Project ‘YOU COMPLETE ME’ At Your Service

The pandemic has not only repercussion to businesses but welfare homes as well. Surviving on public and corporate donations and sponsors, these homes were experiencing shrinking funds to sustain daily needs.

Realizing this fact, a group of Victoria University Sunway Program’s students decided to pool their resources and initiate plans to assist struggling homes during this crisis. It is not every day that we see a group of mostly international students who are away from their families and trying to cope with their restricted situation, divert their own efforts towards the sentiments and plight of others . This was what made this Social Impact Project under the Social Issues and Community Engagement so meaningful and heartfelt.

As part of a Service- learning course, the students made calls to few homes to understand the pressing situation and did a needs survey. They choose Agathians Shelter and Rumah Ozanam in PJ after taking note of their current needs for the children and the upkeep of the homes. The homes needed cleaning supplies, toiletries as well as COVID-19 preventive items to keep the children safe. Raising awareness on youth homelessness as well, the eager students kicked off a fundraising campaign within the Sunway campus by making and selling ‘ice-cream potong’. They managed to collect a total of RM842 with the support of students and staff who were on campus and friends and family. They approached their VU lecturers and ADMIN staff who supported this cause generously .

With this, the group then strategize the best way to purchase and deliver items such as hand sanitizers, masks, Dettol soap and disinfect sprays along with other light groceries considering the restricted movement. They looked into the transport and logistics considering that their team members were staying in different areas. Two members were assigned to deliver these items to the homes at the entrances with SOP measures in place. The items were safely delivered to welcoming big smiles by few child representatives from each home and appreciative gestures by the home administrators who felt relieved that these supplies were now in stock.

The enthusiastic leader of this team, Ahmed Abdelazim Elshekh Elfadil , a foreign student from Sudan says “ We wanted to highlight the significance of these homes to the kids who will otherwise be without shelter , nourishment or education. Hence, our cause combined the plight of homeless children with the importance of shelter homes and sustaining it. Life is not about us only, there are a lot of people suffering everyday asking for help but their voices don’t reach when we don’t care or give them attention “

The students were exemplary in their sincere efforts to reach out to these homes during these difficult times and their Project ‘You Complete Me’ had acted on their empathy towards the call to support shelter homes affected by the pandemic. They learnt to understand the needs of the community better and how to take care of it.