September 6-7, 2003:-
During the two-days one-night camp, the merry sounds of children’s laughter could be heard echoing in the Multi Purpose Hall, located on the 5th floor of Than Hsiang Temple. The Kindy Camp, aptly themed ‘ Towards Self-confidence, Towards Independence!’ was organized by Than Hsiang Kindergarten and Childcare Center.

A total of 87 children took part in this camp, with supportive participation from their parents, accompanied by Ai Xin Baba’s (Loving Fathers), Ai Xin Mama’s (Loving Mothers) and Ai Xin Lao Shi’s (Loving Teachers).

With the combined efforts of the Ai Xin Lao Shi’s and Ai Xin Mama’s, the camp’s programme was laid out with lots of love and special care especially to suit the children’s needs. Each programme aims to instill self-confidence in the children, e.g. meeting new friends, learning self-respect and respect for others as well as developing a sense of gratitude. Through beneficial games and workshops, the children were able to build good characters and learn to recognize and develop their individual growth potential.

The principal of Than Hsiang Kindergarten, Mrs. Balan, felt that the outcome for the camp was very successful mainly due to the enthusiastic involvement from the parents, which came as an unexpected surprise.

“I would like to thank Ven. Wei Wu, Zhen Xin Shi, the Ai Xin Babas (Loving Fathers), Ai Xin Mama’s (Loving Mothers), Ai Xin Lao Shi’s (Loving Teachers), and Ai Xin Jie Jie’s (Loving Sisters) for their hard work and contribution, but most of all the parents for being so sporting, and putting their trust in the organizers and lastly heaped praises on the children for being so very obedient and helpful during the camp, making everyone very proud of them.” quoted Mrs. Balan.

Among the activities held during the camp were ‘music and movement’, story telling, a visit to the old folks home, Wan Ching Yuen Centre, craft-making, cooking and family activities. The little ones were also taught basic living skills, like clearing the tables, keeping their sleeping areas clean and adopting appropriate table manners during mealtimes. It is hoped that they will practice these newly acquired skills at home and make it their daily habit.

The children were also taught the practice of cultivation through morning chanting and prayers before meals with guidance from Zhen Xin Shi, who also recited bedtime stories infused with Buddhist teachings to the little ones.

The children through sketch performance and craft making also practiced upon the importance of gratitude to parents and elderly. The children presented a wonderful stage performance to the old folks based on the stories they have heard during the story telling sessions. Some of the old folks were deeply moved with the gratitude from the little ones that they wept openly with joy. The teachers were similarly moved to tears upon seeing the display of acceptance from the old folks.

The parents were also not forgotten, as the children spent the first night of the camp making wonderful gifts for their parents. The children made beautiful brooches for their mothers and cute letterboxes for their fathers. These “gifts from the heart” were presented to the parents on the second day of the camp, much to the delight and happiness of the parents. The children were also taught how to cook ‘onde-onde’, a task which they adeptly took to with such natural skills to even rival accomplished master chefs. The parents were the lucky tasters as they savored the delicious ‘onde-onde’ cooked up by their children.

The final activity for the day actively involved the parents, as their children had so much fun ‘dressing up’ their parents using only newspapers and scotch tapes! Some of the ‘dresses’ were artfully made, making some wonder if they were seeing future fashion designers!

The parents were filled with much pride and satisfaction for their children as they felt that the camp had instilled much self-confidence in their children, and also helped to develop their creativity. Before leaving the camp, the children were presented with a bag of goodies each. Grateful thanks to the following sponsors: Vovo Food Industrial (M) Sdn. Bhd, Contra Enterprise for the Vitagen and an Aixin Mama, Julie Goh, for the delicious chiffon cake.

Lim Siow Lee, a mother of two sons who both participated in the camp, said that she greatly appreciate the evident benefits gained by her sons from the programs of the camp. She observed that besides obtaining a good education, children also need to build up their self-confidence and to be more independent. She recalled how her eldest son, who was five years old then, was not very keen to participate in last year’s camp. He feared spending the night alone at Than Hsiang Temple, away from the comforts of home and away from his parents. However, last year’s camp provided him with so much fun and joy that he was no longer an unwilling participant, and was confident enough to inform his father that he will not need to return home to sleep during the two days’ camp.