说一说…..小黄花
多年前，我和朋友到云南旅行。
一个晴朗的下午，我们的车子开在一条马路上，两边尽是一望无际青翠的草原，厚实的云层低得让你以为只要用力踮脚伸腰就触手可及，而穿过云层洒在青草上的是神圣的耶稣光……好美好美。
我忍不住请司机大哥在路边停车，跑到草原上拍照。
我顺着耶稣光的方向走去，绿油油的草原间，长满了一朵朵闪耀的小黄花。
我把长镜头对准其中一朵小黄花，想把它在阳光下的灿烂留住。
仔细一看，刹时一阵深深的感动。
这朵小黄花的花瓣是心形的，镜头里的它好像在跟我说“我爱你”。
也许是它把我召唤到这里，让我们相遇，然后把一份强大的爱赐予我。
2007年，在好友采妮（杨采妮）的发起下，我和Gigi（梁咏琪），秀秀（许茹芸）决定成立一个儿童慈善教育基金会。
为基金会取名时，我想起了那朵充满爱的小黄花，提议了小黄花这个名字。
小黄花是野花，它在艰难的环境下成长，经历日晒雨淋，暴风吹打，却勇敢接受磨练，长得越来越粗壮，最后终于开出了灿烂的小黄花，散发着属于它的光芒。
这个精神正可以用来鼓励贫穷家庭的孩子，而我们可以透过基金会的角色，把我们的爱变成滋养他们的土地和阳光。
决定了这个名字后，我把小黄花的照片递给女儿，当时八岁的她就画了今天大家所看到的小黄花标志。
2008年，回归家乡，2010年年底，进入贫民区开始提供免费午餐，2012年正式注册。
十年，从贫民窟的免费午餐计划……至今天两间中心“小黄花乐园”，照顾上百位贫穷家庭的孩子，提供他们免费营养午餐，教育，课外活动，未来规划…..至疫情管制令期间购买医疗防护用品捐赠医院，提供六百多个贫穷家庭粮食….，这一路沿着初心走来，所有参与小黄花慈善教育基金会的工作者，无不深深地感受爱的力量。
这些孩子照亮了我们内心的慈悲，让我们发现原来爱才是真正让我们变得强大的养分，而这份强大不强势，不咄咄逼人，不傲气，而是一份非常温柔和温暖的强大。
多年前，阅读了特丽莎修女的传记。
她一生的全部财产就是一尊耶稣像，三套衣服和一双凉鞋，她为印度数不尽的贫穷家庭和快要死亡的穷人服务。
她把一生都奉献给贫穷人们，让他们受到尊重，关怀和爱。
她说：
爱自己，爱他人，爱生命里一切需要爱的事物，不要任何理由。
哪怕生命微小到只是一根细小的灯芯，燃烧了，就能照亮自己，也能照亮他人。
甚至，你还可以尝试去照亮一个世界。
每次回顾特丽莎修女的事迹或是她的语录，简单的几句话，就能让我轻易感动至眼眶泛泪。
十年，从当初“一定要喂饱孩子”的初心出发，到今日得以结合大众的力量一起关爱更多的贫穷家庭，心里尽是感恩，感恩再感恩。
很多人都觉得做慈善机构很难，很难在现今追求名利的社会里找到志同道合的伙伴。
但这十年里，从事这份慈善工作，我一直都遇见了许多非常伟大，善良的同伴，更因为这份工作而结交了许多以前身为艺人没有机会接触在各个领域已很经成功，还致力从事慈善工作的人们，让我感受到了这个社会里非常强大和温暖的力量。
因为一份关爱，打开了我的心，我的眼睛，甚至我的整个世界。
行动管制令期间，因为募款的款项非常踊跃，于是小黄花的五位员工异常忙碌。
她们每天忙于接收善款，处理捐款的文件工作，回复捐助者的讯息，定期向大众更新最新的善款运用详情，致电关心各方提供的本地贫穷家庭，难民，外籍工作者的状况，安排食物订购和运送，处理医疗防护用品的订购事宜，行动管制令开始放宽后，就忙于探访特殊案例家庭和老人院，做进一步的了解，以便能提供他们更长远的援助。
她们很忙，很累，但她们说“内心很感动，从来没想过自己有一天竟然在国家陷入困境时，与许多素未谋面的善心人士一起，帮助那么多在这片土地生活的人们。”
我很爱很爱我的伙伴们，因为她们的加入，让这份工作得以持续下去，还不停成长。
因为她们的付出，让更多的贫穷人们得到关爱。
特丽莎修女虽然已经离开人世，但她的精神和能量还在发挥着强大的影响和指引。
而还在人世间的我们，也许可以就如她说的：
我们当中极少数人能做伟大的事情，但每一个人都可以用崇高的爱去做平凡的事。
Few of us can do great things, but all of us can do small things with great love.
P/S:
1) 感谢所有在疫情期间帮助我们的义工。
2) 小黄花教育基金会聘请新员工，如果你有兴趣可以联络我们 (017-384 4123)。 (只限女性) 😊
Let’s talk about….. Little Yellow Flower
Many years back, I went to Yunnan with my friend. It was a sunny afternoon. Our car was driving along the road, both sides covered in vast fresh and green grassland. The heavy clouds were hanging so low that you will feel as though as it is within reach just by stretching out your hands while tip-toeing. Also, passing through the clouds, were the divine looking crepuscular rays sprinkling over the grasses…. It was really, really beautiful and magnificent.
