It’s a joy going back to school now
PROJECT: Yayasan Sime Darby hands out school items to Orang Asli kids
Awith school supplies sponsored by Yayasan Sime Darby BOUT 50 Orang Asli pupils of SK Sungai Bumbun in Pulau Carey, near Klang, Selangor, waited patiently for new school bags, shoes, school uniforms, stationery, socks and pencil cases to be handed to them recently.
These children come from poor families who can’t afford to buy basic school items and so, for them, a little goes a long way.
SK Sungai Bumbun was one of several schools nationwide that received Back to School assistance from Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD).
The programme, which began in 2013, aims to alleviate the financial burden of families with household incomes below RM3,000 a month by providing school supplies for their children.
This year, YSD distributed supplies to 4,461 pupils from schools in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Perak, Pahang and Johor in the Peninsular Malaysia.
Two Orang Asli schools in Pulau Carey also received school supplies.
YSD chief executive officer Yatela Zainal Abidin said the foundation not only aimed to ease the financial burden of underprivileged families, but also instil the importance of education in children and parents.
“We hope YSD’s commitment in providing basic necessities to these students shows them and their parents that education must be taken seriously and pursued diligently.
“The provision of school items is essential to empower these children with education and we hope they use it to their best advantage.”
Sekolah Riih Daso in Serian, Kuching, and SK Melati in Tawau, Sabah, were among the schools identified by “Back to School” programme partners in East Malaysia, the Rotary Club of Kuching Central (RCKC) and the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) respectively.
Sekolah Riih Daso also presented its three outstanding students with school supplies.
RCKC member Louis Yong, who is in charge of the “Back To School” programme in Sarawak, said it was sad that families living just a few kilometres from Kuching were unable to afford new school supplies.
“If a family has to fork out RM100 for each child, what happens if they have four children? That’s RM400 they have to figure out how to earn to send their children to school.”
RCKK member Danny Wong said it was crucial for people to come together and work towards helping those in need.
“We might not be able to give a lot or help many people, but we can make a small difference in their lives.”
SK Melati teacher Elstiyanti Salimin, who has been teaching for 21 years, said the school was grateful for the assistance as some children came from very poor families.
“These children need all the help they can get because some of their parents are retired while some make only a few hundred ringgit a month,” she said.
The “Back to School” programme falls under YSD’s Community and Health pillar, which supports community-based programmes and sustainable initiatives to promote the wellbeing and health of disadvantaged people, reduce socio-economic disparities and boost the welfare of neglected children and senior citizens, vulnerable women, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups.