PROJECTS

Exposing Poor Kids to IT

F&N; Dairies (M) Sdn Bhd provides RM60,000 to Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation for the running of the charitable education centre.

WIDE-EYED, nervous and curious, seven pre-schoolers at a charitable education centre at Pangsapuri Enggang, here, were discovering the wonders of information technology on their newly-refurbished desktop computers.

The e-Learning initiative is undertaken by F&N; Dairies E.L.I.T.E. (Empowering Lives Through Education) programme in collaboration with the Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation (KCHF).

The programme was established to help underprivileged children take learning to the next level and empower them and their families to rise above their circumstances and strive for a better future, effectively shaping the children into agents of transformation of their families.

In 2011, F&N; Dairies (M) Sdn Bhd partnered with KCHF through the E.L.I.T.E programme to provide financial assistance for the upkeep of KCHF’s Pangsapuri Enggang tuition centre and food aid in the form of F&N; milk products. More than 300 children have benefited from the programme.

The centre is equipped with four refurbished computers preloaded with simple and user-friendly educational software with the aim of providing basic computer literacy to the children

“This initiative helps Pangsapuri Enggang’s disadvantaged children gain access to computers and many educational resources,” said Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation executive director Miliee Kassim.

“We value the support of F&N; Dairies to provide these young people with the essential tools they need to be successful in the future.”

Speaking at the launch of the centre, F&N; Dairies’ head of human capital Zenas Kok said: “We believe that all children have the potential to succeed and our goal is to nurture their development to the fullest.

“The launch of the F&N; E.L.I.T.E e-Learning Centre addresses the imbalance in opportunities among underprivileged children by giving them a chance to learn how to interact with computers, allows them to connect with the world and nourish their innate curiosity.”

The facility was launched concurrently with the F&N; E.L.I.T.E. Graduation Ceremony 2014 which celebrated the graduation of seven preschoolers who had completed the foundation’s kindergarten course.

F&N; Dairies renewed its annual pledge to the KCHF with a contribution of RM60,000 to the centre.

The children showed of their talents by performing cultural dances, poetry and pantun recitals, singing, storytelling, fashion show and other activities.

One of them was Nagavaitheswary Subramaniam, 6. Her mother, Janaki Mardan, said: “She is a hardworking pupil who puts in maximum effort.

“She loves to go to school and takes the initiative to do her homework. Sometimes she refuses to sleep because she wants to complete more work.

“My husband and I missed the opportunity to learn the basics in education and we are so proud and gratified that F&N; Dairies and KCHF are offering the opportunity to children from our community. Unlike us, our daughter is confident speaking English and Malay. I believe the centre will promote innovative, creative and independent thinking in the children.”

Kumar Odayappan beamed with pride when he saw his daughter, Yashini Kumar, 6, take the lead in most of the performances.

“I am really proud of her. She stays focused when learning a new subject,” he said.

“My wife and I can barely speak English. She makes sure that she practices her English consistently at class.

“It is great to see my daughter growing up equipped with knowledge and a solid foundation in education.”

The children presented a thank you poem as a tribute to the teachers and their parents and were treated to a meal at the end of the event. Special prizes were given to the top pupils.

The centre is the first of five to be established and has an enrolment of 50, ranging from pre-school pupils to secondary school students.

The teaching staff consists mostly of residents, many with children enrolled at the centre.

The centre also extends assistance to the children’s mothers by offering food aid and tailoring classes.

It also organised an annual camping trip in Semenyih for the children and their parents.