Students receiving financial aid told to be givers as well
Today is an example of how the former students of Sacred Heart are paying it forward.
Robert Lau Hui Yew
SIBU: Recipients of the financial assistance from Knights of Sacred Heart School have been urged to help others in need, when they can.
Senator Robert Lau Hui Yew, who was present to witness disbursement of the financial assistance at the school yesterday, pointed out that it was only right, that the recipients help someone else when they are in the position to do so.
“Today is an example of how the former students of Sacred Heart are paying it forward,” he said.
Accompanying him were Sacred Heart English Primary School headmaster Sylvastine Gelau, and Yong King Sung, Anthony Chan and Eddy Puah who are Sacred Heart School Old Students Association (Shosa) president, vice president and secretary respectively.
Many of those who contributed to the funds were from humble beginnings, added Lau, who is himself a former student of the school.
“After having left school and gone out to work, these former students have returned to the school to lend a helping hand to underprivileged students,” he said.
Thes senator pointed out that the students of today would one day become former students of Sacred Heart too.
In this regard, it was his hope they would also remember to return to the school and help those in need.
“I call on all of you to pay it forward in years to come, when you are able. Remember to always lend a helping hand to those in need.
“And remind them to pay it forward. This will help create a cycle of kindness,” Lau advised.
The brief morning event saw 76 students receiving cash assistance which were raised by the Knights of Sacred Heart School.
For the record, it started off as a small project initiated by Anthony Chan from the Class of 1993 to help 50 underprivileged students with a token sum.
When the Knights were called upon to assist, the incentive snowballed into an effort that would provide some financial relief to 244 pupils and students.
To-date, a total of RM20,500 have been disbursed to 49 secondary students, 66 primary pupils and 10 pre-schoolers, according to Shosa’s press release.
A sum of RM32,150 has been set aside for 119 secondary school students when school re-opens, the press release added.
A final tranche of RM35,300 will be for targeted assistance for specific students on a caseby-case basis, it said.
All in all, the Knights of Sacred Heart raised RM88,000 for this quest over a period of four days in July, it disclosed.