Secubit to raise RM12k for families

A GROUP of pre-university students are raising funds to support 200 families in Subang Jaya, Selangor, who fall under the B2 category.

Dubbed Secubit, the initiative is organised by INTI International College Subang Pre-University (Pre-U) programmes’ students and lecturers, together with its Centre of Postgraduate Studies, Centre of American Education, School of Hospitality and School of Business.

Addressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, the effort is carried out in collaboration with Adya Empowerment Association and 99 Speedmart.

INTI Pre-U School lecturer Punitha Sivanantham, who is the coordinator of the Secubit programme, said the B2 category is a cluster further broken down from the B40 group.

“According to the Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey Report 2019 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the income classifications have been revised to reflect inflation, rising cost of living and household size, among a host of other factors,” she said in a press release dated Nov 2.

Prior to starting the initiative, Punitha and her team discovered that the gap between the lowest- and highest-income groups has widened – which gave them the impetus to contribute to families from the B2 category, whose median income is between RM2,501 and RM3,169.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has majorly affected the income of many Malaysians. Last year, one in three employees reported a salary reduction greater than 30%. As of April 2021, the unemployment rate stands at 4.6% higher than the statistics recorded in May 2020.

“Usually, the B40 and M40 households are more vulnerable to loss of employment compared to T20 households, which has further affected the income gap between these groups,” said Punitha.

She shared that together with Adya Empowerment Association, they have identified the families in need in Subang Jaya. “These families will receive groceries purchased from 99 Speedmart through the initiatives put together by our students and lecturers. Collectively, we are targeting to raise RM12,000 via this project to fulfil our dreams of aiding them,” she said.

Bryan, a pre-university student who is involved in organising a virtual run to raise funds for the programme, said participants will be entitled to a discount if they invite their family members and friends to virtually run with them.

“Besides completing 3km by Nov 15 at one’s own convenience, an individual participating in this run will be privileged to lessen a family’s burden even if it’s just for a while,” he said, adding that participants will be presented with an e-certificate at the end of the run.

Among the fundraising efforts contributed by students from various faculties included organising a T-shirt sale, a “Sponsor a Family” campaign, an eSports tournament, virtual fitness classes, eco tote bags sale, thrift cloth sales, and a “Tap to Help” campaign. Postgraduate Studies senior lecturer Dr Sumitha Ganesharatnam, who is also the project coordinator of the Secubit programme, said the Centre of Postgraduate Studies initiated a Coventry University T-shirt sale and a “Sponsor a Family” campaign.

“The participants were mainly postgraduates who donated by purchasing Coventry University T-shirts at a marked-up price. Some of them chose to top up the amount by sponsoring an underprivileged family with grocery items. This event paved the way for staff and students to work together towards a common goal,” she said.

Ishak Razin Wong, a student in the eSports tournament organising team, said popular games such as Valorant and League of Legends will be held.

“For only RM15 each, 32 teams of five can register to participate in the tournament. The winner will receive a cash prize worth RM300. Raising funds while having fun with your team is a win for both sides,” he said.

Encapsulating the effort, Punitha said INTI has always been a platform for students to learn and grow in various ways.

“Secubit is a meaningful way to teach empathy and to care for our fellow staff and students because sending over life’s necessities is such a concrete way to give,” she said.