A fresh start through IT
As volunteer teacher Dr Kamalanathan mocks up a computer's file structure on the whiteboard, the students watch attentively. There are six of them, all have a modern desktop PC in front of them, and all nod knowingly at the mention of Microsoft Office, of files and folders. But these are by no means ordinary IT students. They are part of MNO Solutions' new initiative to teach basic yet increasingly essential IT skills to refugees in Malaysia. The students are from very different backgrounds—some from Afghanistan, some from Somalia, Sri Lanka, Iraq—but all share terrifying stories of disruption that forced them to flee their home nation.
Here Dr Kamalanathan is taking a short taster session for some of the refugees registered in Kuala Lumpur with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and he starts with a broad question: "What do computers let us do?" The students' responses reveal a definite exposure to information technology already. Some are more shy than others, some more advanced than others, but all express a desire—perhaps a need—to attend the weekly lessons.
The classes, lasting two months from the middle of August, are structured to provide an introduction to the Microsoft Office suite before moving onto skills such as blogging and networking. And while MNO Solutions is funding the project and providing the facilities, MS Office-proficient volunteers are still needed to help lead the Sunday sessions. To find out more about the programme and to offer your support, contact MNO Solutions at 03-2163 5378 or
info@mnosolutions.com.my
Rugby and more
Slap on the sun cream, tie up your boots, and ... grab your silly hat? The annual Jonah Jones rugby sevens tournament is back at the Royal Selangor Club Bukit Kiara sports annexe, and there are a few changes this year. Introduced in 1963 to promote rugby to Malaysians, the event has since evolved into a complete community carnival. So while sports fans are kept entertained by on-field matters, there'll be plenty to keep children and families occupied as well.
Jonah Jones is no longer "just about grown men running around chasing an egg-shaped ball and singing songs after, it has grown to cater to kids, ladies and veterans as well," explains Benjamin Tok of the RSC rugby club. As such, expect blow-up bouncy castles, DJs playing throughout the weekend, food stalls, and, of course, a well-stocked bar to keep spirits high.
Admission to the tournament—now Malaysia's longest-running social sporting event—is free, and festivities last for the whole weekend. Saturday is usually a more relaxing day, Benjamin explains, with Phat Hat Sunday seeing the competition stiffen in the deciding matches. Why Phat Hat? Because players, fans and families are encouraged to don their silliest hats, sip their favourite drinks and enjoy the community atmosphere of the Jonah Jones Rugby Sevens.
8am-8pm, September 25 & 26. Royal Selangor Club Bukit Kiara Sports Annexe, KL.
Little League Soccer
Looking for a kick around for the little ones? Little League Soccer is a youth football coaching school aimed at children from five years old and upwards. Sessions run throughout each week, from the Kick Start programmes for beginners on Saturdays and Sundays to after-school midweek meetings for more advanced players and football camps for everyone in the school holidays.
Upcoming session dates
Term one (September 4-December 10)
Kick start: Saturday and Sundays, 9-11am
Midweek: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 5.30-7.30pm
Holiday camps: October 11-14 & October 30-November 2
All sessions are held at Garden International School or Padang@One Utama, Kuala Lumpur. Contact 019-212 3533 or log onto
www.littleleaguesoccer.com.my for more information.
GLOBAL LEADERS IN THE MAKING
Talk about giving them an early start. And as the youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, it is not at all an extraordinary step in giving them a taste of what it means to be advocates of peace. The Global Model United Nations Conference is a platform for more than 1,000 university-level students to role-play as foreign diplomats and participate in simulated sessions of the UN General Assembly. "It is our hope that participation in the Global Model UN conference will inspire young people to become Ambassadors, to work for the United Nations or become the experts and leaders that we in the United Nations look to as our partners in the global effort to support peace, development and human rights in countries around the world," said Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.
This year the conference-the second time it's being held at a global level-which is organised by the United Nations Department of Public Information will take place in Kuala Lumpur from August 14-18, and themed "Towards an Alliance of Civilizations: Bridging Cultures to Achieve Peace and Development". The students, who are between the ages of 18 and 24, go through a competitive selection process and will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and research, writing, public speaking and problem solving skills that will be beneficial in all areas of their lives.
www.un.org/gmun/
FOR A HIGHER CAUSE
A hearty congratulation is due for the 17 brave men and women of OmniBus-Climb4Charity who scaled Mt Kinabalu to raise funds for Humana Borneo Child Aid Society. The early start-2am-was well rewarded as the team reached the summit in time to witness a perfect sunrise that was metaphoric of the hopeful future that awaits the underprivileged children of Borneo. The organisation operates learning centres for over 8,000 children in 106 schools that are entirely funded by charitable donations.
