SPREAD LOVE: African children from Amitofo Care Centre perform at a charity show. — Photo by Kong Jun Liung
KUCHING: Kuchingites have raised about RM130,000 for the Amitofo Care Centre (ACC) in Malawi, Africa.
The fund was raised through a charity performance titled ‘Spread the Seeds of Love Charity Performance Tour 2009’ held at Stadium Perpaduan in Petra Jaya here recently night.
It will be used to build a secondary school for about 500 children at ACC.
Currently, the centre has a preparatory school with hostels.
The group of performers was led by Venerable Hui Li, the founder of ACC and 30 children from the centre.
They had performed in Malaysia and Brunei since Nov 28 last year.
Kuching was the group’s last stop after Ipoh, Penang, Johor Bahru, Petaling Jaya, Kuantan, Kuala Lumpur, Kelantan, Muar, Malacca, Kota Kinabalu, Miri,Bintulu and Sibu.
The Kuching event was jointly organised by Malaysia Buddhist Association Sarawak Branch and several Buddhist societies here.
The African children amazed audiences with their performances of African traditional dance, kung fu show and Taiwan traditional songs.
Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Land Development Minister Dato Sri James Jemut Masing and his wife Datin Sri Corinne Bua Nyipa and Malaysia Buddhist Association Sarawak Branch chairman Datuk Tay Chin Kin attended the event.
Wong was representing Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Wong, also the Environment and Public Health Minister,said he was touched and impressed by the efforts of Hui Li in helping orphans in Malawi.
“A man like Hui Li must have great determination, commitment and total involvement to embark on the journey to Africa to set up the Centre to take care for orphans and those suffering from AIDS. He set up a care centre to teach the sick, unfortunate and disadvantaged,” he said.
“It might be easy for you to provide kinship love, to love your family and relatives. You can also love and care for your neighbours and friends. But what is Hui Li doing is called universal love.
He cares for strangers.
He cares for people whom he doesn’t know at all.”
“I think what he is doing is like creating history.
He is a good role model and we should follow his step,” said Wong.
Hui Li from Taiwan stepped foot in Africa in 1992 where he witnessed the suffering of helpless orphans left behind in the wake of AIDS, and the constant threat of disease and poverty on the majority of people.
The experience moved him to dedicate his life to relieving suffering in Africa using the Buddha Dharma.
His first step was to build Nan Hua Temple; the first Mahayana Temple in South Africa.
He founded the first Buddhist orphanage (ACC) in Malawi which had to date adopted around 3,000 orphans.
ACC is based on African and Chinese culture, and Buddhist philosophy. It was based on a ‘Big Family’ or ‘Children’s Village’.
A group of 16 to 20 children were put together like a family with one nanny, one ‘mommy’, and one childcare teacher who all live under one roof.
ACC provides orphans a safe and comfortable environment with sufficient opportunities to learn moral values and have an insight into Buddhism and aquirelife skills.
It aims to bring up orphans with a healthy mental, physical and spiritual disposition.
It welcomes volunteers and donations from the public.
For further information, visit amitofocare.blogspot.com.