"Sprout Bursary" does provide the learners with financial assist, but also focuses on the growth of their humanitarian personality.
- Interview with Amy Chu -
- By Po-Chuan You -
Tzu Chi “Sprout Bursary ” project is a project by Tzu Chi
Foundation, South Africa Branch, funding learners in under-privileged circumstances.
We provide them with all education-related fees and support the learners up
until they finish their academic career, very often including graduation from
tertiary education facilities.
The project not only provides care for their academic curriculum,
but also focuses on the growth of their humanitarian personality. In order to
qualify for the bursary, learners must participate and accumulate certain
community hours of Tzu Chi Volunteer work, like Home-Based Care,
Institutional Visits, or involvement in Recycling Stations, to name a few
activities that learners may wish to participate in.
Sprout Bursary is all over Southern African Tzu Chi Branches, it originated
from the “School of Hope” Project, where Tzu Chi built several primary schools
in the Lady Smith area. As scholars graduated from the nick-named “Tzu Chi
School”, we had the urge to send the learners onward to complete their
academic study. Today, Sprout Bursary is in all major branches of Tzu Chi
spread throughout Southern Africa including Gauteng, Durban, Lesothu...etc,
benefiting hundreds of students.
Recently, a fresh group of undergraduates finished their study at
the Eastboys High School, when our web-team approached the volunteer in
charge, and filed this report.
Q: How long have you known these learners, what sort of age groups
do they fall in (referring to Sprout Bursary project receivers)?
A: Sprout Bursary in Durban started in about 2012, and that is when
I started to have more contact with the learners. I had previously known them as
local Tzu Chings (Tzu Chi Youth Division), but it is only after the Sprout
Bursary started, that I had to learn more about them; things like where they
are from, their family / community background...etc, in order to evaluate
whether they are qualified as applicants or not.
They fall in the age between 10 – 24 years old.
Q: That is quite a big range, do the learners know each other? Are
they be in contact with each other, apart from Tzu Chi events?
 |
| Easterboys Graduation Day |
A: Depends on the area they live in, some do interact with one
another. You must know most of these learners are orphans, and most likely
there’s no family support, so they rely heavily on each other, to encourage
each other on their academic career path, they are there for each other.
Like this particular picture, it is taken at the Easterboy graduation
a few weeks ago, and some of the learners actually came from other areas to
congratulate the graduates.
Q: Has there ever been a drop out case from the Sprout Bursary
project?
A: Very few, we currently support about 70 learners, and I would say
less than 10 in the past few years.
 |
“I was once a Lost Teenage Girl, so I can never
be harsh
on these learners. There are stressful times when I accompany
the
participants, especially when school fees are due.
But seeing them become a
better person,
it is something money can never buy”
|
Q: Can you tell me about this seminar? How often does Tzu Chi hold these seminars?
A: Once a year, the aim is to communicate the missions of Tzu Chi
with them, it is the foundation of our organization and hence the Sprout
Bursary project. It is the Selflessness Great Love that Tzu Chi promoted which
connected us together.
It is also aiming to inspire the learners to become a better person.
Also, although Tzu Chi welcomes all races and religions to participate
in our volunteer work, we are still foundamentally a Buddhist Centered charity organization,
thus there are some rules that need to be followed.
(Writer’s note: In all Tzu Chi volunteer events, we do not
pray/chant to Buddha, nor do we worship Buddha and further trying to convert
anyone into becoming a Buddhist. However, we do firmly promote vegetarianism, along
with our 10 commandments to follow, hence we
encourage all our bursary receiver to follow such rules)
Q: When you say you try to inspire them to become a better person,
do you mean academically, or as a human being?
A: I’m definately referring to “as a better human being”, that is
our principle behind Sprout Bursary project. During our last gathering, we
shared the movie "from homeless to Harvard" with them to show them
it's possible to make their dreams come true despite the harsh reality.
Q: Do you accept new applicants every time? Since it’s an ongoing
project?
A: Yes, every month we get new applications, but they have to be
involved with any Tzu Chi volunteer events for at least 6 months to qualify.
Also, i think it’s worth mentioning that Tzu Chi does sponsor their travelling
allowance if they are participating at the Tzu Chi volunteer events.
Q: Thank you for your time.
A: Thank you..
