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.
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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.
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“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.
