Women’s Day award a push for me to do better — Honouree
It was truly an honour, but also a humbling experience. This award is not just a recognition of my efforts, but also a celebration of the collective work that we have undertaken towards enhancing harmony and well-being in our community.
Manjeet Kaur Sidhu
Local social activist Manjeet Kaur Sidhu was beyond ecstatic upon knowing that she would be among the award honourees of this year’s nationallevel International Women’s Day celebration.
The 54-year-old founder of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Pertubuhan Pembangunan Insan Sarawak (PPIS) received the ‘Anugerah Kasih Wanita Harmoni’ at the grand event held in Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre in Petaling Jaya last Friday.
Presenting the award was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was accompanied on stage by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
The honour meant to recognise Manjeet’s unwavering commitment to community wellbeing, regardless of ethnicity, and also her active engagement in many charity work and community activities.
“It was truly an honour, but also a humbling experience.
“This award is not just a recognition of my efforts, but also a celebration of the collective work that we have undertaken towards enhancing harmony and well-being in our community.
“It feels immensely gratifying to see our hard work being acknowledged at such a prestigious level, especially by the Prime Minister, and this motivates me to continue making a positive impact,” Manjeet, a former Kuching South City Council (MBKS) councillor, told The Borneo Post here.
The recipient of the ‘Women Social Activist Award’ at the state-level Women’s Day celebration here last year, also talked about her experience witnessing the struggles of stateless and underprivileged families in Sarawak, which she regarded as ‘a significant turning point’ in her life.
“These experiences fuelled my determination to address the root causes of such challenges.”
She added that working together with her team and forming strategic partnerships were also crucial moments that had enabled her organisation to expand its impact and reach a broader audience.
Empowering women, nonetheless, remained the central focus of here mission.
In this regard, she stressed the importance of collective efforts and thus, she envisioned creating platforms and networks that would provide women with the necessary tools, resources and support for them to make meaningful impacts on their communities.
“Mentorship programmes, educational initiatives and community engagements are key components of my strategy.”
Manjeet acknowledged the presence of challenges such as social stigma, bureaucracy and issues in securing sustainable funding, but she would always focus on resilience and perseverance.
“Undoubtedly, the path to promoting harmony comes with its share of challenges, but resilience and perseverance, as well as establishing strong alliances, are crucial in overcoming these challenges.
“By maintaining the focus on our mission and adapting the strategies whenever necessary, we’re able to navigate through the obstacles and continue our work effectively,” she said.
The PPIS, under Manjeet’s leadership, has undertaken a multitude of impactful initiatives, showcasing its dedication to community welfare.
These efforts include providing food aid to the B40 (low-income) groups in the rural areas, holding blood donation drives, conducting medical camps, and addressing the pressing issue of statelessness.