Contribution Name: Chen Shi Pei / Tzu Chi Singapore (SEEN@Bukit Batok)
Pseudonym: Koh Chwee Geok
Year of Author: 1944
Mrs. Koh’s life story is a testament to resilience and determination. Despite facing numerous hardships, she has always prioritized the well-being of her family. Her selfless dedication and unwavering spirit continue to inspire others. Mrs. Koh, now 81 years old, was born into a poor family. Her father passed away just 14 days after her brother’s birth, leaving her mother to raise three children alone. At the young age of ten, Mrs. Koh had to give up her education and start working as a child labourer to support her family financially.
Mrs. Koh shared her challenging experience of working in a plastic factory. Due to her small stature, she had to use both her hands and feet to flatten plastic and lift half-kilogram scissors to cut the plastic. During a police inspection of the factory, they noticed that Mrs. Koh’s height and appearance were clearly different from the other adults working there. Initially, the factory manager lied, claiming that Mrs. Koh was there to help her mother. However, after a week of police observation, the truth came out, and the factory, unwilling to insure Mrs. Koh, fired her.
After losing her job, Mrs. Koh persevered and joined other women in picking coffee beans. The petite figure was nearly engulfed by the coffee bushes. Despite the challenges, she continued to work hard until she got married at 23. After marrying, Mrs. Koh devoted herself to caring for her family and finding ways to support them financially by selling handicrafts. Her husband passed away when she was 43, leaving her to care for three children alone. Despite facing hardships after her husband’s passing, she worked tirelessly to ensure her children had a bright future, sacrificing her own well-being for their sake. She juggled two jobs every day, leaving little time for rest. Her relentless efforts were all for giving her children a better life, even saving enough to send them to study in Australia. Her maternal perseverance is truly moving. Thankfully, her children are now thriving in their respective fields and are very devoted, which brings her immense comfort. However, due to a prolonged lack of rest, her body has shown signs of wear and tear. Mrs. Koh has undergone surgeries on her spine, knees, and neck, and her physical and visual abilities have significantly declined.
Mrs. Koh’s connection with Tzu Chi is a result of the dedicated efforts of the staff there. Despite her initial reluctance due to her physical condition, the staff’s encouragement led her to become more and more involved. Now, she regularly volunteers in the centre’s kitchen, finding joy in helping others and embodying the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
今天的採訪對象是81歲的Koh Chwee Geok，她的人生可謂是苦盡甘來。早年家境貧困，父親在弟弟出生後第14天不幸去世，留下母親獨自撫養三個孩子。在本應無憂無慮的年紀，10歲的Mrs. Koh為了貼補家用，不得不放棄學業，成為童工。
Mrs. Koh回憶起在塑膠廠工作的那段艱難時光。當時她年紀尚小，身材矮小，不得不手腳並用來壓扁塑料，還要舉起重達半公斤的剪刀來剪裁塑膠。有一次警察來工廠檢查，發現她的身高和外貌明顯與成年工人不同。廠長起初謊稱她是來幫母親忙，但警察駐守觀察了一週後，謊言終被揭穿。由於工廠不願為她投保，最終她被辭退。
失去這份工作後，Mrs. Koh轉而與其他婦女一起去採摘咖啡豆，但由於身材矮小，她常常跟不上她們的步伐，被甩開好幾條街。即便如此，她還是堅持了下來，直到23歲結婚為止。婚後，Mrs. Koh在家相夫教子，偶爾批發手工代工，過著平靜的生活。不幸的是，43歲時她的丈夫去世，留下她一人照顧三個孩子。為了維持家計，供孩子讀書，Mrs. Koh一天兼兩份工，白天做保姆，夜晚做家庭代工，從早上五點一直工作到凌晨三點。一切努力都是為了讓孩子們過上更好的生活，甚至積攢錢供孩子們到澳洲求學。這位母親的堅韌力量令人動容。
如今，三個孩子各自事業有成，且十分孝順，讓她感到十分欣慰。然而，由於長期的過度勞累，她的健康亮起了紅燈，脊椎、膝蓋、脖子都接受過手術，體力和視力也大不如前。說起Mrs. Koh與長青館的緣分，還要歸功於館內工作人員的熱心接引。最初因為健康原因，Mrs. Koh不喜歡外出，但在工作人員多次鼓勵下，她開始參加活動，並逐漸熱衷於此。現在，她固定到長青館廚房當義工，協助切菜、洗菜。Mrs. Koh表示，她比起參加活動，更喜歡做義工，幫助他人讓她收穫了很多快樂，這正應驗了「施比受更有福」的道理。
This work includes translation generated by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI.
此作品包含由OpenAI开发的AI语言模型ChatGPT生成的翻译内容。