![On stage at the Lunar New Year distribution, Lai Sin Hui embraces her mother, Yap Yoke Yin, as volunteer Wong Foo Lay (2nd from left) beams with joy, witnessing them emerge from hardship into warmth. [Photo by Joelene Lee]](/images/Articles/CS/2026/KL20260201_llf03_013.jpg "On stage at the Lunar New Year distribution, Lai Sin Hui embraces her mother, Yap Yoke Yin, as volunteer Wong Foo Lay (2nd from left) beams with joy, witnessing them emerge from hardship into warmth. [Photo by Joelene Lee]")
Standing on stage, 20-year-old Lai Sin Hui spoke of the love that had carried her through a challenging youth. Looking at her mother, Yap Yoke Yin, and Tzu Chi volunteer Wong Foo Lay, she spoke from the heart, “Thank you, Mum, for raising me. And thank you, Sister Foo Lay, for being with us for the past ten years. You are the two most important women in my life.”
As Sin Hui embraced her mother before an audience of 500 care recipients and families, Foo Lay’s eyes reddened with emotion. Walking off stage together, she whispered gently to Yoke Yin, “We are crying because of happiness now, not sadness.” Yoke Yin nodded. For her, those few minutes on stage were the culmination of years of hardship, and she could not hold back her tears.
This touching scene unfolded on 1 February 2026, during the Lunar New Year distribution at the KL Tzu-Chi Jing Si Hall. Foo Lay accompanied Yoke Yin on stage, sharing her joy as a volunteer. She recalled witnessing the family’s struggles over the past decade, now finally seeing them step into the light.
◎ A shoulder to lean on
This deep bond began in 2015. When Tzu Chi volunteers first visited Yoke Yin’s home, they found a family in crisis. Her husband had passed away the year before from heart disease, leaving behind a single-storey house, a car, and three children aged nine, five, and three.
Frail and overwhelmed, Yoke Yin spoke of her financial struggles and the challenges of raising three children alone. Following the volunteers’ assessment, Tzu Chi stepped in with monthly living assistance and a Tzu Chi Study Grant, ensuring that Sin Hui could continue her education.
In 2016, Foo Lay joined the home visits. She found Yoke Yin still grieving, often in tears as she recounted her struggles. Heartbroken for this single mother, Foo Lay often ended up crying alongside her. This deep empathy made Yoke Yin feel truly understood.
When Yoke Yin blamed herself for being a “failure” because she could not provide a materially comfortable life for her children, Foo Lay would encourage her, saying, “Providing them with meals and a basic education is already an incredible achievement in itself.” Foo Lay also recalled the dark moments when Yoke Yin admitted to having suicidal thoughts. In response, Foo Lay shared her own past experiences with poverty, encouraging Yoke Yin to persevere.
“We talked like sisters,” Foo Lay reflected. “After all, I am also a mother, and I understand how a mother feels. I am so proud of Yoke Yin’s resilience, never giving up on her children or herself.”
◎ A mother’s resilience
In Yoke Yin’s heart, Foo Lay was like family. She held tightly to one piece of advice from Foo Lay: “Hardship is temporary. Once you get through it, everything will get better.”
This mantra sustained her through gruelling moments – setbacks in job hunting, exhaustion from educating her children, etc. She often spurred herself on, thinking, “I gave birth to my children, so I must take responsibility. Heaven placed me on this path; the only way is forward.”
With limited education and no work experience, Yoke Yin could only take odd jobs like cleaning, cooking, and selling home-grown flowers. The instability of part-time work often left her feeling insecure.
Finally, in 2018, she found work as an assistant at a noodle stall. By November 2019, she gathered the courage to take over the stall herself, when the owner stepped away. Her schedule was relentless: waking up at 4-ish a.m. to prepare, closing the stall at 3 p.m., then cooking dinner and prepping ingredients for the next day, before heading to a food court to wash dishes and serve noodles late into the night. Despite the small income, she appreciated the chance to work.
When business was slow, Foo Lay, who had once run a noodle stall, guided her to improve the broth and chili paste, and advised her on better locations. After moving five times, Yoke Yin finally found a place where business was steadier.