According to expedition leader, Fintan McKiernan of Ireland, "Climbing Mt Kinabalu at over 14,000 feet is certainly a challenge, both physically and mentally ... But it was our visit to the Borneo Child Aid learning centres at Lahad Datu that will be the biggest memory of all; the children were amazing, reciting poems and singing songs in the harsh heat and humidity for the strange foreign visitors, they not only impressed, they stole our hearts."
While there, the team presented a cheque for the value of RM15,537 to Borneo Child Aid. "I will continue to support this amazing organisation and hope that more people will do the same because no mountain is too high for these wonderful children," continues McKiernan. And we could not applaud the sentiment more.
www.omnibus-climb4charity.org
PAVING THE IB WAY
Fairview International School, one of Malaysia's most established learning institutions, will now be offering the International Baccalaureate program for all age groups at its Wangsa Maju campus, making it the only IB World School certified at all levels in the country. They will be offering the program from Primary to Middle Year as well as Diploma level.
www.fairview.edu.my
Feeding KL's hungry and homeless
Alice Smith School mum, Baida Hercus, 33, and her enterprising mother, Munirah Abdul Hamid, recently launched KL's first mobile soup kitchen. A van that makes nightly visits to bring food and a touch of compassion to KL's hungry and homeless.
An ambitious project that has taken months of preparation, it all came together this March when 'The Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur Diraja' donated a van for food distribution. "It feels fantastic to be able to help KL's disenfranchised," says Hamid, a 60-year-old businesswomen. Petaling Jaya based NGO, Pertiwi, and a number of Hamid's friends, help to coordinate the project, which has enough funding to cover the next six months.
Volunteers - expatriates and locals alike - meet in Damansara Heights to distribute pre-prepared fried rice, vegetables, fruit and homemade cordials. Each trip takes approximately two hours, stopping at Chow Kit, Pudu Raya and Masjid India. Orderly queues of homeless persons -from the very young to the old - form within minutes of the van's arrival. They currently cater for 200, but "often have to turn people away", says Hercus; numbers increase as word spreads.
Anuar, 47, recently unemployed and living on the streets of Chow Kit, says "the soup kitchen's dinner is a big help for us here." For some, "this might be the only meal in the day they get", explains Hercus. The soup kitchen welcomes food donations (food packs cost RM2 each) and volunteers to man the van that departs 8pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. They also plan to expand operations to Thursdays in Bukit Bintang, where there is a large concentration of street children. Interested? Contact Baida Hercus at
pertiwisoupkitchen@gmail.com
Dept. of pat yourself on the back:
EL receives award from ISKL and raises RM30,000 at TNT/EL Charity Open
www.iskl.edu.my/walkforchildren/
Sure, any magazine can talk the talk but what about walk the walk ... literally? Thanks to some rugged shoes and an early start, Expatriate Lifestyle-care of our brand ambassador Lilyana Aziz-rounded up the troops to participate in Walk for Children, an initiative by International Club president Michael George, valedictorian at ISKL to raise a walloping RM78,000 for the NGO Protect the Children.
Also, our own TNT/Expatriate Lifestyle Charity Open at RSGC (see EL Events) managed to slot in almost RM30,000 for two worthy charities. Get ready for our Team Mongoose in the Standard Charter run; we'll keep you posted ...
Picnic hike with your pooch
And while we're on the subject of raising funds, the SPCA would like to invite you and your canine companions to their second Wag N Walk event to help raise RM2 million for their Eco-Animal Shelter campaign which will see some much needed reconstruction of their animal shelter and administrative centre. The two-mile hike will take place at the recently gazetted Kota Damansara Community Park on Aug 1. Be there at 8am. Those wishing to sponsor or contribute to the event may contact Jacintha Johnson at 03-4256 5312/ 03-4253 5179 or visit
www.spca.org.my
EXPAT YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP 2010
Clements International, a leading provider of insurance solutions for expatriates and international organisations for over 60 years, will be awarding scholarships to the winners of an essay and creative image contest. The contest themed "Where would you go in your flying house?" is open to students aged 12-18 of any nationality who have resided in a foreign country for at least two consecutive years.
