Encouraging undergrads to take on charity work

Nori (centre) receiving a mock cheque for RM50,000 from Jahaberdeen. Looking on are (from left) Higher Education Ministry senior assistant director Erina Ismail, Leela and Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah counsellor Hafiszullah Maarof.

VOLUNTEERING may seem like an easy task but gathering a group together for a charity project can be challenging.

In 2013, Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia introduced the Penyayang Club to 10 local universities to guide undergraduates on adopting a welfare home and providing voluntary assistance and services to the needy and the community as a whole.

“Today Penyayang Club is in 24 universities across the country.

“We are certain undergraduates now understand community work better with the setting up of the club,” said Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Leela Mohd Ali during the sponsorship announcement for the upcoming Higher Education Ministry Volunteer Trophy challenge.

Leela said this year, the foundation would be hosting its third competition.

She said the competition aimed to nurture the spirit of volunteerism among undergraduates as well as empower Penyayang club members to make decisions.

“We also want to facilitate the growth of Penyayang Club members as community developers and to increase public awareness of charitable causes,” Leela said.

This year’s edition saw 19 universities submitting their proposals but only 13 made it through to the second round.

The selected universities were Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris, Universiti Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Management Science University, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Cyberjaya Universiti College of Medical Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

The judges for the competition are Rapera Foundation chairman Datuk Seri Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos, Tan Sri Dr Nordin Kardi and Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian.

During the ceremony, Jahaberdeen signed a memorandum of sponsorship agreement for the competition with Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia represented by its chairman Nori Abdullah.

He later presented a mock cheque for RM50,000.

“We are looking for ideas that can be adopted for future projects, especially those that are able to benefit a targeted needy group,” said Leela.

The second round of the competition will be held on April 29 at RHR Hotel in Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Bangi.

The first-prize winner will take home RM25,000 to execute the proposal while five other finalists will receive RM5,000 each.

The award ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Penyayang Club Summit in October this year.