It's been exactly 7 years ago when Alagappa Nagappan decided that enough was enough. He was tired of talking and planning. He was a man of action and the times dictated that he act. The Indian community was in trouble and somebody needed to plan an active role helping these helpless people.
Since he was on his own, he had the time and the energy required to take on a project. He decided that he would start by helping families by providing food. He sent an email to all his friends telling them about his project and how passionate and committed he was.
February 2001 the kitty stood at RM70. Today the fund is at an all time high of RM5000 excluding items given in kind such as rice and milk powder. The Fund now helps 55 families, two tamil schools and the orang asli community in Klang.
The aim of the fund is simple; providing food aid for poor families where there are school going children who are dependant on a single income earner which in most cases is the mother. Help is given on a case-by-case basis looking at levels of poverty, how responsible the parents are in bringing up the children and if the children are going to school.
The children are the most valuable possession of the Indian community and in our opinion it's our duty to safeguard them in a manner in which we can be accountable for. This is precisely the reason two tamils schools have been given aid in Negeri Sembilan.
I'm happy to add that due to the dedication of the teachers and our help both schools performed excellently. The Kirby Tamil school was the top school in the state for UPSR and the Ladang Lenggeng school was number 3. No mean achievement. This has spurred Fund contributors to take a more proactive role in helping this kids. A number of them made some generous cash contributions to the schools themselvels so that the infrastructure could be improved and other amenities created.
MIC has been approached in the past to help these cases but the representatives make the usual promises and at the end of the day they are either not willing or unable to help. Whatever the case, a void existed and Alagappa chose to fill that void.
Personally this has consigned him to a lifetime of service. He knew that when he started this that it would be a commitment for life. Volunteering isn't as easy as it seems or looks. When you volunteer you are promising someone something. You are allowing someone to depend on you because you have promised them your time and labour. In short term project the commitment level is very low. In this case the commitment level is undefinable. The only way the Fund will end is if poverty ends in Malaysia or if he is dead.
It's not easy to justify the Fund's aim and objectives. It's easily argued that by helping them we are preventing people from taking charge of their lives and absolving them of the responsibilty of trying to succeed on their own. It cannot be denied that there have been cases where the goodwill shown has been abused. This unfortunately cannot be helped. All we can do is sometimes monitor closely and ensure that the homes we help are beyond reproach.
To this end we do consult with the school teachers to ensure that the kids come to school as well as to observe their academic progress. Students with potential are given further help. In Seremban we have a single mother of two who's has won Pelajar Cemerlang prize. This clearly indicates that boy has the academic ability to succeed. As a result his tuition classes are being taken care off. The better he does in school the more help he can expect.
Ultimately we hope that all the kids of the families we are helping finish school and are able to create a decent life for themselves. Education is a basic necessity and mothers who are single bread winners are unable to find jobs that ensure their kids stay in school. This is because the mothers themselves failed to complete school in most cases and are unable to procure any meaningful employmeny beyond cleaning houses and washing clothes.
These Indians are living in a vicious cycle. They seem unable to take control of their lives and escape. Let us at least give them a helping hand. We should at least try and knowing that we have tried, have faith that our efforts will not be in vain.
Since he was on his own, he had the time and the energy required to take on a project. He decided that he would start by helping families by providing food. He sent an email to all his friends telling them about his project and how passionate and committed he was.
February 2001 the kitty stood at RM70. Today the fund is at an all time high of RM5000 excluding items given in kind such as rice and milk powder. The Fund now helps 55 families, two tamil schools and the orang asli community in Klang.
The aim of the fund is simple; providing food aid for poor families where there are school going children who are dependant on a single income earner which in most cases is the mother. Help is given on a case-by-case basis looking at levels of poverty, how responsible the parents are in bringing up the children and if the children are going to school.
The children are the most valuable possession of the Indian community and in our opinion it's our duty to safeguard them in a manner in which we can be accountable for. This is precisely the reason two tamils schools have been given aid in Negeri Sembilan.
I'm happy to add that due to the dedication of the teachers and our help both schools performed excellently. The Kirby Tamil school was the top school in the state for UPSR and the Ladang Lenggeng school was number 3. No mean achievement. This has spurred Fund contributors to take a more proactive role in helping this kids. A number of them made some generous cash contributions to the schools themselvels so that the infrastructure could be improved and other amenities created.
MIC has been approached in the past to help these cases but the representatives make the usual promises and at the end of the day they are either not willing or unable to help. Whatever the case, a void existed and Alagappa chose to fill that void.
Personally this has consigned him to a lifetime of service. He knew that when he started this that it would be a commitment for life. Volunteering isn't as easy as it seems or looks. When you volunteer you are promising someone something. You are allowing someone to depend on you because you have promised them your time and labour. In short term project the commitment level is very low. In this case the commitment level is undefinable. The only way the Fund will end is if poverty ends in Malaysia or if he is dead.
It's not easy to justify the Fund's aim and objectives. It's easily argued that by helping them we are preventing people from taking charge of their lives and absolving them of the responsibilty of trying to succeed on their own. It cannot be denied that there have been cases where the goodwill shown has been abused. This unfortunately cannot be helped. All we can do is sometimes monitor closely and ensure that the homes we help are beyond reproach.
To this end we do consult with the school teachers to ensure that the kids come to school as well as to observe their academic progress. Students with potential are given further help. In Seremban we have a single mother of two who's has won Pelajar Cemerlang prize. This clearly indicates that boy has the academic ability to succeed. As a result his tuition classes are being taken care off. The better he does in school the more help he can expect.
Ultimately we hope that all the kids of the families we are helping finish school and are able to create a decent life for themselves. Education is a basic necessity and mothers who are single bread winners are unable to find jobs that ensure their kids stay in school. This is because the mothers themselves failed to complete school in most cases and are unable to procure any meaningful employmeny beyond cleaning houses and washing clothes.
These Indians are living in a vicious cycle. They seem unable to take control of their lives and escape. Let us at least give them a helping hand. We should at least try and knowing that we have tried, have faith that our efforts will not be in vain.
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