Grateful hearts
BELIEVING that the Orang Asli should have the same opportunities as their urban peers, Taylor’s University Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) student Yap Jia Suan, 21, joined a church group that provided tuition classes to these children.
What she did not expect was that the Orang Asli children she would be teaching lived nearby. In fact, they were living within Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
Tasked with teaching simple English vocabulary and mathematics to children between the ages of four and six, she shared how they were not as fortunate as others who got to attend private tuition classes after school.
Yap, together with six of her friends would also sing and play games with the children and they enjoyed every minute of it.
“Although they are young, these kids are very independent. They wash their own dishes, scoop their own food, and they never complain and are not wasteful.
“Even though they are not staying with their own parents, all of them are disciplined, friendly and really involved in all the activities we planned.
“I was a little embarrassed because although they had so little they were so well behaved compared to some of us who have so much.”
She wants to do more to make a difference for underprivileged communities especially in relation to education as this is one way they can improve their living standard and succeed in life despite their disadvantaged backgrounds. “Education is very important.
“I want to continue teaching these special children.”