She went to Zambia for charitable reasons but Felicia Chin ended up both giving and receiving.
In a video uploaded on Wednesday (Oct 5) to the Instagram page of the faith-based platform Hai Hao Ma that Felicia Chin now works at, the actress shared details of her recent trip to Zambia.
On the trip, she was unexpectedly given a very generous gift — a whole live chicken — by a villager named Mary.
Felicia, 37, said in the clip: “On that day, I was very touched.
“Mary gave me one of her chickens — she’s not rich. I asked her about how many chickens she has and she said she had 10 of them. She only just met me but blessed me so generously from all that she had.”
Felicia had gone to Zambia to meet her adopted child as part of a charity process conducted by World Vision Singapore and she stopped by the small village of Musosolokwe.
There, she visited Mary and learned about her life in the village.
“Water is scarce in her village and it’s very difficult to find clean drinking water,” Felicia said in the video, explaining Mary’s circumstances.
Felicia also got to try first-hand what it was like to draw water from a well — it was a strenuous process for her, where she had to bend her knees and flex her core muscles, even causing her back to ache, she said.
As she filled up a single pail of water, she said: “Maybe filling up one pail is okay [for my back], but I can’t say the same for 20 pails.”
Felicia added: “Hearing the villagers share their stories, I feel there is no distance between us, because they are just like us — we share the same worries and concerns.”
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‘She Had To Stop Mid-way To Give Birth’
The women in Musosolokwe also exhibit strength and perseverance, Felicia said.
Felicia recounted an anecdote she heard: “Mary once walked three hours to the clinic in order to give birth. But because it was such a long journey, she had to stop mid-way to give birth, then resumed her journey to the clinic again. Her fortitude in life is truly admirable.”
She also paid a visit to the clinic that Mary went to.
According to the person in-charge, thousands of pregnant women travel for hours to their clinic every year.
But the clinic wasn’t doing too well, as Felicia noted.
“The clinic is really run-down and there are insufficient facilities,” she observed in the video as the camera panned and focused on a sign that read: “Delivery Room”. The sign appears to be made of cloth or paper and is stapled to the door.
“A thin piece of curtain is used to separate the delivery room from the outside world,” Felicia added. “There is no privacy.”
Furthermore, Felicia also stated that the clinic suffers from a shortage of beds, resulting in mothers having to queue outside while holding their pregnant bellies.
Her heart pained upon hearing this information from a woman identified as Mrs K.
“Every single life is precious,” Felicia began in the video. “My wish is for every mother to be in a safer environment during childbirth.
“I also admire the zealous spirit of Mrs K. Although there is a lack of resources, she stands firm on her mission to help local women and give them love and hope.”
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.