A
partnership between Amari Johor Baru and the Rohingya Tampoi Community School
which started last December with a holiday festive cards project by the
students, has since developed into the hotel’s firm support commitment.
 |
| One for the album: Rohingya students and their benefactors showing off their holiday festive cards |
In an
afternoon event hosted at the Amari JB recently, this partnership was formally
announced by ONYX Hospitality Group’s Area General Manager, Dean Rossilli, in
the presence of founder and executive director of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Cahaya Surya Bakti, Soraya Alkaff-Gilmour, the
volunteer society which manages the Rohingya Tampoi Community School.
I’m
familiar with Soraya and how the Community Schools have been helping students
from the Rohingya community in Kulai and Kota Tinggi to acquire skills in
reading, writing and arithmetic since its inception in 2010.
At the
event, I also met with volunteer head teacher, Joanne McCarthy.
Run by expatriate
and local volunteers, the schools are guiding students aged between six and 16
in education centers based in Tampoi (2013), Pekan Nanas and Kluang (both in
2017) to speak, read and write in proper English and Malay.
 |
| Soraya Alkaff-Gilmour [Left] with some of the students from the Rohingya Tampoi Community School |
Rossilli
thanked everyone for their support in the hotel’s Christmas Charity Card Sale
last year, which marked the start of the hotel’s partnership with the Rohingya
Tampoi Community School.
The sale
of the cards raised the sum of RM2,050 which went towards the purchase of
school uniforms. It was the first time these students embarked on a festive
card designing project and they were encouraged to continue with the project
this year.
He
reiterated the hotel’s effort to support the school and have plans to organise
specific events and activities to help in their fund-raising.
In
addition to supporting the Rohingya Tampoi Community School, Rossilli announced
that the hotel will also support several charity homes for the young and
elderly as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility efforts.
He said the
hotel will launch their project dubbed, Ringgit
For A Better Life, in April.
This is
in line with the hotel’s charity project, Bhat
For A Better Life, which started in 1995 where small change contributed by
guests and donations from staff were used to further the education of children
in Thailand.
In the
same way, Ringgit For A Better Life, aims
to support and provide educational opportunities for underprivileged children
in Johor.
Soraya
said that Pertubuhan Kebajikan Cahaya
Surya Bakti (CSB) was registered as a society in 2017 to maintain good
management, transparency and partnerships with key stakeholders.
They
include Marlborough College of Malaysia (MCM), Advocates for Refugees (AFR)
Singapore, the International Medical University of Malaysia (IMU) and other
private donors and sponsors.
Last
year, MCM asked Soraya to provide a wish list and in response, they presented a
15-seater, pre-owned van to the Community School which is being used to ferry
the students to school.
Soraya
expressed her deep appreciation for the support from stakeholders over the
years and looked forward to their continued support in the coming years.
She
is pleased that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has
selected CSB to be their Eighth Implemented Partner in January 2018.
Soraya
explained that under CSB, education is a social service that requires long-term
planning for the Rohingya students to help them achieve their ambitions and to
provide them with secondary school education in Johor.
 |
| Shaiful Qader [4th from Right], singing A Million Dreams, with the group |
At
the moment, students aged 13 and above cannot continue with secondary school
education here. As such, some young girls will stop school and be married while
the teenage boys must do manual work to help to support the family financially.
Burdened
with this responsibility, CSB is working hard to raise funds to go towards
fitting out their new school premises at Jalan Sutera Merah 3 in Taman Sutera
which has the capacity for 200 students.
Soraya
called for collective involvement to pledge their support and partner with CSB
to pursue their dream of providing education and a worthwhile life for Rohingya
refugee children here.
Guests
had a glimpse of the students’ singing talents when they presented a few songs in
English.
The
first group of students presented two action songs entitled, The Lady Fingers and The Rolling Pin.
 |
| Dean Rossilli [Right] and Soraya Alkaff- Gilmour with young Ramzan Nur |
In
the next presentation, soloist Shaiful Qader, aged 11, blew us away with his
strong vocals as he belted out, A Million
Dreams, with the group as back-up choral singers.
Taken
off the soundtrack of musical, The
Greatest Showman, the audience listened in awe as the youngster sang the
lyrics with deep emotion.
The
partnership between Amari JB and the Community School was then sealed with a
simple cake-cutting ceremony led by Rossilli and Soraya along with General
Manager of Columbia Asia Hospital, Rohani Yaacob, Head of Corporate
Communications for Damansara Assets, Ungku Aziz, and Kamalrolzaman from Maslee
Sdn Bhd.
As
a token of appreciation for initiating the Christmas Charity Card Sale, Soraya
presented a gift to Rossilli in the form of a framed-up drawing by student, Ramzan
Nur, aged nine.
Prior
to the event, the hotel arranged for a team from the Columbia Asia Hospital to
provide complimentary health checks on the students as well as a lesson in
personal hygiene.
 |
| Red and the Flock Team from Angry Birds Activity Park JB dancing to an action song with the students |
During the gift presentations, the students were thrilled to
receive complimentary entrance tickets to the Angry Birds Activity Park Johor
Baru and goodie bags presented by Maslee Sdn Bhd.
The
event closed with Red, a mascot from the Angry Birds Activity Park, and his
Flock Team who entertained with a dance performance and later invited the
students to join them to dance along to an action song.
Angry
Birds Activity Park Johor Baru is at Level 3, KOMTAR Johor Baru City Centre,
Jalan Wong Ah Fook while the Amari Johor Baru is at No. 82-C Jalan Trus, Johor
Baru.
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