Despite her own struggles, Yoke Yin never pressured her children for grades, only for character. She gave them freedom but insisted on education. When others mocked their chances of breaking free from poverty and suggested that Sin Hui drop out to work, she stood firm. “I know how hard it is to find a job with decent pay without an education,” she told Foo Lay. “No matter how tough life gets, I will endure and tell my children to persevere in their studies.”
Foo Lay admired her foresight and often encouraged her to think positively. Her words warmed Yoke Yin’s heart, bringing hope and strength through constant trials and setbacks.
◎ A daughter’s promise
Looking back, Sin Hui recalled how playful she was as a child, sometimes taking the chance to skip school when she felt unwell. She envied classmates who enjoyed family trips during holidays, while her father had to work and could not spend time with her.
“Later, Dad passed away. Seeing how hard Mum worked to support the family, and sometimes crying, I just wished I could grow up and graduate fast, so I could find a good job and provide for Mum instead,” she said.
From then on, still in primary school, she began to focus on her studies. With guidance from her teacher, she scored eight A’s in her exam – the first beautiful result slip she proudly presented to her mother.
In secondary school, she once felt inferior seeing peers with tuition teachers. But her mother reminded her, “Everyone has their own capabilities, strengths and shortcomings. Don’t bother so much and just be the best version of yourself.”
Inspired, she paid close attention in class, consulted teachers when in doubt, and studied late into the night for exams, sometimes sleeping only a few hours.
As the stress sometimes brought her to tears, her worried mother advised her to relax, but she replied firmly, “For you, I must score A!” With determination, she went on to achieve ten A’s in her SPM examinations, and in 2024, moved to Perlis for matriculation.
Being away from home for the first time, she struggled to adapt and felt homesick. She confided in her mother in tears, even considered giving up. Yoke Yin, sensing her daughter’s pain, sought help from Foo Lay. Knowing this was part of growing up, Foo Lay invited volunteer Han Mei Fung to share her own experiences of studying away from home. With Mei Fung’s encouragement, Sin Hui made new friends and slowly adapted to campus life.
Volunteers also brought her to a second-hand shop to purchase daily supplies, and after assessing her family’s finances, helped her apply for subsidies for enrolment fees and a laptop. This support allowed her to complete the ten-month matriculation programme without worry.
In 2025, her hard work culminated in acceptance to the University of Malaya, the nation’s top university, to study Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. “I am really happy because it has been my dream to enrol in the University of Malaya,” she shared with joy.
As her family continued to struggle financially, Foo Lay once again helped her apply for assistance from Tzu Chi, covering enrolment and first-semester tuition fees.
Sin Hui is deeply grateful to Tzu Chi for the support, which carried her from primary school all the way to university. To repay this kindness, she joined a group offering free tuition to underprivileged children. “Tzu Chi helped me, so I want to help others too,” she said smilingly.
◎ We are family
When sharing on stage, Sin Hui thanked Tzu Chi for the financial support and expressed gratitude to Foo Lay for helping her mother restore confidence. She knew there were challenges and worries her mother could not confide in her children, but could with Foo Lay.
“Sister Foo Lay would take us to do recycling. She would also offer Mum comfort and encouragement. Each time she visits, she shares conversations with Mum. Sometimes, they would shed tears together. I feel she is truly close to us.”
She admitted shyly that ten years ago, when Foo Lay and volunteers visited, she and her brother would just stay in their bedrooms. But Foo Lay never minded, continuing to show care and concern as if they were her own children. Slowly, Sin Hui and her siblings began greeting the volunteers and even joined in the conversations.
Taking the opportunity on stage, Sin Hui made a heartfelt promise, “Mum, I am sorry for the times I lost my temper. Thank you for working so hard to raise us. When I (graduate and work), it will be my turn to take care of you.” Her words brought tears once again to Yoke Yin and Foo Lay.
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Yoke Yin’s wish is simple: health for her children, herself, and the volunteers, because only with a healthy body can one serve and benefit humanity.
She encouraged her children to help others in need when they grow up, and hopes to one day join Foo Lay in volunteering. For her, hardship is temporary, and happiness is no longer a distant dream—it is a reality within reach.
