LANGKAWI: One could say that Rachel Chua has many children. They include troubled youths and juvenile delinquents, drug dependents and illegal street racers.
Chua, and other homemakers like her, have taken it upon themselves to point these young people in the right direction.
Her first encounter with these youths happened about two years ago when she noticed that many of them were idling at a public place, without parental supervision.
These boys and girls, aged 15 to 21, could be seen engaging in various unhealthy activities such as smoking and vaping.
“I was horrified by what I saw,” she told theSun.
Later, Chua discovered that their parents were mostly employed in hotels and other tourism-related businesses on the holiday resort island.
“They are often busy attending to the needs of tourists that they no longer have time for their children.”
She said some of the youths even had menial jobs that earned them enough money so they could indulge in their smoking or vaping habit.
Some spent their money on apparel of the latest fashion, on drugs and illegal racing.
According to Kuah state assemblyman Firdaus Ahmad, the incidence of juvenile delinquency in Langkawi is among the highest in the country. This, he said, is reflected in the high absenteeism rate in school.
Chua shared her concerns with her friends, most of whom are homemakers.
To her delight, they not only expressed similar concerns but also agreed to join her in an attempt to help this group of young people.
“We realised that they just didn’t have any place that they could call their own.”
With her networking skills, Chua managed to pool some resources to enable her to set up a youth club called Y-Connect.
She leased a commercial lot at Dayang Walk Commercial Square in Kuah to serve as the club’s premises.
The club was to be a centre where parents could send their children to socialise or just chill out.
Chua hired two of these troubled youths to work at the club. They organise various activities from 11am to 7pm daily, mainly to get the youths fully engaged.
She said parents, who have some spare time, are encouraged to help teach the youths a new skill or give them pep talks.
“We hope this will prepare them for the stress of adult life.”
Among the activities the youths engaged in are drama production, e-commerce applications, art and craft, cooking as well as sports such as sailing.
Chua has roped in a parent, who is familiar with drones, to offer crash courses on flying these unmanned craft.
The youths are also taken on study tours to help them understand the business of managing a hotel or yacht clubs. Occasionally, they visit tourist spots that also serve as educational attractions, such as the Unesco Geopark and a resource centre in Kilim.
At the club, there is also a cafe where those who are interested can pick up the art of being a barista. Drinks are sold at a discount for members.
Chua said the club helps to ease the youths from the comforts of their home to adult life and work outside Langkawi.
“Most importantly, the activities that they engage in during their spare time are beneficial,” she said.
Y-Connect has drawn the interest of Langkawi Development Authority chief executive officer Hezri Adnan.
He has promised to seek assistance to help the club expand and widen its reach. But for now, Chua and her friends are happy just to keep the youths out of trouble.
