慈济家访

今天第一次在KK参加慈济的活动--家访。


每一年这里的慈济都会分发助学金给贫困的学生。首先，KK每间学校会把二十位学生的个人资料和家庭情况告知慈济，再由慈济志工去拜访每个家庭，再来鉴定是否能通过批准。


我们今天只是成功拜访了两个家庭，其余的不在家，或无法联络上，只好作罢。


走进第一个学生的家，那是非常简陋的木板屋，地主向他们拿每月RM109的“屋租”，可是屋子是他们自己搭建的，而且地主征收的水电费竟然比原本的贵了一倍。听到这儿，真的想去找地主理论！学生的爸爸月入只有RM800，时常向老板预支薪水，所以到月杪薪水就寥寥无几了。一家八口，六个孩子们都正在求学，没其他收入。其实RM800也似乎养不活我自己一人，都不知那微薄的薪水，如何养活他们！


第二个学生的父亲是个警察，1995年入警队，可不知为何，到了14年后的今天，他的薪水还不到两千。他们住的是陈旧的警察宿舍，八个人住一间小小的屋子，六个孩子们也正在求学。而且，他还需要照顾双亲已离世的侄儿。


我在很小的时候也曾住过这样的警察宿舍，蓝色的，旧旧的，墙壁发出一种怪怪的味道,幸好后来搬家了。想来我搬家的次数不下五次，如果真要旧地重游，不只那屋子是否还在。


言归正传，当我看到那位警察先生的生活状况，再对照一个普通白领的生活，我就明白为何没人愿意当警察了。我们时常抱怨警察贪污，不忠守本分，可想一想，他们也是普通人，拿一份微薄的薪水，还要被人们斥骂，真辛苦。


这两个家庭的共同点，就是孩子多。真不知他们是希望能籍由孩子来改变未来家庭情况，还是他们没有认真实行家庭生育计划，导致孩子一个跟着一个出生，增加开销。反观城市里的人，孩子却越生越少，务必要做到“重质不重量”。到底当一个家庭无法负担孩子的教育费时，夫妻是否应掂一掂自己的斤两然后节育？还是该顺从天意和“需要”？我看着他们和孩子们的脸孔，知道他们迫切想要得到这笔助学金。孩子心里会感到无奈和悲怨吗？父母会愧疚和心痛吗？还记得中国就发生父亲因无法供孩子的大学费用而愧疚自杀，贫穷逼得人走上绝路吗？


我想，我未必能把最好的给我的孩子，但如果我不能让孩子安心求学，我也会内疚吧！真希望这少少的助学金能减轻一点负担，让这些父母和孩子松一口气。


今天的我特别感谢父母和社会能让我无忧无虑地完成学业，感恩。


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It was my first time to participate in Tzu Chi activities at Kota Kinabalu - home visits.

Every year KK Tzu Chi grants a nominal amount of compensation to the poor students. First of all, each school will hand in the personal data of 20 chosen students and then the Tzu Chi volunteers will visit every family to identify the qualified students. Today, we have succeeded only in visiting two families. The others were either not at home or could not be contacted.

The family of the first student, Helena lives in a very shabby wooden house. They have to pay RM109 per month to rent the land without a house. They built the house themselves. Moreover, the charges of utilities are double than the original priced. That ruthless landlord! Helena’s father earns an income of RM800 and from time to time he makes an advance of salary from his boss. So in the end of the month there are only a few pennies left. This is a family of eight with six children attending school, there’s no other income! While RM800 doesn’t seem to keep me living I do not know how that meager salary could feed them well! The second student's father was a policeman. He joined police force in 1995 but I don’t know why, until today, his salary is less than RM2000. They lived in an old police quarter with eight people live under one roof. He also has seven children, including a nephew to feed.

Frankly speaking, this could be the sole reason people rarely want to be a policeman. We often complain about police corruption, their irresponsibility and unreliability but wait; you may want to think twice when you see them getting a scanty salary but still being told off so hard by the public.

What I observed from these two families is they have many children. Somehow I wonder why they didn’t seriously carry out family planning, resulting in a “overcrowded” family. In contrary, the urban people “strongly” believe in “quality” and not “quantity". I still remember whenever I tell my friends I have four siblings they will be left in “admiration”.

Back to the topic. When a family cannot afford their children's education and healthy lifestyle, shall the couple weigh these things and do some “birth control”? Or shall they obey to God’s Will and give in to their "need"? I watched the children's faces and know they desperately want to get this grant. Do they feel helpless and sad? Do the parents feel guilty? Or am I thinking too much? I still remembered there was news on the suicide of a China father because he couldn’t afford his child's costly university fees. I think I may not be able to provide my children the best of everything but if my children don’t feel at ease to study, I will definitely feel guilty. I really hope that this bit of grants can reduce the family burden.

Today I am grateful to my parents and the community for I could complete my studies worries-free.