Ng repeatedly thanked the Tzu Chi volunteers on behalf of her students and promised to attend the bursary presentation ceremony on 28 June 2009.
MOE has pumped in a total of $100 million to its Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) during last February and May to help students pay for their textbooks and uniforms. However, many deprived families still find it difficult to support their children’s meal and transportation expenses, causing some students to skip meals, hindering their physical and academic development.
Depending on the family situation, Tzu Chi’s Seeds of Hope programme will either subsidize the student’s bus or train concession pass or provide them with a $2 daily meal coupon. The volunteers took the extra mile to verify the journey details provided by the students and even patronize the school canteen personally to make sure the coupon value is sufficient to keep the children from hunger.
The Seeds of Hope programme accept applications regardless of race or nationality. Foreign students who are unable to apply for government bursaries are eligible and welcome to apply. “You can say this is one unique feature of the programme,” remarked Robert Chang, the volunteer coordinating the entire Seeds of Hope program.
Tzu Chi hopes that the Seeds of Hope bursary will help to make up the shortfalls of government’s existing scheme and defray the burden of the schools. Through this collaboration, schools and Tzu Chi could work together to reach out to more needy families. The partnership too has a deeper meaning for Tzu Chi as it signifies a step forward in gaining recognition from local entities.
The home visits had drawn to an end in mid June. Out of the 73 surveyed schools, 28 schools will be participating in the programme which will benefit a total of 623 students. 37 families are found to be in serious financial problems and will receive follow-up visits by volunteers to determine the available additional assistance.
The bursary presentation ceremony scheduled on June 28 will be held at the Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre. When the invitation letters were delivered to the schools, principals and officers alike repeatedly thank the visiting volunteers and Tzu Chi. Some schools even expressed interest in future collaboration in areas like recycling work with Tzu Chi. “If it is something that is within our capacity, we’ll try our best to get involved,” said Mdm Ng Ngoing Keng.
Note:
The Seeds of Hope Programme will last for a year and will be reviewed at the end of year 2009. The Foundation will defer the programme should the economy shows signs of recovery next year. First targeted on neighborhood schools located in the West and Central areas where most middle- or low- income families reside in, the Foundation has sent volunteers to visit 73 primary and secondary schools (primary students aged 7 to 12; secondary students aged 13 to 17). Six of the schools are recommended by members of the Tzu Chi Teachers’ Association. Till mid June, a total of 28 schools have confirmed to participate in the programme.
A volunteer checking the distance between students’ residents and their school with the help of a map. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
Volunteers visiting Northland Secondary in Yishun to invite the school to attend the bursary presentation ceremony. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
Volunteers personally deliver the qualified list and ceremony invitation letters to the schools. The school management will then help disseminate the letters to the qualified students. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
Timely help: With many of her students unable to meet the criteria for MOE's current help schemes, Mdm. Ng Ngoing Keng, Principal of Yishun Secondary, is appreciative towards Tzu Chi’s bursary initiative. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
Groups of volunteer visit 73 primary and secondary schools in the Central and West areas to introduce the bursary scheme to the school management. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
Meal coupons in the making. (Photo by Law Sook Fong)
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