The Expat Youth Scholarship is an opportunity for young people to use their experiences living in a foreign country as inspiration to imagine where their journey may lead. The idea for the theme came from expatriate students who spend their childhood moving between different countries and cultures, allowing them to develop rich life experiences.
This year's panel of judges are four undisputed leaders in the expatriate community for outstanding service and dedication: Kimberly van Cleave Michaels, Jo Parfitt, Alyson Rose-Wood and Rosemary Whitcraft.
Essays should be between 500 and 750 words and should also include an image or photograph that creatively illustrates the answer. The deadline for this contest is 13 May 2010 and winners will be announced on 13 Sept 2010. For further information visit
www.expatyouthscholarship.com or email
kdorf@clements.com
Ibu house closes its doors to mums and babies...
Ibu Family Resource Group has had to close the doors of its playgroup centre in Jalan Jelutong, Damansara Heights, after four glorious years. Government officials visited the premises last month during a 'mum and toddler playgroup' to advise ibu of the need to close. It was subsequently closed to playgroups and families on 29 March 'until further notice'.
Ibu chairperson Paige Head recently told Expatriate Lifestyle that urgent discussions are underway to arrange for the centre's reopening "as soon as possible so that normal activities can resume". Ibu, a registered society here in Malaysia for the past 20 years, is a 'lifeline' to pregnant women and parents of babies and toddlers living in Kuala Lumpur, providing support, information and regular morning playgroups. Members will be kept informed of progress.
It is still 'business as usual' though for ibu's annual family bazaar which is the biggest funding raising event in ibu's calendar. Paige Head has called for all old ibu members, current members and friends of ibu to come and support the bazaar (refer to Community Calendar for details). For more information on the bazaar including volunteering opportunities, contact
chairperson@ibufamily.org
TNT Expatriate Lifestyle Charity Open 2010
Be among the first to play in this unique golfing event, which has quickly established itself as the most important golfing event in the expatriate calendar. We are launching this exclusive annual event at the Royal Selangor Golf Club on 21st May 2010, and all expatriates are invited. The proceeds from the tournament will be donated to local children charities, and our target is RM30,000.
As well as the chance to play at the prestigious RSGC, golfers will also be getting "the best goodie bag in Malaysia" and a chance to win numerous exclusive prizes. The day will consist of a gross and net competition, breakfast & lunch, free flow drinks and champagne and amazing prizes. We are limiting participants to 120 players, so sign up now, for the golfing experience of a lifetime.
www.expatriatelifestyle.com/golf
pr@mongooseasia.com
WORKSHOP
City of stories
Novelist Ardashir Vakil, of Beach Boy and One Day fame, and Sarah Butler, writer and founder of consultancy UrbanWords, will be in KL this month, running a series of workshops for beginner and advanced writers. Brought over by the British Council, MPH and London-based Spread the Word for the second installment of City of Stories, the two will be helping local writers extract the stories from their environment and unearth the unusual from the everyday.
There will be two full day workshops for beginners, and two week long workshops for advanced writers. And if you have a particularly pressing penning problem, Sarah and Ardashir will each be holding Advice Surgery sessions for writers to engage in one-on-one discussions with them.
The workshops will take place January 12-24, 2010, and places are limited to only 12 a workshop, so register soon at
www.britishcouncil.org.my. Only for those aged 18 and above, and participation fees are RM30 for the beginner workshops, and RM200 for the advanced workshop. All workshops will be taking place at MPH 1 Utama, call 03-2723 7963 for more information.
CHARITY
Climbing the wall for charity
Some of our expatriates just love a good adventure, the more extreme the better. And some feel compelled to focus their efforts for a good cause. For local Irishman Fintan McKiernan, he's figured out a way to combine both for full effect. "Well, I've done some of this before. I drove through Central Asia for charity some years ago and that was a good laugh," he explains of his melding of philanthropy and extreme activities. But, after a recent broadcasters' convention that he was at with his firm and colleagues, he came upon an idea to outdo whatever he'd done before. Hearing about the via ferrata-a climbers' route-across the rock face of Mt Kinabalu recently being designated the highest in the world, he grinned in mischievous chagrin at the challenge he'd propose for himself. Gathering up 22 internationals from seven nationalities, he is set to mount an ascent of the mountain this June 22, all in the aid of one of Borneo's most necessary charities, Borneo Child Aid, a group who tries to give hope for children of relationships that aren't recognised under Malaysian law. "Without outside help, these children won't get an education, healthcare and many are totally abandoned by even their parents. It's a great cause," Fintan McKiernan explains. The climbers are all donating RM300 to the charity as well as the amount that OmniBus-Climb4Charity Expedition's sponsors are donating. Mountain Torq, who own and operate the via feratta, have also kindly sponsored RM5,000 to Borneo Child Aid. But, as the climbers are all amateurs, it's anybody's guess how the climb will go. Keep in touch with all the action on their website and blog. SAM COLEMAN
www.omnibus-climb4charity.org.
