Project HOPE Frasers Hill

Fund Raising Dinner on 18. 5.2008


Distinguished Guests, Friends and Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of EWRF and on my own behalf I extend a warm welcome to all of you.

We are assembled here this evening not just to entertain ourselves, but to nourish the hope of those unfortunate children whom we have come across. I hope that this evening will be the beginning of the blossoming of our hope for these unfortunate children.

No tree without its leaves

No one, be it a child, boy or girl, young or old, should be unfortunate. But the fact is there are too many unfortunate children in our midst.
These children are unfortunate because we, as members of the society, have made them unfortunate. Fortunately for the unfortunate, there are a few human beings, here and there, who realize that as along as there are unfortunate ones, there can be no fortunate ones enjoying their meals in peace.

While we enjoy our meals this evening, let us not forget this: we have a duty to these unfortunate children. It is a duty; our duty in our own interest, to ensure that these children are taken care of so that we will not perish! It is said that no tree will survive without its leaves. It is so for man and his society. The children are the leaves. Without the children the man and his society will die out. To perpetuate ourselves, Rajaji, the first and the only Indian Governor General of Free India, says that we must take care, good care, of the leaves.

Why care for the leaves of others?
Most of us think and are led to think that we take care of own leaves and thats good enough. It is not good enough. One rotten leaf anywhere is a threat to the tree everywhere.

A society that does not take care of the children born in unfortunate circumstances, living in uncaring environments, will pay for it dearly.
This uncared for children will become the nightmare of the society.

Imagine, Bentong Kalis around!
For all this, the fault lies not with the leaf. It is the tree that is at fault: me and you!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As members of the society, what you and I want for our children must be made available to all the children of our society. You take care of the children of the society, your child will take care of itself, so goes the saying. That must be the policy. That must be the policy of educated people. That must be the policy of policy makers.

This perception of societys duty to its children without any discrimination is well put in the words of John Dewey:
What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child that must the community want for all its children.

Our policy makers and many of us say we are a caring society. We know it is only a lip service. If we are truly a caring society, then there would be no need for EWRF and the likes.

The very fact that we are here today and that for the purpose of finding ways and means to do our bit for the unfortunate children of our society, denies the claim that our Malaysian society is a caring society. While we wait for our society as whole to graduate in its total commitment to care for its citizens, we cannot and will not allow our unfortunate children to be left to fend for themselves.

We in the EWRF have moved to act. We have created the HOPE, the Project Hope Frasers Hill.

Strive we must

The plights of Rajan, a primary two student, who has lost his father, and Selvi, a primary three student, whose parents are too poor to provide for her education, and many children like them, made us to decide to give them not just hope but good Hope for their education.

Education is the rocket that can send one to the moon and the stars. But it needs the fuel. Efficient mind needs efficient body and that needs food, accommodation and environment.

All this combined into one is the Project Hope Frasers Hill that EWRF has brought into being.

Since January 2008, Rajan, Selvi and five others have now become the fortunate students to be the heart and soul of the Project Hope Frasers Hill.

These seven are now the students of SJK(T) Frasers Hills. They are provided with accommodation in a fully furnished apartment. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided. They also have a warden to look after them! The Hills atmosphere should make them feel at Dehra Dun, we hope.

During the last five months, the seven students have shown lots of improvement in their looks, attitude and inclination to study and play. It shows that our consideration and decision in setting up Project Hope were right. We hope that this will spur us in EWRF to further expand the Project.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are a lot of Rajans and Selvis around in the country. We must as part of our social responsibility care for the leaves, or else the tree will perish. To keep the project going we need finance. And that has to come from the people, people like you, ladies and gentlemen. It is not necessary for us to tell you that we need money. You know all about it. Thousands of dollars are need every month to keep Project Hope going.

We can do it. We know you will do your best to enable us to do it. EWRF believes that it can safely leave the Project Hope in your hands. We know you care for the leaves.


Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen.