July 8, 2024
Tears of sadness and gratitude shed at “Starry, Starry Night”
By Joy Rojas
Maybe it’s the cozy ambiance of sitting on the floor of a dark candlelit setting. Or maybe it’s the list of questions that trigger memories of struggle, pain, relief, and gratitude.
Whatever it is, “Starry, Starry Night,” the activity scheduled at the end of each day at Tzu Chi Scholars’ Camp, never fails to make participants cry—so much so that volunteers readily supply each group of scholars with tissues.
At the recent Scholars’ Camp in Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila, participants entered the Jing Si Hall after dinner on June 28 to find the venue transformed. Imagine picnic mats spread around the large auditorium lit only by tiny tea lights. As scholars took their places on the mat, sharing began after volunteers handed each group a piece of paper with a set of questions that tugged at the heartstrings.
“What was your family’s situation then before you became a Tzu Chi scholar?” “How did the Foundation help you overcome your challenges in life?” “What do you consider as your greatest accomplishment /achievement so far?” “What is your unforgettable experience being a Tzu Chi Scholar?”
Roselyn Bolandrina wept while recounting the seemingly insurmountable challenges faced by her family, particularly her father. The eldest of seven siblings, she looked for scholarships when she learned that a relative who had been supporting her studies was no longer going to see her through college. “My father is a farmer and each month, he earns P2,000 at most for all his efforts,” she says.
Originally from Cebu, the Bolandrinas moved to Surigao for better opportunities. They moved back to Cebu after Typhoon Odette (Rai) destroyed their home. “Our house was built from all the hard work of my father who was a garbage collector at the time,” she sobs.
It took a Tzu Chi scholarship to restore her sense of hope and faith. “Yes, I can go to college! Then I can work and help my family!” exclaims Bolandrina, a 21-year-old third year Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education major in Information and Communication Technology from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. “For that, I am so grateful.”
Crying alongside Bolandrina was Queen Reyes. “I’m an empathetic kind of person,” says the 22-year-old third year BS Education major in Mathematics from the University of Southeastern Philippines, Davao. “When I see their tears fall while they’re telling their stories, my heart can’t control my emotions. I try to stop myself but I can’t. That’s why I went to the restroom to calm myself.”
Her own story brought tears to the eyes of her fellow scholars. With her parent separated and living their lives with their respective families, Reyes was left in the care of an aunt. A Tzu Chi scholarship allowed her to attain quality education and dream of a better future for herself.
“It made me financially independent,” she says, referring to the scholarship’s allowances. “Any money I save I give to my aunt. I had been living with her for years, it’s only right that I share what I have.”
For Bolandrina, Reyes, and other scholars moved by the recollections of their painful past, “Starry, Starry Night” reminds them not only of how far they’ve come, but that life doesn’t always have to be about struggle and strife—especially when you take steps to change your story.
“I just want to thank Tzu Chi for giving me a chance to enter this wonderful, amazing foundation,” says Bolandrina. “I really treasure your words to be grateful and I am sharing the blessings that you give to me with my family.”
“Everything that we experience in life is a stepping stone to our goal,” says Reyes. “Because of Tzu Chi, I am able to help myself, do what’s right, and learn to be charitable and loving to others.”
June 28’s “Starry, Starry Night” had scholars sitting on the floor in a candlelit setting and sharing stories of how a Tzu Chi scholarship changed their lives.
“Anything related to the family makes me cry,” says Roselyn Bolandrina. The eldest of seven kids, she recalls her father’s struggles as a farmer and garbage collector.
““When I see their tears fall while they’re telling their stories, my heart can’t control my emotions,” says Queen Reyes (in blue), who took her hanky from her bag as fellow scholars sobbed during the sharing session of “Starry, Starry Night.”
Another Tzu Chi Scholars’ Camp activity that never fails to make participants cry is “Filial Piety.” Tzu Chi scholar alumnus Albert Briongos reminds scholars to “maximize your time with your parents because time is fleeting.”
In an emotional letter-writing activity to their parents, scholars are comforted by volunteers.
In an emotional letter-writing activity to their parents, scholars are comforted by volunteers.
In an emotional letter-writing activity to their parents, scholars are comforted by volunteers.