Animal testing uproar
Animal and pet welfare has become a prominent concern for us all and as many know, Malaysia is still emerging with its advocacy in this regard. The country's predicament with strays, animal cruelty and poaching are a daily struggle faced by local animal lovers and conservationists that is frequently highlighted in the newspapers. However, the recent news that an Indian bio-tech company is planning to set up laboratories here for testing on dogs and primates not only angered local animal rights groups SPCA and Friends of the Earth Malaysia, but has also received attention and protest letters from international groups; The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE). All are urging the local government to intervene on humanitarian grounds as many are concerned by the lack of regulations and laws in Malaysia, protecting the welfare of animals used in experiments.
For those who are not aware, this is not the first (or sadly probably the last) attempt at setting up an animal testing base here in Malaysia. Last year, a French pharmaceutical research company proposed setting up an animal testing laboratory in Johor, but the project has been temporarily suspended following a similar outcry from environmental groups. As European countries continue to tighten their laws and legislations on animal testing, many companies are now looking to outsource in Asia where not only are the regulations lax but the costs are lower.
According to Jacinta Johnson of SPCA Selangor, it would be better to prevent such controversial businesses from taking root here in the first place, rather than formulating legislation to protect animals in research. "Even if you have the legislation, would it be enforced? Illegal smuggling of wildlife and animal cruelty and neglect is still rampant in Malaysia-though there is relevant legislation it is rarely enforced. Why open Malaysia to a new industry that propagates animal cruelty?"
True enough. As such, the coalition of animal rights groups above have launched an international petition to be handed over to the Prime Minister. Those in support of the cause can log on to the link below to sign up ... and spread the word. ELEANOR LOPEZ
www.thepetitionsite.com.
Teach Your Children Well
They say that the hope of tomorrow is the generation of today and, clichéd as that is, there's a large amount of truth to it. We've handed over a planet that is in trouble socially, economically and environmentally, one that they will have to pick up the bill for. It's not exactly a legacy we should be proud to bequeath.
Therefore, in conjunction with Earth Day (Apr 22) local writer-and Expatriate Lifestyle chief foodie-Fay Khoo, comes to the fore, leading a small chorus of literary voices that drum the mantra of 'never too early to start' the dialogue of eco responsibility. Along with media celebrity Asha Gill and illustrator Sarah Joan Mokhtar, Khoo and crew have come out with a series of books based on their Ecokids characters, a pair of superheroes who swoop in to teach families about conservation topics. Be it water conservation in The Ecokids and the Wasteful Water Worry, bag wastage in the Plastic Bag Pickle or petrol overuse in The Gas Guzzler Gaffe, the series have bite-sized stories, some action points at the end and colouring pages; nicely sectioned and presented. And the best part? Charitable organisations around the Klang Valley will receive 5,500 copies of each title in the whole series, the total of 33,000 donated copies having been sponsored by Sime Darby. Additionally, RM1 from the sale of each book will be donated to the Haiti Children's fund via UNICEF. The books are available in major bookstores around the country.
Mega Earth Day
Forest for All-Earth Day Carnival 2010
Apr 23-25
kd.communityforest.net
The last decade has seen a great global kindling of environmental awareness and attempts at preservation. Though there is much debate on whether we're too late to save our habitat, it's still comforting to see many communities taking ownership of the problem and working together to find a solution, or at least try to prevent more damage. This show of unity and responsibility is apparent among the eco-warriors of Kota Damansara-Friends of Kota Damansara (FoKD)-a coalition of over 20 resident associations who've been campaigning for the past eight years to have the Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF) gazetted. And thanks to their commitment and relentless effort, Selangor state has finally declared KDCF a permanent reserve forest and, as it coincides with the 40th World Earth Day this year, FoKD together with the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council and Global Environment Facility (GEF) are hosting a two-day celebration of their achievement with concert, stalls, eco-related competitions, camping, a night hike and much more for people of all ages. It was a long battle but worthy fight as the forest has now been restored and spared destruction (in the name of development) and has been re-categorised as "amenity, research and educational forest", which should be beneficial to all.
