A helping hand for those going back to school
KUALA LUMPUR: Eleven-year-old Jiamirza Kaur who aspires to be a lecturer, expressed gratitude for being selected as a recipient of the Ceria ke Sekolah programme by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).
The programme involves distribution of school supplies to underprivileged pupils and this year, it continues to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to the relaxation of the Movement Control Order, Jiamirza, along with her teachers and 30 of her peers, could be present for the handover of the school supplies at the Balai Islam Complex at the TNB headquarters last Friday.
TNB presented school supplies to 420 pupils from three schools: SK Bukit Bandaraya, SK Bangsar and SK Bukit Pantai.
The SK Bukit Bandaraya pupil said she was elated when she was selected in the list to receive school supplies such as a school bag and uniform.
“I am very proud to be here today,” she said, while showing her backpack to reporters.
“This means that I can go to school and just focus on my studies.”
Jiamirza, who is an only child and living with her mother in Lembah Pantai, was among the selected few under the programme, which targets to help children from the Bottom 40 category with school supplies such as uniform, school bags and stationery.
Aidil Riduan, 11, of SK Bangsar, said he was happy to receive the contribution.
“My father builds houses and my mother stays at home to take care of us. I just want to say thank you to TNB for helping my family by giving me the school supplies so my parents do not have to worry about me and focus on my younger siblings,” said the eldest of three children.
SK Bangsar Parent-Teacher Association head Mohd Yazid Mohd Yasin said 140 pupils from the school would benefit from the programme.
“The school has been given the opportunity to be included in the programme for more than three years now.
“The donation is needed more than ever as some families had parents who lost their jobs during the pandemic, so the assistance will give them a little relief from worrying about getting school supplies for their children.”
TNB chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the corporate social responsibility programme had allocated RM3 million for 30,000 students from B40 families in 208 areas across the country for the school session, which started on March 1 and March 8.
“We have aided students in Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Johor, Selangor and Pahang involving 19,923 students with donations worth RM2 million.
“The programme will now cover Terengganu, Perak, and Melaka.
“The programme, which started in 2013, has assisted 36,018 families in the peninsula and Sabah with RM7.5
million of donations,” he said.
Mahdzir said the event focused on schools near the TNB headquarters.
“Hopefully, the students will benefit from the contributions and we can relieve the burden of buying school supplies for the families as well as continue to strengthen the company’s relationship with the people in the area,” he said.
Present at the event were TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Ir Baharin Din, Kuala Lumpur Education Department director Zainal Abas and TNB charity arm, Persatuan Wanita Kumpulan Tenaga Nasional Berhad (Pelitawanis) head Datin Noor Aizah Abd Karim.