Culture & Ideas

From compassion to action

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The feeling when you do something good to others :

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We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give

Winston Churchill

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If we could do the project again, what would we do differently?

If we are able to do this community visit again, we would bring the children on a field trip to Kuala Lumpur so that they can learn valuable knowledge and expose themselves to the outside world. Finally, we would organize competitions such as singing and dancing competitions in addition to outdoor game tournaments so that the children can showcase their talents.

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What information can we share with our peers or the community?

The information that we would like to share is that the community should instill the habit of volunteerism. Volunteerism is about volunteering ourselves to help the needy, understanding their living conditions and the difficulties they faced. Most importantly, statuses or races does not matter when volunteering because they are also humans like us. Finally, we should come forward to volunteer ourselves to help the people in need so that they can also live a better life.

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What would we like to learn more about, related to this project or issue?

After doing this project, one of the things that we are interested in learning more about is what we could personally do as individuals and also in groups to solve the issues addressed, instead of just letting the bystander effect take place. Moreover, we would like to find out more about the lives and difficulties faced by the children in order to get a deeper understanding of the issues. Lastly, we are also curious in what other ways that we are able to help the children to further bring more positive change in their lives.

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What learning occurred for us in this experience?

From this experience, we learned that even small gestures can leave a huge impact, as shown from the countless smiles we received from the children when we played with them. Besides, we also learnt to acknowledge the suffering of others and stepping out of our comfort ‘bubbles’ to experience what millions of people are facing around the world. Furthermore, we also learned to look onto others who are less fortunate and take action instead of just gawking.

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What other work is currently happening to address the issue?

The management of the children’s home is in the midst of upscaling the apartment to better accommodate the children. Besides, they are also planning to purchase more equipment to improve the home’s overall furnishings. Furthermore, the management is encouraging people to donate and volunteer by spreading awareness through social media.

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What seem to be the root causes of the issue addressed?

The first issue, which is the lack of space for the children in the home is due to the improper housing planning by the management and the unexpected number of occupants. Besides that, the home also has inadequate facilities for the children. This is mainly the property developer’s fault as they are responsible in ensuring that the infrastructure is well-accommodated with amenities for the children. Next, another issue addressed is the insufficient funds to purchase necessities. This is caused by the economy recession in Malaysia which inadvertently leads to the price hike of items.

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How does this project address those needs?

Through this project, some of problems such as the lack of food was addressed as we donated a pack of rice sufficient for at least 2 meals for the children. This project inadvertently provided a way for the children to express their needs through the questions asked. All the activities done were recorded and put on our social media to raise awareness to our intended audience.

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What are some of the pressing needs/issues in the community?

Among the pressing needs in the community is that they are in dire need of more food. Moreover, they require more donations to support their living costs. Additionally, they need a bigger place to live, as currently there are 31 children cramped in one single unit. They also need much love and care from the society as well.

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What did we learn about the people/community?

We learnt that they have a high level of optimism, as they showed tenacity during our visit. Even without their parents, they live their lives happily, satisfied with what they currently have and never complained about their hardships. From this, we learnt that we should be more responsible to the community socially, as displayed by the caretakers in their willingness to spend their time taking care of the children. 

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• Did we learn a new skill or clarify an interest? • Did we hear, smell, or feel anything that surprised us? • What did we like/dislike about the experience?

After doing our community visit and the volunteer work, we learnt valuable skills like how to entertain the children and effective communication with them. During the community visit, there is nothing much that surprised us as everything is as normal and is properly taken care of. During the visit, we personally enjoyed playing games with the children because not only are the children are having fun, we were too. They gave their maximum cooperation in participating the games, making it more exciting. 

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What issue is being addressed or population is being served?

The issue that is being addressed is the cramped space of the home. The space is insufficient given that they have 31 children in total. Next, the facilities are inadequate and requires various upgrades. For example, there are only one toilet, two rooms and two computers for all the children, forcing them to queue to use them. Lastly, the management also pointed out that they are lacking funds to improve the facilities and purchase necessities. 

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What happened?

We visited the home on the 25th of November 2016. When we arrived, we briefly introduced ourselves to the children and proceeded with an ice-breaking session to get to know them better. Then, we played a few games with them, such as Musical Chair, Words Such, and many more. For tea time, we prepared and served them food before interviewing several of them, including the caretakers as well. We also suggested a few ways to overcome the difficulties they are currently facing. Additionally, the management also shared their experience in handling the home. 

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A brief background of the place we visited :

The founders of the home are Ms. Kogilavani and Mr. Timothy Loh. The home was established in 2012, beginning with a total of 80 children. This orphanage differs from other orphanages as it is located in a very small apartment unit in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong. They provide shelter and help children aged 5-18 years old who are orphans or homeless. They will be supported by the home until they enter college.

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Where did we visit?

We have visited the Pusat Sama-sama Children’s Home, located at Enggang Apartment, Jalan Kinrara 6F, Bandar Kinrara in Puchong, Selangor.