The Mentari Voluntary Tuition Project is almost a year old. In human years, the MVTP would be a toddler, just learning to walk and stumbling along excitedly, clutching at objects and people for balance. This weekend was one of finding balance between an extraordinary tuition class, a bbq party and a conference for volunteers. The common thread binding all three activities was the Mentari Kids.
The Saturday morning session with the children was the first after the UPSR results were announced. We were torn between wanting to ask their results straight away or listening to their project presentations. In the end we played games, listened to the project presentations by two different groups and finally asked about their results.
The project presentation by Aini, assisted by Shafinaz and Syarina was arresting (model volcano and cave), artistic (paintings, poems , pantun and pretty detailed family trees) and articulately delivered in style by the spokesperson - Aini. While she may not have obtained the results she hoped for, her confidence and poise showed great potential and the documentation her team mates came up with were neat and attractive. The second group -Rashidah, Farisha and Athira, turned up with 5 'hantaran' that they made themselves and a presentation of the custom of giving and receiving gifts in Malay weddings. These girls have come a long way from the quiet, shy, withdrawn kids in the beginning of the year.
The BBQ party was a get together hosted by the founder and patron of the MVTP - YB Nik or fondly known as Cikgu YB by the kids. Mentari facis' and old friends feasted on delicately marinated chicken and lamb and Imaan's incredibly addictive potato salad. Our contribution to the mainly Gen Z crowd was dessert of mini-cornettoes and magnums. The Mentari facis formed a group, preferring to each others' company, bonded by months of Saturdays and Sundays spent together - Afif, Hazira, Ema, Yasir, Yasmin and I. To our stalwarts who could not make it : Jaja, Fadiah, Farhana, Imran, Amalina, Aedi, Shafiq, Tarmizi, Murni (see what pathetic dessert replaced her divine banoffee), Huda, Lili, Wai Shen, Leong, Alex, Peter, Fadh, Mrs Lina and all those who helped the Mentari Project while it was in diapers and learning to crawl especially Super Safa , WE MISS YOU! Thanks so much and Yasir is planning more get togethers for old and new Facis.
The icing on the cake this weekend was speaking at the ATMAH Conference to a dedicated group of volunteers and hopeful volunteers about the Mentari Kids as part of a joint volunteer drive. As the sounds of the Frog theme echoed through the small auditorium, accompanying the faces of the Mentari Kids on the presentation video ( crafted by Hazira), we shared with strangers, the Saturdays and Sundays of this past year, the Petrosains visit, the Open day, the night classes for UPSR , Buka Puasa and raya Do's- snapshots of all our efforts in helping the Mentari Kids look through other windows, see different viewpoints and grow as we have grown with them.
This coming year we hope to not only walk more steadily, perhaps even run briskly. The many flaws and shortcomings, may not be ironed out but hopefully reduced as we learn from our newly acquired siblings at ATMAH who have been doing this for the past seven years.
So let's go the distance, expand our horizons and work to help MVTP grow up responsibly and make new friends who will walk together on this journey of intangible rewards.
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