Home and school for the needy
Centre helps children get some education
THE sound of young voices drift down a staircase littered with white school shoes. A look into a door slightly ajar offers a glimpse of children running around in school uniforms.
Harvest Centre might not give the impression of an ordinary government school with multiple blocks, expansive grounds and different facilities for childrens’ activities, but to its 700 students, it is more than an education centre — it is a home and a family.
Harvest Centre is a school for underprivileged children run by the Dignity for Children Foundation and is housed within two blocks along Sentul Raya Boulevard.
The students are poverty-stricken children who travel from as far as Selayang to take part in the programmes at Harvest Centre.
The programmes cater to children from as young as one year old (toddler stimulation programmes) to 19-yearold students (upper secondary programmes).
These children did not have the opportunity to go to a government school, or any form of education centre before that. Hence, there may be delays in their development.
Principal and co-founder of Harvest Centre Petrina Satvinder acknowledged that when embarking on an endeavour to bring the poor out of poverty, it would take more than just giving them money or books. The children have emotional and social needs that have to be taken care of as well before they can be put into a position where they can fully utilise and appreciate the education given to them.
Harvest centre co-founder reverend Elisha Satvinder strongly believes that the curriculum needs to be holistic and comprehensive in order to fully engage the children.
He believes in inculcating values and life skills in the children, equipping them with marketable skills.
That is what Harvest Centre is dedicated
Because of the early intervention by Harvest Centre, we are able to give them an education, thereby changing the directions of their lives. —REV ELISHA SATVINDER
to. They engage the poor, giving them what they need to stand on their own feet and help them into mainstream education.
“Sometimes the children come in with no awareness of their self-worth, and they cannot see the point in an education or how it will help them. Here, we reassure them that they are special, that they are loved, and that they have a place to belong in this world where they are accepted. We give them a family,” Petrina said.
“Because of the early intervention by Harvest Centre, we are able to give them an education, thereby changing the directions of their lives,” said Elisha.
To him, the children are a worthy investment that he is willing to nurture to ensure they become contributing members of society.
“Education is the key to changing their lives, but education does not come cheap.”
Elisha expressed his deep gratitude to all the individual donors and corporate bodies who contributed to harvest Centre, especially Berjaya Corporation Berhad whose ongoing partnership had been a refreshing change from the token donation usually seen from corporations.
“I strongly believe that if all corporations step up and play their part in society, we will be able to transform the country.”
Last year on Berjaya Founder’s Day, Berjaya staff renovated their new block which was a building owned by Berjaya and let out to Harvest Centre for free.
This Feb 25, Berjaya is contributing towards furnishing the new block as well as a virtual centre that will allow the children to become well-versed in information and communications technology.
It will be Berjaya’s second Founder’s Day celebration, to acknowledge Berjaya Corporation Berhad founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s achievements. Some of the highlights of the day will include a family day carnival, lucky draw, special discounts at Berjaya’s food and beverage outlets, and performances by Shawn Lee, Ruffneckz, Leonard Tan and other local artistes.
Five hundred children from various children’s homes will be guests of Berjaya that day.