Malaysian Humanitarian Foundation collaborates with Teach for
Malaysia to empower underprivileged students with leadership skills
Award-winning
non-profit organisation, Malaysian Humanitarian Foundation (“MHF”) is working
closely with Malaysia’s leading educational non-profit organisation, Teach for
Malaysia (“TFM”) in identifying students from B40 households to offer
scholarships to attend SuperCamp.
For the
December edition which ran from 18 to 22 December 2023 at Paradise Valley Broga
Resort, Semenyih, Selangor, seven (7) students from several schools within
Klang Valley were shortlisted by TFM to attend SuperCamp.
“We work on a system to extend opportunities like
this to students from the underserved communities. Not having the resources to
attend programmes like this should not hinder you from unlocking your full
potential and achieving greatness in the future. We hope that from 2024
onwards, we can extend the scholarships to at least 50 students annually,” Henry Teh Kok Kheng, Executive Director of MHF (郑国庆) says.
Empowering the future leaders of Malaysia
Vassenthen A/L Devendren, 16, was
filled with excitement to be selected for SuperCamp. The SMK (L) Methodist
Sentul student candidly shares that his self-esteem took a hit during the
transition from a Tamil school to a national school after his UPSR, which left
him dissatisfied with the result. He also feels less confident due to his
larger physical build.
“I was
disappointed to receive my UPSR result and decided to make a change. I started
following a strict regime where I only allowed minimal time to rest and spend
time with my family. Being the eldest in my family also means that I have the
big brother role to play,” he says. He also continues to study Tamil subjects
to honour his Indian heritage as he aspires to excel in his mother tongue,
while improving his proficiency in English and Bahasa Melayu.
His
mother, Mogana Sunthari A/P Govindan,
41 is also surprised to see how much time Vassenthen spends in his room
studying. “Everyday, after school he retreats to his room to study. Sometimes,
he only texts or calls me on the phone when he wants to eat. I can see that he
is driven to be successful in the future, so I’ll continue to support him,” she
says. “Interestingly, though, he doesn't aspire to become a doctor! He
mentioned that the COVID-19 experience has truly scared him!”
Another
scholar from SMK Seksyen 27, Shah Alam, Maizatulakma
Lisa Aqilah Abdullah, is a big fan of Korean culture, particularly the food
and fashion. Despite her passion for entertainment, she strongly believes that
her peers should set their priorities right from such a young age.
“I know a
lot of students my age want to be content creators and influencers, but I
honestly hope to be a teacher one day. So, I’ll work hard towards this goal,
acknowledging that I can be a bit lazy at times. However, after attending
SuperCamp, I really found motivation to do better,” says the 15-year old
student.
“Yes, she
can be lazy sometimes,” laughs Maizatulakma’s mother, Zaidatulnisa binti Salleh, 39. “But she’s really a good girl. She’s
the eldest in the family and takes care of her younger siblings. She makes sure
that all her homework is completed before coming home. She is also actively
working for an NGO on the side, something that she picks up from me. I too am
actively working for several NGOs that empower children from the B40 group with
education around our neighborhood.”
Zaidatulnisa
also hopes that the Malaysian education system will bring back examinations for
the students. “I see examinations as a way to motivate students to apply what
they have learnt at school. Examinations provide a quantifiable and measurable
method for parents to assess their children's progress at school. It's not
about making comparisons of whose child is better or smarter.”
Zuraida Zulkifli, 48, is a
proud mother to Daliya Safeera Ramli,
15, a student at SMK Shah Alam, Bukit Jelutong. “She is very quiet at home and
likes to keep to herself. She only approaches us when she needs help. She is
different from her older sister who was a prefect and active at school. Her
sister also attended a boarding school,” says the full-time housewife.
“I don’t
really want to attend boarding school like my sister,” Daliya laughs. “I’m
actually an introvert and I’m afraid to make mistakes, especially when speaking
in front of the crowd. Even when studying, I rely on the Internet and Youtube
videos when I hit a wall. It’s not always a bad thing as it allows students
like me to learn at our own pace. Now that I have attended Supercamp, I feel
more confident, especially in overcoming my fear of public speaking, and I am
excited to share my opinions on various issues”.
Senior
Assistant Administrator from Daliya’s school, Tuan Saripah Nor Riha Tuan Jaafar is extremely proud that one of
her students was selected to receive a full scholarship to attend SuperCamp.
“When TFM reached out to us to share the information about SuperCamp, we
submitted 8 applications and were so delighted to know that despite the limited
vacancies, Daliya made it through,” she says. “Daliya is a very dedicated
student who attended all meetings set by TFM prior to her selection. I hope
that she will return to our school and share everything she has learned here
with her friends. We look forward to seeing more of our students attending
SuperCamp in the future”.
SuperCamp
is a global education brand that believes that children who are equipped with
‘the 8 Keys of Excellence’, a foundation
based on the Burklyn Business School; can transform themselves to become
self-motivated learners. The 8 Keys of Excellence entail:
- Integrity
-
Failure
leads to Success
-
Ownership
-
Speak with
Good Purpose
-
Commitment
-
Flexibility
-
This is It
-
Balance
Meanwhile,
TFM is an independent, not-for-profit organisation on a mission to give all
children the opportunity to realise their potential through quality education.
This education champion has been partnering with the Ministry of Education in
Malaysia to reach high-need public schools. At the same time, TFM is one of the
61 partners of the prestigious global education network, Teach for All. TFM
received recognition in 2022 for the Education & Community Category at the
Merdeka Award established by PETRONAS, ExxonMobil and Shell in 2007.
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