IPOH: By day, Vivian Foong is a property agent. By night, the 33-year-old gives free tuition to children at The Salvation Army’s Children Home here.
This is something she has been doing since July 2024.
“I saw a banner outside the home looking for a tutor and decided to volunteer for it.
“Before becoming a property agent, I had worked at a daycare centre for about two years and have some experience with children,” she said when met recently.
“After visiting the home and learning about the children’s background, I felt it was a good opportunity to give something back to the community,” she added.
Foong currently teaches about 35 children at the home on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday every week.
“I will help them with their homework first before giving them tuition on Mathematics, English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.
“Apart from academic subjects, I also guide them on soft skills,” she said.
“I teach them the importance of having manners, self-love, self-respect and communication skills.
“I also encourage the children to help each other, with the spirit of teamwork, something I’ve learnt at my workplace,” she added.
The home is not just a shelter for children who have experienced abandonment, neglect, abuse or family crisis, it also provides a safe and nurturing environment offering holistic education and emotional skills, giving them hope for a brighter future.
Prior to the tuition sessions, some of the children were struggling in their studies.
“I am glad that the children are attentive during my classes and are well-behaved.
“When I first started, some of the Year Four kids didn’t even know how to pronounce basic Bahasa words, but they’ve improved a lot since then,” she said.
“The home’s manager updates me on their report cards, and their academic results have been getting better.”
Having had a “not-so-good” childhood herself, Foong immediately felt an affinity with the children.
“Compared to them, I am luckier and I hope to teach them to be better people,” she said.
“I’ve been taught to always lend a hand to someone in need.
“The kids are my motivation to be a better person, and I feel happier when I’m with them. I will continue teaching them for as long as I can.”