Women For Women
Queens of Hearts
Mar 19, 9pm-3am,
Zouk Club, KL
www.zoukclub.com.my
www.wao.org.my
This year's International Women's Day (IWD) theme "Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all" resonates the defining moment in 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City in their fight against oppression, injustice and for equal rights. That was more than a hundred years ago. It is extremely disturbing to think that discrimination and violence towards women still exists in modern society. But due to progress and development, many are often subject to harassment and repression simply for challenging restrictive and archaic social, religious and cultural norms of the role of a woman. And for all its development and advancements, Malaysia has its fair share of battered women too. And that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
The good thing about living in modern society is that there is now more awareness and efforts to eradicate this social disease as well as access to recourse. Women the world over are becoming more outspoken and assertive when it comes to protecting their sisters, especially with the support of organizations like Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), an independent, nonreligious, non-governmental organisation that is committed to confronting violence against women here in Malaysia.
This year, in conjunction with IWD on March 8, Zouk KL plays host (for the third time) to Queens of Hearts. The main objective of the event is to raise money and awareness for WAO and their anti-violence against women campaigns. So ladies, join your fellow female freedom fi ghters for a night of purposeful fun! The event will feature the usual suspects, DJ Stella Nutella, DJ Super Cozi and doing Malaysia proud will be DJ Faith, DJ Anatta and duo DJ Twinkies.
Youthful Returns
More and more, philanthropy begins at a younger age, creating a life long understanding of its importance in our world. In the fi rst of our new monthly reports on the hottest issues in education, Expatriate Lifestyle takes a look at how our students are making a difference
Words Andrew Whitelaw
THE VOLUNTARY PROMOTION OF HUMAN welfare is something we should surely all be involved in. Sadly, so many of us offer a multitude of excuses as to why we cannot partake in such activities and these often boil down to the assertion that we'd like to do something someday but, for the moment? We're just too busy. What's more, we often fi nd that its school kids that put adults to shame when it comes to giving something back to both the global and local community. We decided to check out some of the country's leading international schools to find out where the kids and teachers stand on how and to what extent philanthropy can become a fundamental part of an international education.
Students will inevitably show different levels of initiative regarding all academic and extracurricular activates but it's up to a school to provide the opportunities. Both entities must be utilised effectively to ensure that educational institutions fulfi ll what is perceived to be an important responsibility to the community on both global and local levels. The Creativity Action and Service (CAS) element of the International Baccalaureate has contributed signifi cantly in stimulating charitable pursuits and community work in schools by offering recognition for endeavours that some feel have always been there but weren't measured.
While the IB is common to American schools, Alice Smith, one of the oldest and most famous British international schools in Malaysia, has recently introduced the AQA Baccalaureate aimed at bringing the A level curriculum in line with the IB. Lynsey Buck, Alice Smith's enrichment coordinator, explained to me that the introduction of the program is one of many example's of a "school's responsibility to make sure those (philanthropic) opportunities are there." Her colleague at Alice Smith and head of the school's Youth Act programme, Asif Chishti, maintains that "there was already a lot going on outside of the subject areas before the introduction of the the AQA bacc," though now it seems, there is an added incentive for students to get involved.
THE CRUCIAL ELEMENT OF THE CAS SYSTEM seems to be that it provides that initial spark and the rest follows. This is an assertion that was supported when I spoke to Jasmin Millon, a student leader for the general hospital group from ISKL, who told me that, "at fi rst when you do IB you think CAS is a burden but I know so many people who continue doing [community] service even after they've fulfi lled their requirements." Gary Piech, an IB coordinator of ISKL explained the process quite nicely when he deduced that "the students are the soul and we just give them the framework for what they want to do." Indeed, it was refreshing to discover that all the schools I spoke to have a multitude of avenues through which students can give up their time to helping the community by deciding which projects they deem the most worthwhile in terms of global and local issues.
