YSS - Outstanding.....But.....By Going Down

Outstanding.....But.....By Going Down

By Jasmine Adaickalam (YSS Service Director)

“Those who really live are those who live for others,” said somebody. Yayasan Strategik Sosial (YSS) is all support to this statement. In a world full of self centeredness, envy, jealousy, strife, under-cutting, back-stabbing and where time is the one rare commodity, it is almost impossible to find people who are willing to walk the extra mile for the disadvantaged and down-trodden.

“Those who really live are those who live for others,” said somebody. Yayasan Strategik Sosial (YSS) is all support to this statement. In a world full of self centeredness, envy, jealousy, strife, under-cutting, back-stabbing and where time is the onerare commodity,it is almost impossible to find people who are willing to walk the extra mile for the disadvantaged and down-trodden.

It is indeed our joy that YSS is fortunate enough to have found such rare and fine specimens of people who are selfless amidst the selfish, sacrificial amidst the sensation seeking and low profiled among the lime light loving. YSS feels honoured to parade these unsung heroes and heroines in front of people as replicable role models in modern day community where there is a price tag attached to anything and everything. Who are they and what did they do to receive such an accolade the following paragraphs will endeavour to explain.

TH Subra A/L Thathabbaye

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TH Subra a/l Thathabbayefrom Sungai Petani, Kedah is one of such volunteer. He is in fact the pulse beat of Taman Sungai Lalang, which is one of the forty neighbourhoods chosen by YSS. It is one of the fifteen neighbourhoods that ran more social activities during the period June 2001 – July 2002. Even though he does not hail or live from that neighbourhood, his ability to mobilise the people especially youths from Taman Sungai Lalang is admirable.It is not wrong to say that the whole neighbourhood revolves around him for ideas.

He could fulfil all the responsibilities given to him within the stipulated period of time. Apart from the neighbourhood-based activities,he also coordinated certain centre-based activities that stand proof for his credibility, dedication, sacrifice and organising ability. His capability to mobilise the target group in a short period of time and the commitment to be present all the YSS based volunteer meetings and trainings is really to be appreciated. A professional in his line of work but dedicated he is in the service he has undertaken and that makes him outstanding!

Nageswaran A/L S Raman

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Nageswaran a/l S Raman is a volunteer from Kampung Pasir, Wangsa Maju. His commitment and dedication in seeing a positive transformation in the neighbourhood that is otherwise a forgotten and forsaken place is admirable. Though there is no monetary value, he has been very active in organising social programmes for the community. He took the initiative to start a local organisation, which looks into the welfare and building of the residents of Kampung Pasir.

He had a hand in organising every single YSS related social activities and has gone on to create a casework system that is held weekly and regularly. Apart from this he also lends his hand in the casework clinics held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at YSS Head Quarters. His discipline and steadfastness in following through the cases and looking after the after care of people and activities needs to be mentioned. His ability to work as a team in the neighbourhood, the pleasantness in dealing with the most difficult of service users and the positive relationship with the YSS community development officers are some of the other attribute that make him an outstanding volunteer.

Maran A/L Etumon

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Maran a/l Etumon from the neighbourhood of KTM Rumah Panjang, PJ Selatan, is a vibrant young volunteer whose commitment to service in the neighbourhood is a unique one. Though a disabled person in a wheel chair, it has never deterred him from serving the community. In a world full of people wallowing in self-pity he shines as a model. His message to the world around him is disability does not mean dependence or depression.

He is more mobile than others who are not afflicted with disability in mobilising and organising the people of the neighbourhood to positive social action. His willingness to participate and involve in all the YSS related and Project ATMAH of Hindu Sangam shows his determination and tenacity to move the neighbourhood in positive frame of action. His ability to communicate to his team members, the ownership in seeing through a programme without expecting any gain and his active participation in the temple and Project ATMAH related activities are some of his many virtues. Unlike some of the other volunteers who live else where but work in a neighbourhood that is outside of their area of residence, Maran lives and serves in the same neighbourhood. Isn’t it unique, as prophets usually are not honoured in their own place?

Mr Jeyaseelan John

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Mr Jeyaseelan John another one of our outstanding volunteer lives in Cha’ah but serves in Batu Anam and estates such as Sungai Senarut Estate and United Melaka Estate that are quite far from his town of residence. But far a man who is enlightened and has the urge to serve the community distance is no barrier and Mr Jeyaseelan proves this. Though he was a man with vast experience in Public Service but was very humble and sacrificial in sharing his experience with the poor and needy in the selected neighbourhoods to motivate and build the people of those neighbourhoods.

So much that he has become the pulsing heartbeat of these neighbourhoods. He could cut across the age barrier and could work with cross sectional age groups within the neighbourhoods. Frugality and accountability are his very strong virtues.He is one of the rare few that could organise and run programmes within limited means through his creative budgeting. His overall dedication and commitment is proven through the many neighbourhood-based activities and centre based activities he helped to organise. Time and again he has shown his interest to total upliftment of the community through his presence and participation in all the trainings, forums and meetings. For a heart that is fired with passion for human service time and distance are poor eligibility tests. Time and again he has proven his credibility in various ways of his dealings with the neighbourhoods. One more thing can be said of his sacrifice is that he has never claimed for the distance he travels from his home to the neighbourhoods. Are there many such people in the materialistic and consumerist world?

