PETALING JAYA: Among the boys who took part in the Wawasan Invitational 7’s Cup 2018 rugby tournament in Negeri Sembilan last August, the ones who made up the Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Lanjan team were among the smallest.
But their pint-size stature did not stop them from trouncing all their rivals. The Lanjan Tigers emerged as the champion team when they beat Wangsa Maju R10 in a close final.
Their victory is a testament to the power of love.
It was in 2014 when Dialog Group Berhad, an oil and gas company, adopted SK Bukit Lanjan and began sponsoring meals for all pupils in the school under MyKasih Foundation’s Love My School bursary programme.
MyKasih was established in 2008 by Dialog’s founder, Ngau Boon Keat, and his wife, Jean Ngau. It facilitates aid programmes for the poor.
Under the Love My School programme, primary and secondary students from selected schools are given pre-loaded smart cards to pay for meals at their canteens or for learning materials at school bookshops.
“The students from SK Bukit Lanjan are from underprivileged families,” MyKasih managing director Jeffrey Perera said. “After we introduced the cashless bursary programme, attendance and enrolment increased.”
Attendance at the school was 78% in 2014. It is now 84%. Enrolment has gone up from 149 to 182.
“We saw a significant improvement in the students’ personal hygiene and appearance and a reduction in absenteeism,” Perera told FMT. “The children are now less prone to sickness because of proper nutrition.”
The aid for the school and its pupils doesn’t stop at free meals. The students are also given stationery, books and sports equipment, and members of Dialog’s staff get involved in the school’s activities.
Perera said SK Bukit Lanjan used to be one of the lowest-performing schools in the Petaling district. “But it has steadily improved its ranking within Band 4 and is now the top Orang Asli school in Selangor.”
SK Bukit Lanjan is one of more than 250 schools nationwide to benefit from the Love My School programme. According to Perera, more than 18,000 have been reached by the programme, thanks to the generosity of corporations and individuals.
The allocation for each primary school pupil is RM720. For a secondary school student, it is RM960.
MyKasih leverages on technology and needs only 12 people to work on a Love My School programme or any other bursary programme to change lives on the ground, be it through purchasing essential goods or paying for public transport or medical services.
“With MyKasih, we use data and technology to ensure transparency and accountability in charity,” Perera said. “It helps ensure that every sen a donor gives goes towards someone who needs it.
“We only facilitate this process and do not charge any fees, and we work closely with the authorities who identify those who really need aid.”
Perera urged companies and individuals wishing to support underprivileged students through the Love My School programme to contact MyKasih. -FMT
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