Tapping youth to improve lives

KHIND Starfish Foundation (KSF) once again ran its Projects for Happiness initiative. The annual undertaking culminated with the “Projects for Happiness 2017 Exhibition and Final Presentation”. The event showcased 19 community projects the company sponsored in collaboration with a few others in 2017. Its aim: to inspire other stakeholders to give back to the community.
All 19 projects were conceptualised and carried out by university students. The fundamentals of the projects encompass Malaysian undergraduates, inviting these youngsters to come up with grassroot proposals and initiatives that are innovative, creative and sustainable, that can benefit society.
Among the 19, six were selected. Students spearheading these projects were invited to the closing event to deliver a presentation to a panel of judges and audience. They were also required to explain how they could expand and further develop their ventures.
DEVELOPED TO TRANSFORM
▶ SoyAi Malaysia is a social enterprise project started by a group of students from Sunway University and University of Nottingham Malaysia. It is founded on helping disadvantage youth, including refugees. Needy members of society are taught to make soya milk and run a self-sustainable business to help fund learning centres that provide education to refugee children.
▶ The Sexual Abuse Defence (SAD) kit was the brainchild of students of University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Segamat campus. Its aim: to educate children on sexual abuse and how to defend themselves when faced in such situations.
▶ A group of UiTM Pasir Gudang campus students initiated the “Clean River for Recreation” project, which encourages and educates the public on how and why they should keep rivers clean. River cleaning projects were also carried out at nearby villages.
▶ Safety Ride was another project started by a few undergraduates from UiTM in Pasir Gudang. It was established to encourage and inform people on cycling safely in the wake of recent accidents that involved cyclists.
▶ Autism is a Gift was established to help remove the stigma of autism and help the autistic community integrate in society. It was developed by a group of undergraduate students from UiTM’s Johor campus.
▶ Students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris were the ones who conceived the Chinese Cultural Camp. Its intention was to educate people about the authentic traditional Chinese wear called the Hanfu.
CHANGE FOR GOOD
The event came to a close with Safety Ride named “Best Project of 2017”. Said KSF CEO Cheng Ping Keat, “We are pleased to see that all 19 projects were completed on time. We (the judges) had a hard time choosing the best six projects, let alone the best project, as all of them were creative and of quality. I am pleased with each and every one and how they impact many lives.”
Cheng also felt that the students who participated would have gained much while working on their projects, having to face and overcome challenges and problems. “These are meant to teach, bring benefit and improve oneself. Only by overcoming the challenges faced, will you have the ability to grow. Problem solving skills are very important, something each of us must acquire.”