Highly Festive, the Announcement of the 2024 Lotus Cup Champions Was Filled with Enthusiasm and Delight

Journalist : Metta Wulandari, Photographer : Metta Wulandari, Indra Gunawan (He Qi Angke)

The He Qi Sign Language Team at the Center cheered with joy when they were announced as the first-place winners in the sign language competition at the Lotus Cup.

The series of Lotus Cup competitions, which have been held in stages over the past month, has finally found its champions. The announcement was made on Sunday, July 21, 2024, alongside the second-stage events, which featured Humanistic Short Drama, Recycling Projects, Tzu Chi Duets, Sign Language, and Quiz Competitions. In the previous edition, the events included English Speech and Mandarin Speech contests.

The excitement was clear as the MC announced the winners in each category, with the crowd cheering enthusiastically. The results were as follows:

English Speech Competition:
1st Place: Ralifa Avrillyos from He Qi Sinar Mas
2nd Place: Jessica Santoso from He Qi Barat 1
3rd Place: Jane Aliyu Putri from He Qi Cikarang

Mandarin Speech Competition:
1st Place: Chelsea Felicia from He Qi Barat 1
2nd Place: Dragon Apriliawan from He Qi Utara 2

Humanistic Short Drama: The winner was the He Qi Cikarang Team, recognized for their outstanding performance.
Recycling Projects:
1st Place: He Qi Barat 1 Team, awarded for their innovative recycling solutions
2nd Place: He Qi Barat 2 Team and He Qi Cikarang (Group 4), both recognized for their commendable projects

Tzu Chi Duet Competition: The He Qi Tangerang Team took first place with their impressive duet performance.
Sign Language Competition:
1st Place: He Qi Pusat Team, celebrated for their exceptional sign language skills
2nd Place: He Qi Utara 2 Team
3rd Place: He Qi Cikarang Team

Quiz Competition:
1st Place: He Qi Tangerang Team, demonstrating their superior knowledge and quick thinking
2nd Place: He Qi Sinar Mas Team

In addition to the first-place winners, all participants in each category received certificates and cash prizes, acknowledging their hard work and achievements throughout the competition.

Nymphaea: Stylish Bags Made from Recycled Denim

The Recycling Projects competition, which focused on the negative impacts of fast fashion, saw Christian Ray Evan and Aba Bu Bu Ong Gautama Sadikin and their team win first place in their category. They thoughtfully selected the idea of repurposing textile waste, particularly denim, into a new product named Nymphaea (the Latin name for lotus). Their creation is a line of stylish bags suitable for all ages.

Volunteers from He Qi Tangerang and supporters, including the parents of the Lotus Children, were full of excitement and couldn't hide their joy when their team won the Quiz Competition.

Volunteers from He Qi Utara 2 continued to support and encourage their Lotus Children as they performed in the Sign Language Competition.

Christian, representing his team, explained that they chose to work with fashion waste based on data from earth.org, which states that the global fashion industry generates approximately 92 million tons of textile waste each year. Specifically, denim garments contribute significantly to water pollution due to their dyeing processes.

When we visited the depot, we saw a large amount of denim clothing. From there, we immediately discussed with the group about how we could process this denim. Everyone agreed,” said Christian, who is now an 11th-grade student at SMK Cinta Kasih Tzu Chi.

"Indeed, especially since denim products are timeless, suitable for anyone, and made from durable material," added Aba Bu. "Beyond that, the most important aspect is that we are highlighting the issue of fast fashion, which contributes to textile waste. That's why we are so excited to work on this project, hoping it will help reduce textile waste."

Participants in the Quiz Competition from He Qi Tangerang (in blue uniforms) and He Qi Sinar Mas (in white uniforms) were seen deeply focused as they contemplated their answers.

The participants from He Qi Cikarang dominated the stage and impressed the judges with their performance in the Humanistic Short Drama competition, earning first place in the category.

The team representing the Lotus Children in the He Qi Barat 1 community invested around a month in their project. Their process began with brainstorming and developing ideas, followed by sourcing recyclable materials from the Tzu Chi Cengkareng Environmental Preservation Education Depot. They meticulously processed these materials and established a dedicated project account. This account was designed with a professional touch, including a barcode that directly linked to their social media channels, enhancing their project’s visibility and accessibility. This approach reflected a serious and business-like commitment to their work.

