Students extend a helping hand
SOME people are so impoverished that when you visit their homes, your heart goes out to them and you feel the need to help them.
“We will feel no one deserves to fall on such hard times, and we will truly appreciate our own lives while helping them,” said KDU Penang University College student service department manager Joey Phuah.
Since 2008, KDU Penang has been organising over 200 charity projects whereby students find ways to contribute to the community. While it benefits underprivileged communities, Phuah said one of the main objectives is to help students to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”.
Phuah’s department was formed to provide support, guidance and pastoral care to local and international students at KDU Penang and help students transition from their schooling days to the more challenging campus environment.
“Our department talks to the students often and students message us whenever they encounter difficulties,” she said.
But Phuah observed a recurring pattern of students tending to complain about the little inconveniences in life.
“Since 2008, we’ve been helping the student body organise three projects each year that is related to community service, green living and a healthy lifestyle,” she said.
For community services, KDU Penang has begun collaborating with the Penang Social Welfare Department to locate hardcore poor families.
Students will visit these families to assess the situation they are in and determine how to help them tide over or make life more comfortable.
“It can be food and necessities, some furniture to make their homes more liveable, or education supplies for the poor children,” Phuah said.
“Through that, students learn to appreciate what they have and be more contented.”
To get the needed funds to help the hardcore poor, the KDU Penang student body is organising a large fund-raising project on Oct 6, 10.30am to 9.30pm at Straits Quay, Penang, to reflect on Malaysia’s multicultural society.
Titled “Technicolour Festival”, over 200 KDU Penang students will join hands to organise exciting games and workshops for school children and the public.
Cash prizes will be up for grabs and secondary school students who show their artistic skills by painting a subject or theme related to a multicultural society will stand to win a 100% scholarship to study any course at KDU Penang.
Competitions for the public include “Art Splash”, traditional musical instruments, cosplay, traditional dance, baking with Ghee Hiang products, and more.
Phuah said proceeds from the Technicolour Festival will go into a fund to help underprivileged families.
She said the prospects of KDU Penang being closer to the underprivileged community will be even greater with the opening of its flagship campus in Metropolis Batu Kawan by 2020.
“With the larger and more advanced facilities, we will be able to hold more innovative fundraising events and involve a greater segment of the student population.”
■ For details on the Technicolour Festival and KDU Penang’s student service department, call 04-238 6368.