The CAS coordinator at Penang's Upland's International School, Alexis Kerr, further acquainted me with the idea that students are engaged with the community work they do because the projects undertaken are "always a joint decision with the students." All agree that fundraising is certainly worthwhile; with Uplands just recently having raised a commendable RM20,000 for Haiti via a joga- thon, however, when it comes to helping students understand the value of giving something back to the community then their time can be just as, if not more, valuable as their money. This is why the teachers feel it's important that decisions about which project to undertake are preceded by "discussions in which students are asked to justify and give reasons for their choices." Accordingly, there's a hope that by granting the student a sense of autonomy in what they do, then ideally they will acquire a sense of responsibility for it and continue to offer their time and spread awareness of other causes as they head into adulthood.
THE REFRESHING ATTITUDE OF THESE KIDS is epitomised by Shrea Goswami, a student leader of the Tasputra club at ISKL, an organisation dedicated to helping handicapped Malaysian children. She reasons that, "It's really easy to get caught up in your own little world of luxuries if you don't have that exposure to how people less fortunate than you are living and you won't have that impetus to help. You have to see fi rst hand and not just have someone telling you." Her reasoning is mature and shows a degree of consciousness we would hope is prevalent in all of us.
The children will almost certainly take these experiences into later life, where socially conscious students will blossom into socially conscious adults, a notion that their teachers are all very much aware of. Asif recognises that the infl uence that schools can have is pivotal in shaping young minds considering the realistic chance some of these children have of going on to be "potential prime ministers, cabinet leaders and CEOs ... so we're actually sowing seeds here that could reap really great rewards by doing these relatively small scale things but that will actually stay with them in their lives to come." Accordingly, when these kids grow up to run businesses one day, we hope their endeavors with organisations such as Youth Act stay with them.
When it comes to community projects, the international schools provide a framework through which the students can pursue philanthropic exploits. Youth Act takes the kids down to a centre in Chow Kit that houses children whose parents either cannot or will not take care of them due to the drugs trade and the sex industry. Asif made some interesting observations about how his students response to the help centre. "These kids are from completely different backgrounds and every time we go I'm worried it's just going to be a disaster. It always begins the same, there are kids on one side of the hall and our kids on the other. After ten minutes they begin to interact of their own accord and by the time it's over, our kids just don't want to leave, we have to drag them out of there. And the kids at the centre are hanging on to them, they bond so quickly. I fi nd it really interesting how quickly the ease with which they make that bond." So, not only do these activities impart a sense of humility, they also deliver a small dose of reality to students that are so often accused of living in a bubble without concern for what goes on outside it.
Similar to Youth Act at Alice Smith, ISKL has a Tasputra club that gets its IB students out into the local community. Tasputra is geared toward students not just helping, but spending time with the children, something which students embark on tentatively but soon engage with, once they see the tangible effect their efforts have on the children's happiness. So when Shrea mentions the importance of 'exposure' to important issues as opposed to just theorising, we're granted some crucial insight into the importance of programmes such as the IB and the AQA in getting the kids out there and encouraging that they spend some time with people who need their attention.
While charity has always been a part of school life, Shrea explains, "I realised how much I had not seen," and with that statement we begin to see the true benefi t of these programmes. The whole ethos behind helping those less fortunate derives from the fact that we ourselves are fortunate and these school organisations help kids recognise how lucky they are and that there are people in our society who could benefit from our exploits.
IF SCHOOLS EDUCATE THEIR STUDENTS TO be not just aware of, but proactive in, changing the fortunes of others, then it's little wonder I left with the impression that the teachers are proud of their students, and I'm reminded why when Asif leaves me with the realization that "those kids who do get involved with philanthropic work at the school could just go back to their nice houses and condos and gated communities and not get involved but they don't want to do that, they want to help." So while international kids may have a reputation for being a little bit spoiled, with some luck their philanthropic tendencies will continue to flourish.
Expatriate Christmas bazaar raises money for charities
Kuala Lumpur's German-speaking expatriate community made it to the headlines in The Star after raising an impressive RM90,000 at the Austrian-German-Swiss Charity Bazaar (AGSCB) at the Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur on Nov 28, the first Advent Sunday. This was the first year all three Germanic groups joined in to organise the annual charity event. The bazaar, visited by locals and expatriates alike, offered a cornucopia of Christmas goods?everything from traditional Central European Christmas delicacies to the festive season's home decorations. The money raised will be donated to different KL-based charities: Foundation for Community Studies, Women's Aid Organisation, Stepping Stones, Help Home as well as the Spastic Children's Association of Selangor and Federal Territories. German Embassy's deputy head of mission Dr Armin Koessler, Swiss Embassy's chancery head Erwin Gasser and Austrian ambassador Mag Andrea Wicke were all present at the event.
