On 23rd September 2017, the Punggol Gardens Residents’ Committee held a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in the multi-purpose space in the vicinity of Block 160 at Punggol Central, and invited Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore) to promote the message of environmental protection at the event. In the early evening on that day, many residents living nearby came with their families to join in the lively festivities.
The person in charge of Tzu Chi’s recycling point in the area, Teoh Lay Koon, said that the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration helped to foster cooperation between Tzu Chi and the RC members in promoting environmental conservation in the neighbourhood. Residents were encouraged to sign up to pledge their support for “Ethical Eating Day 111”, where they would eat a vegetarian meal a day as an effort to protect the environment.
Tzu Chi's booth was decorated with various informational billboards to inform residents about the causes of global warming and how eating vegetarian meals can help to reduce global carbon footprint. In addition, there were also exhibits of DA.AI Technology products made from recycled plastic bottles.
Even before the start of the celebration, the volunteers had already started to actively promote the “Ethical Eating Day 111” campaign. They also allowed residents to take paper slips containing Jing Si Aphorisms, and patiently explained the meaning behind each of the short, wise sayings they had picked.
A resident, Yao Wei Guang (pictured below), shared that in the past he didn’t understand or realise the impact on the environment caused by the global consumption of meat. After listening to the volunteers’ explanations about the damaging environmental impact of meat production, he expressed a desire to cut down on meat consumption, and immediately signed up online to support the “Ethical Eating Day 111” campaign.
Tzu Chi's youth volunteer, Zheng Hong Yi, aged 14, came to the Mid Autumn Festival celebration with his parents.
“The reason why we go vegetarianism is because we want to reduce the suffering of living beings,” said Hong Yi.
His father, Zheng Zheng Fu (pictured below), also a Tzu Chi volunteer, allowed residents to scan the QR Code for “Ethical Eating Day 111” and encouraged them to register online in response to the call for vegetarianism. Many residents, after learning about the significance behind the campaign, were galvanized into immediate action.
A few days prior to the celebration (on 19th September), a group of Tzu Chi volunteers gathered at the RC’s premises to teach residents how to make eco-friendly lanterns out of recycled bottles and paper. It was an enriching experience for the residents. The RC Chairman, Esther Goh, expressed her hope to invite Tzu Chi to participate in various activities in the community in the future.
The festive and joyous Mid-Autumn Festival celebration saw residents from the three main racial groups (Chinese, Malay and Indian), and the event ended on a cheerful note with the volunteers, RC members and some of the residents posing for a group photo.
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