I just could not help it but to request for the chauffeur to pull up by the roadside, running into the grassland to take a picture. I walked and followed the ray’s directions in the lush green grassland towards a spot where there were just many small little radiant looking yellow flowers. I pointed the long camera lens towards one of the little yellow flower, wanting to keep its brilliances while under the sunshine.
Taking a closer look at the flower, I was suddenly deeply moved. The petals of this little yellow flower are heart-shaped. It seems to be saying “I Love You” to me through the camera lens. Perhaps it was the one who is calling me, letting us meet and bestowing me a sense of powerful love.
In the year 2007, with the initiative from Charlie Young, who is one of my best friends, and together with Gigi Leung and Valen Hsu, we decided to set up an education charity Foundation for the children.
When we were naming the Foundation, I thought of the little yellow flower which was full of love and proposed to use “Little Yellow Flower” as the name of the Foundation.
The little yellow flower is a flower which grows in the wilderness. It has to grow under the harsh environment, experiencing the beating weather like the scorching hot sun, drenching under the rain and bracing itself in the forceful windy storms. Yet it endures and accepts it bravely, growing into a splendid looking little yellow flower, shining radiantly and brightly.
This spirit can be used to encourage the children of poor families and communities. Through the Foundation, it enables us to transmit our love to nourish their soul and become their sunshine.
After deciding to use this name, I gave this picture to my daughter and the Little Yellow Flower logo which you all see today is actually drawn by her who was only 8 years old at that time.
Year 2008, I returned to my homeland. End of 2010, we started to provide free lunch for the children in the slum area and in 2012, we are registered formally in Malaysia.
10 years… from providing free lunch program in the slum areas, and now at present, we have 2 centers known as “Little Yellow Flower Wonderland”; Taking care of more than one hundred children from poor families, providing them free nutritious lunch, education, extra curriculums, fun learning and future planning…..During this pandemic and Movement Control Order period, we have purchased, donated Personal Protection Equipment and goods which are medically treated to the hospitals and also provided essential needs and food for over 600 poor families and individuals.
During this journey, with the original intention of the Foundation, all the staffs in Little Yellow Flower Education Foundation, sensed the deep power of love.
These children have lighten up our innermost compassion, allowing us to realize that love is the nutrient that makes us more powerful. However, this strength is not intensive, not aggressive, not arrogant but rather one that is much gentler, tender and warm.
I have read Mother Teresa’s biography many years ago. Throughout her life, her entire assets consist of only a Jesus statue, 3 sets of clothes and a pair of sandals. She served countless numbers of the poor and cared for the sick who are at the brink of death in India. She devoted her life to the poor, allowing them to be respected, cared for and loved.
She has said: “Love yourself, Love others, Love everything in life that needs to be loved. Even if life is as tiny as a wick, when ignited, it is able to illuminate oneself and also others. So much so that you may even try to light up the whole world.”
The corners of my eyes would easily tear up whenever I look back at Mother Teresa’s achievements or quotes, even though it is just those few simple words.
With the intention of “Must feed these children” from 10 years ago up to today, to be able to combine the strength from the public together to care for these poor, I am forever, over and over again filled with gratefulness.
Many people think that to serve in charitable work is very difficult. Difficult to find like-minded partners in this modern society where it is all about fame and profit. But during these 10 years, ever since engaging in this charitable work, I have met many great and kind-hearted people. It is also because of this work, I am able to meet up with a lot of successful people from various industries (people who are not in the entertainment industry). These people are also actively involved and committed in charitable work. This reminded and gave me a great sense of energy, strength and warmth still exists in the society.
Because of this care and love, it has opened up my mind, heart, eyes and my whole world.
During the Movement Control Order, due to the enormous responses from the fundraising event, all the 5 staffs in Little Yellow Flower were extremely busy.
Every day, they are busy receiving donation, processing documents, responding to the donors’ messages, regularly updating the public about the funds raised and used, finding out about the condition and needs of our local poor families, refugees and migrant workers. Making orders, preparing and delivering out essentials and food to these families in need, handling orders and making arrangements for the medical personal protection equipment.
When the Movement Control Order restrictions were relaxed, they are now busy with visitations to households of special cases and nursing homes to further understand their situation, to be able to provide them long-term support.
They are awfully busy and very tired but they told me this: “We are deeply moved. Never have we thought that there will be a day when the country would be in difficulties and we would be heavily involved, working together with so many kind people whom we have never met before to provide assistance to the people living on the same land as us.”
I love my workmates very, very much. This work is able to continuously grow and develop because of their participation. It is because of their efforts, more poor people are being cared for.
Although Mother Teresa has left this earthly world, her spirit and energy is still exerting powerful influences and guidance. To those of us who are still in this secular world, as she has said: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
P/S:
A) Thank you very much to all volunteers who have helped out during this period of time.
😎 Little Yellow Flower Education Foundation is now hiring. If you are interested to join us, you may contact us at 017-3844123. (FEMALE ONLY) 😊
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Little Yellow Flower
