Munirah Bte Abdul Hamid
Teaching the Underprivileged

Most of us have only heard or read about the ongoing restoration efforts in Banda Aceh Darussalam after the 2004 Tsunami tragedy.  Not so for Munirah Bte Abdul Hamid, a junior-year student from the Diploma in Accounting and Finance.  In April earlier this year, she spent one week in Banda Aceh, together with Abu Bakar (a TP staff) and Norliyana Bte Mohamed Jufri, a junior-year student from the Diploma in Business Information Technology.

The team of avid volunteers stationed themselves at an orphanage home in Aceh.  The children at the home were aged between seven and seventeen, and had lost their parents and families to the tsunami.  There was only one English teacher in the home, and together, they set up an English Language Club.  Munirah and her companions also helped the English teacher with her lessons and became teachers themselves.

Activities carried out with the children included showing them how to fold origami and teaching the younger ones new words using flash cards.  They even had the chance to read stories to the children outdoors at a nearby Paddy field.

“It was an unforgettable experience for me,” Munirah recollects.  “We were welcomed by huge smiles and generous hugs from the little ones on our arrival.”

But it was not without sweat and tears.  Much preparation had to be done prior to the trip including collecting donated books and toys.

Furthermore, Munirah was deeply moved on the last day at the beach, when amidst the fun and games, the children kept asking for help in translating words from Bahasa Indonesia into English. “This simply shows the determination they have and their willingness to learn,” Munirah recalls wistfully.

Looking back, Munirah feels that the trip was indeed humbling and worthwhile.  “I feel blessed to be given this opportunity.  I hope that in time to come, more youths will broaden their minds and grab every available opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.”