Moorumal A/P Subramaniam

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Moorumal a/p Subramaniam otherwise known as Maragatham Bala is a volunteer from Kampung Muniandy. In a male dominated world, here is a woman who bravely competed with fellow men in serving the community. For her low education is no hindrance in serving the neighbourhood. She hails from the neighbourhood of Kampung Muniandy but cut across borders to reach out to women. A woman, a wife and a mother she is exceptional in her mission and vision.

She started as an ordinary member in the very first Women Self Help but eventually became the leader of that group and also was instrumental in the group giving birth to another Self Help Group in the same neighbourhood. Her missionary zeal and passion in organising and mobilising the young and the old, men and women for social activities is par excellence. Her leadership skills, creativity and conflict resolution are admirable that could be used as experience to develop ordinary women into women of confidence and excellence.

Latchimie A/P Sithamparam

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Latchimie a/p Sithamparam fondly called as Latchimie akka is a new volunteer from the new Women Self Help Group of Sentul. She started as a tea lady in YSS but has emerged as a woman of substance. Refused to be fettered by family struggles she has become a strong woman volunteer in YSS. Her ability to deliver the service, be focused in the responsibility at hand and the determination to complete the task has earned her this good name.

She was a committed volunteer in the YSS women’s programme even beyond her neighbourhood. As a mother with a disabled son but with a conviction to reach out to community she deserves to be lauded. This recognition will serve to be a confidence booster and mobiliser of many other women who are out there without realising their human potential for the well being for the human kind.

Late Jogarammah A/P Rajah Mohamad

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Late Jogarammah a/p Rajah Mohamad was another sister who is known for her selfless and sacrificial social action. She was a woman of tenacity & guts. Though she did not have a higher formal education, her general knowledge & conviction with regards to community service was so good that even a paid social worker might be in shadows when compared to this woman who influenced changes in many lives. Even when she was suffering in pain, she had brought people to YSS and relevant service agencies to secure assistance.

Her enormous interest in women self help groups made her open her own house amide all adversities for women of Petaling Utama Long houses to gather weekly. This same interest also spurred her to visit some women initiatives in India while she was there for treatment. Till the last her vision was to see an improvement in the quality of life of the Indian women. May her soul rest in peace!

Thiagarajan A/L Rengasamy

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Thiagarajan a/l Rengasamy is another volunteer who might be branded as crazy by others always on the look out for commercially viable, lucrative businesses. Here is a man who worked heart out as if a full timer paid by YSS. His passion led him on with his friends to take the initiative of developing a comprehensive package on Technical and Vocational Training in Malaysia. He also made good links with Gamuda, CIDB and other such that has created a lot of job opportunities for youths.

The push and interest made him and some of the other friends to go on an aggressive promotion and publicity that has helped to create awareness in the neighbourhoods that are saturated by low-income families. Because of his genuine concern for these youths he went down to their level that has generated a serious interest at the grassroots and also has formed a network. Some time even at the cost of his own personal advancement he was at the grassroots. It is our firm belief that all his endeavours at the grassroots for them will definitely bear fruit.

Balasubramaniam A/L Arumugam

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Balasubramaniam a/l Arumugam is one more rare finding the children & youth camps have identified for YSS. Here is a young gentle man who instead of trying to find his own fun, chose to help run 8 camps that were organised for children & youths. He not only volunteered to organise but he also played a key role in facilitating and setting the standards of these programme. His in-depth involvement with the children & youth related programmes of YSS impelled him to promote the social activities and recruit volunteers to help run these camps.

He also played a key role in ensuring the success of the camps through his valuable suggestions and ideas. His involvement in weekly school motivation programme should be mentioned here. He ran this regular programme in three schools during January – April 2002 period. The YSS officer in-charge of these camps vouches for his cooperation and teamwork with fellow volunteers.

Thanabalan A/L Gopalan

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Thanabalan a/l Gopalan is a volunteer who helped in the ICT related activities. He started with YSS as a computer centre officer. Even when he left YSS to take up other roles, his involvement with social activities through YSS continues. He has assisted the current YSS computer Centre officer on many capacities. He helped to run a computer centre for more than 2 years without any expectation or ulterior motives. In the past 1 year alone he helped to organise & run 11 ICT Seminars for children & youths at the different low-income neighbourhoods & have taken the target group for 7 ICT related visits.

His fervour for this group of people had led him on to promoting volunteer recruitment and also to be voluntarily part of the coordinating and organising team of ICT seminars and ICT visits. His pleasant countenance is a joy to behold and the children and youth enjoy his company.

This is an age where people are into smart work principle with a combination of more money and prosperity. Working for nothing is seemingly foolishness and utter idiocy. Nevertheless there are a negligible minority that works not for the publicity or prosperity but to see an upward social mobility of the community. Who are they? What do they have in common?

COMPASSION that has led to PASSION and in turn to MISSION

Their mission is not an impossible one but an incredible one. They are not always looking for rewards of this earthly nature but the fulfilment of seeing ordinary lives at the grassroots enhanced. May God bless them in all their endeavours to uplift the downtrodden!