Share Your Heart

The Story

Hi! I’m Bhuvaneswari Shanmugam, a student from Sunway College Kuala Lumpur. I am a volunteer for “Get Fit, Get Inclusive 7.0”, a volunteering project under AIESEC Malaysia, targeted towards raising awareness and helping children with special needs.

AIESEC

Established after World War II in 1948, AIESEC is an international, non-profit, non-governmental youth organization that focuses on empowering and encouraging young people to make a social impact through activities such as global volunteering experiences, leadership development, and cross-cultural internships.

AIESEC in Sunway is one of the many branches of AIESEC, an organization that is run by students of higher institutions in Bandar Sunway and we focus on conducting various volunteering programs with the vision of reaching a better and peaceful society. We organize social projects related to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and encourage youth to participate - aiding today's youths in creating a positive impact through social projects

Did you know that

All around the world, nearly 240 million children living with disabilities (1 in 10 children worldwide) are being denied basic rights according to UNICEF. They are:

• 24 percent less likely to receive early stimulation and responsive care
• 42 percent less likely to have foundational reading and numeracy skills
• 49 percent more likely to have never attended school
• 25 percent more likely to be wasted and 34 percent more likely to be stunted
• 51 percent more likely to feel unhappy and 41 percent more likely to feel discriminated against.
• Over 60% of people with disabilities are of working age, however, they experience an unemployment rate 80-100% higher than average non-disabled workers

[https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/fact-sheet-worlds-nearly-240-million-children-living-disabilities-are-being-denied]

In, Malaysia:

• 1 in 3 Malaysians believed that children with disabilities should be kept hidden
• 43% of Malaysians felt that 'children with disabilities would be disruptive in a mainstream class

In clinical diagnostic and functional development, special needs refer to individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Special needs can range from people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, blindness, deafness, ADHD, and cystic fibrosis. They can also include cleft lips and missing limbs. The types of special needs vary in severity.

However, they are all widely discriminated against and misunderstood. They are perceived to be extremely hard to care for, a burden, and even shame. But, did you know that most special needs children often possess amazing strengths such as enhanced memory, above-average intelligence, and attention to detail? Stephen Hawking, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Stevie Wonder, Helen Keller, Frida Kahlo, Marla Runyan, Ludwig van Beethoven, John Nash, and Andrea Boccelli, are just a few figures that created history. They were all special needs individuals whose abilities were far beyond a ‘normal man’. So, WHY the need for prejudice? A special needs child may require extra attention and special necessities that other children do not. But, don’t we all require extra care and support at certain points or aspects of life? Then, WHY the discrimination? All of us are different biologically and psychologically as the brain and body of every individual develop in their way. It just happens that some of our differences are more visible and harder to control. But, then, WHY exclude them for a condition they have no control over? Shouldn’t it be our responsibility to help and support those in need? 

As a society, it should be our responsibility to help those in need including special needs individuals.There is no loss in helping others. After all,we rise by lifting others. We should accommodate them and provide them with a safe space to hone and showcase their talents. Who knows we might nurture the next Einstein!

'Get Fit, Get Inclusive

‘Get Fit, Get Inclusive’ is a project run by AIESEC, Malaysia. Our goals are to:

1. Raise awareness for the special needs communityReduce the stigma and discrimination currently faced by the special needs community
2. Help those in the special needs community to develop as individuals and acclimate into mainstream society

Besides that, we are running this fundraiser to support IMC Training Centre for Special Needs, an NGO located in Puchong (Pusat Jagaan dan Latihan Istimewa) is a training center that aims of developing children & individuals with special needs. They are a group of dedicated staff and volunteers that dedicate their time and effort to provide personalized training for these individuals to help them develop as capable individuals to adapt to today’s society.

However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the center has been running low on funds. Therefore, we require your help in raising funds to build the children a better future. With every donation, (even as little as RM 1), you would be contributing to changing their world.