The journey to achieving one’s dreams is rarely straightforward, especially when faced with financial and personal challenges. For many young individuals from indigenous communities, the pursuit of higher education can feel like an uphill battle. Yet, with the right support, dreams can become reality.
This story is written by Yong, who recently spent his semester break volunteering at Malaysian CARE. At the time of volunteering, he was a second-year Law student at the University of Malaya.
Koperasi Sengoi Pribumi Perak (KSPP), a cooperative of the Semai people, was first set up to provide the much needed economic opportunities to the villagers who would otherwise have no access to saving and credit facilities. Today, KSPP serves more than 1000 Orang Asli members from over 30 villages in Perak.
Born and bred in Sarawak, Esther moved to Kuala Lumpur to study and build her career. Today, she’s a wife, mother of two who works full time as a Senior Influencer & Campaign Specialist. She is also the founder of BAKEsther, a passion project born during the MCO (Movement Control Order) period in 2022. What began as a way to embrace her love for baking quickly transformed into a way to give back to the community through Malaysian CARE.
“Omok pekalai?” (“Want to study?” in Penan), I asked. “OMOK!!!” (“WANT!”), came the thunderous reply of a group of children aged between 6-12 years, followed by their roaring laughter. I smiled at their enthusiasm as I looked around the village. In my heart, I wondered, “Is education important to them?”
This is the story of Chiek Ming, a volunteer who initially joined us to fulfil her practicum hours in counselling and has since become a dedicated long-term volunteer with Malaysian CARE since 2021. Volunteers like Chiek Ming play a crucial role in delivering Community-Based Recovery(CBR) services by journeying with ex-prisoners through our halfway homes – Rumah Petros for men and Rumah Kepercayaan for women.
This story is written by Myona, who embarked on a journey with 8-year-old Fifi* under CARE’s Home-based Learning Support (HBLS) programme. Fifi and family resides in a low-cost flat where CARE has been actively working with the community there. She grew up in a low-income family, and due to some family circumstances, Fifi dropped out of school since the beginning of 2024.
Malaysian CARE is the appointed coordinator of the Jeffrey Cheah Community Scholarship and this partnership has brought substantial returns, though not in cash but in kind. This scholarship is fully funded to cater for students from orphanages as well as poor family backgrounds. For more information about the scholarship, please visit www.malaysiancare.org/jcf.