English 
Peninsula International School Australia collects close to 2,000 noodle packets for Grace Community Services to distribute to the needy.
SHAH ALAM: The month of August holds special meaning for Malaysians, mostly because it marks the nation’s independence from colonial rule.
Yet, even as the country has grown from strength to strength, there are many underprivileged in society who depend on the generosity of others to experience even the simplest things in life – like food and shelter.
Wishing to help alleviate their burden in some way, the Peninsula International School Australia in Setia Alam, Selangor organised a Merdeka donation drive, collecting 1,910 Maggi noodle packets for non-profit organisation Grace Community Services (GCS), to distribute to the needy.
“We ran the donation drive from mid-July to mid-August,” said Samantha Richards, 48, an English teacher at the school who coordinated the drive.
She said students, aged between three and 18, were encouraged to approach as many people as they could to donate packets of instant noodles for the needy.
“We set the target for 1,000 packets but surpassed it in the second week. We increased it to 1,500 and eventually it hit almost 2,000, almost double from what we first aimed for,” she said. Richards, who is British, has been residing in Malaysia for 13 years.
As each noodle packet consists of five individual packs, the donation will provide close to 10,000 meals. On Monday, the school held a special assembly to hand over the packets of noodles to GCS, with approximately 125 students forming a human chain to load the items into a GCS van.
“What’s important for me is educating the children about their capacity to be able to do something like this,” said Richards, adding that some students even used their Chinese New Year ang pow money to purchase the noodles.
Others, like Elliot Hoo, 13, even approached his art teacher and hairdresser to contribute. “Participating in the donation drive taught me that although there are various races in this country, we should unite and help each other, especially those who are less fortunate,” Hoo said.
For Chloe Chan, 12, the experience taught her gratitude for what she has. “I feel sad when I think about others who don’t have enough and I want to do more to help them in the future,” she said.
A similar sentiment was echoed by Japanese student Ria Yamada, 13, who said she was inspired to continue helping others in need. “Teamwork makes the dream work. If we unite, be kind, support and care for each other, the world will be a happier place,” she shared.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Christina Pillai, chief executive officer of GCS, shared that the noodles would be distributed to approximately 2,100 individuals in need. They include the homeless as well as those from low-income families and migrants.
Donations will also be made to orphanages, refugee shelters and safe houses for women and children who are victims of human trafficking.
“We help those who have minimal support and are overlooked by society,” she added.
Expressing her gratitude to the school, Pillai shared: “It’s uplifting to see the younger generation rising to advocate for the less fortunate. Their actions reaffirm that the spirit of service and leadership can flourish in any generation, paving the way for a more empathetic and unified community.”
She said it was her hope that the students would see that even small acts of kindness can leave a meaningful impact on others.
“The donation drive aligns perfectly with the spirit of Merdeka as it embodies the values of unity, freedom and generosity that our Independence Day represents.
“Through this drive, we honour our nation’s independence by actively contributing to the well-being of others, reinforcing the idea that true freedom includes the ability to support and uplift those around us,” she concluded.