Participating in the Lotus Cup has pushed us out of our comfort zones and taught us how to start our own business. Shigu Shibo has consistently motivated us to improve our public speaking and marketing skills," Christian said with enthusiasm and gratitude. He feels that this experience is like a rehearsal for his goal of becoming a business owner.

The Recycling Projects competition, which focused on the negative impacts of fast fashion, led Christian Ray Evan (in the blue uniform—wearing glasses) and Aba Bu Bu Ong Gautama Sadikin (in the blue uniform—center) and their team to win first place in their category.

In addition to the first-place winners, all participants in each competition received certificates and cash prizes to encourage and motivate them.

Echoing Christian’s perspective, Aba Bu shared a similar experience. "The Lotus Cup has revealed potential within us that we hadn’t previously recognized. We are extremely grateful to Shigu Shibo and the Tzu Chi Bakti Amal Team for their support in helping us enhance our skills. I am both excited and motivated by the challenge, and I cherish the chance to boost my confidence," Aba Bu said with enthusiasm.

Uncovering Hidden Talents

As one of the judges evaluating half of the competitions, Mika Wulan from DAAI TV was somewhat surprised by the remarkable talent displayed by the Lotus Children, who presented their work with great confidence. While she was already aware of their academic excellence, she was impressed to discover their significant potential beyond the classroom.

“Today, I’ve witnessed talents that could become their future strengths and unique skills. With proper development and support, such as workshops or additional training, they could achieve even greater success,” Mika said, expressing her enthusiasm for the Lotus Children's accomplishments.

Mika Wulan received a certificate of appreciation from Wie Sioeng. She expressed her pleasure at seeing the emerging talents showcased through the Lotus Cup.

The PR Manager of DAAI TV did not rule out the possibility that, once their talents have fully developed, they might be invited by DAAI TV to inspire a wider audience, either through featured content or live performances on stage.

“There was one project that particularly caught my attention—the denim recycling project. I found it extremely impressive. They have not only developed it but also advanced it to the marketing stage, making it ready for use. They have already established branding and entered social media. This is essentially a complete business chain. These young people, despite having limited resources, have achieved so much,” Mika remarked with admiration.

“With guidance and support from Tzu Chi, they could potentially become successful entrepreneurs in the future, creating job opportunities for others as well. I find this very inspiring, and perhaps one day we could feature their achievements on DAAI TV,” Mika added.

Becoming Beautiful, Clean, and Beneficial Lotuses

Yully Kusnadi, Dept Head of the Tzu Chi Foundation’s Charity Division, expressed immense pride in the Lotus Children of Tzu Chi, who delivered exceptional performances. The 173 children from 9 He Qi centers, each showcasing their unique talents, left a profound impression on Yully. “I am deeply moved by the harmony and cooperation among the Lotus Children, volunteers, and the organizing committee. They truly went all out in their preparations,” Yully remarked, visibly touched and occasionally wiping away tears of emotion throughout the event.

Yully Kusnadi delivered a message of encouragement and motivation to all the Lotus Children.

In alignment with Mika's hopes, the Tzu Chi Bakti Amal Team is currently preparing various forms of guidance to support the emerging talents. This will include public speaking training, vocal classes, and entrepreneurship workshops for the Lotus Children.

The Lotus Children are those who receive educational assistance from the Tzu Chi Foundation Indonesia. The term "Lotus" is used because the lotus flower can thrive in murky, muddy water, a habitat unlike that of other plants. Despite the challenging conditions, the lotus grows tall with a beautiful and clean flower. As Yully explained, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, we all have the opportunity to become like the lotus—growing clean, beautiful, and beneficial to our surroundings.

Rudi Dharmawan presented the trophy to the winners of the first place in the Quiz Competition.

“Regardless of our circumstances or where we are born, those are things we cannot choose. However, moving forward, we have control over our hands, feet, minds, abilities, and attitudes. We hope that through this event, the Lotus Cup, we all learn and grow. Let us embody the lotus flower—no matter our conditions, where we are born, or what we have been given, both our shortcomings and strengths. With determination, sincerity, and a pure heart, we should strive to develop ourselves and be of service to others,” Yully advised, leaving a profound impression on the Lotus Children.

Translator: Vissia (Tzu Chi School)