Transforming Our City Together (TOCT) Conference 2011 VI

The highlight of 9th April at Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang was the TOCT exhibition.

More than 30 organizations from both non-profit and corporate sectors from all over the country were displaying their community and nation transformation work. Some of the projects are similar to Projek Harap which reaches out to underprivileged children.

Last year, our Melaka team was having the A CIKGU booth. Caroline and Philippe continued their effort to bring influences in the field of education under MAGPIE. This year, Joel had done a good job preparing the pictures and wordings, and setting up the booth to show the activities at Harap Learning Centre Bukit Baru.

Among visitors who dropped by at all the booths and chatted with exhibitors were the two buddies from Kuala Lumpur.

Andrew had got to know me last June after he had discovered my blog entries about EFC Leadership Summit 2010. I was glad to meet him in person ten months later.

Ray had also begun to be aware of my existence at the same period though we both had attended the two-day event in Penang in April 2010. Later through my blog updates, he read about the Harap Learning Centre in Melaka. As the Authentic Manhood (AM) national coordinator, he was surprised to learn that I had even joined the AM class once.

Last January, the reader finally took the initiative to get connected with the blogger.

I stayed at the Projek Harap booth in the afternoon. So I did not go to any of the mini seminars conducted by Marketplace Penang, Voice Your Choice, Real Love Ministry, Mary Kay Skin Care,and Marianna Pascal (the author of "English Fast & Easy") which many found very interesting. Sometimes, I walked around to visit other booths. The Tupperware booth stood out with the big space they were occupying in the middle of the exhibition hall and the activities they were organising.

I let one of the persons in charge paint my palm with different colours and pressed it on the white board.

Then I participated in a quiz, answered a question correctly and won a small plastic container.

That evening, I took the express bus with the Sajar family, Grace's family, Sis Grace and Joel to go back to Melaka together. These two days' experience were again an eye opener for me to see miracles as a result of the love of God.

Transforming Our City Together (TOCT) Conference 2011 V

On the second day of TOCT, a visit to the La Salle Learning Centre at 52-K, Penang Road

was specially arranged for the Projek Harap Melaka team.

Named after John Baptist de La Salle, the centre is focused on "facilitating and providing opportunities for children to grow skills for control over their learning and living an envoronment founded on a humanistic philosophy and a careful methodology."

That morning, the founder of the centre Bro John D'Cruz was not around. Receiving us was the assistant coordinator Mr Stephen Saw. He explained to us their two-pronged learning approach and showed us the different facilities and simple materials to impart the ten skills namely 1.talking, 2.listening, 3.remembering, 4.spelling, 5.reading, 6.writing, 7.understanding, 8.counting, calculating and problem solving, 9.drawing and 10.doing craft.

"During the first half of the daily two-hour session, the learner practises the assigned three basic skills and during the next hour keeps to enrichment activities. The facilitators keep regular track of each learner's progress through a careful diagnosis of his level of competences, intervention and facilitation, monitoring and evaluation at each stage."

By this alternative methodology of learning, children who are unable to cope with the formal school system can work on their own, at their own pace and level, and learn to be independent. Their learning insecurities are minimised and eventually eradicated. As a result, they return to their school work with increased enthusiasm and are able to cope with their school environment.

We were led into a room where the students have one of their favorite activities--doing craft.

With just a little bit of creativity, a fast food paper bag was turned into an owl and a cake holder became a clock.

These educationally and socio-economically deprived students also have access to computers

and musical instruments.

The La Salle Learning Centre has been blessing underprivileged children since 1984 and their long experience with learners with "different learning styles" is now the foundation for an equally important approach with adult learners. After this short but interesting guided visit, the Projek Harap team had a better idea to run various activities for the preschoolers.

Transforming Our City Together (TOCT) Conference 2011 IV

After the workshops, we had about an hour to rest at the hotel. From my room I could see high-rise buildings

as well as greeneries which attract people to live in this island.

After I got changed, I went down to the lobby. the Sajar family who had come back from their day tour was also waiting for the shuttle bus to attend the same event "Night Of Hope" at Han Chiang Associated Chinese Schools Association.

Being the special guests of this charity dinner, they were seated at the table number one at the Lim Lean Teng Hall.

I was assigned to a table surrounded by Ps Thomas Fann's family and two other couples. Though I was not sitting with my Melaka gang, I felt home to be in company with these diners many of whom were based in Johor. And it was also a good occasion for me to tell them about Projek Harap which had first materialized in Melaka several months ago.

The programme began with an opening speech by the representative of the Penang Chief Minister.

Next, Piek See briefed about Projek Harap and explained how each of us could financially contribute to this project. She introduced the Sajar family as well.

During the 8-course halal Chinese meal, our renown local singer Juwita Suwito presented a few hits from her albums.

At the end of the event, all the diners were asked to light and hold a small candle each while singing together. When the light of the hall was turned off, it was very beautiful.

A Malay family's lives had been transformed thanks to Projek Harap and were there to witness this moment among the 600 over diners that night. Wasn't that more beautiful?

Transforming Our City Together (TOCT) Conference 2011 III

The conference was held in Bosch Hall.


After the registration, Ps Richard gave an opening speech. He reminded the audience that local communities are the source of primary relationship between people and that we should ask ourselves what we can do in our community to make life better.

Last year, the conference focused on the education and EFC. This year, guest speakers were specialised in other pillars of society.

Despite his extremely tight schedule, Dr Kim Tan, a founder member and trustee of the Transformational Business Network (TBN) had flown to Malaysia specially for this conference to show us how business people, by their projects to support micro, small and medium enterprises in developing countries by contributing time and skills, mentoring developing entrepreneurs and investing in growing businesses, have been addressing social needs, creating wealth as well as alleviating poverty.

The session about business was immediately followed by a business and commerce forum hosted by Dr K J John.

Next, Mr Goh Keat Peng who has served in various leadership roles both local and abroad and has been sharing his thoughts through his blog "onGOHing". He told us how he had transited onto the road less travelled. He used Philippians 1:6 and Hebrews 13:20-21 to remind us that each one of us needs to be mindful and aware of His working on and in us and to discover what He is making us for. God equips us and builds our capacity for every task He assigns us to.

The last speaker was Mrs Melanie Hulburt, the leader of YWAM Penang who is passionate about immigrant work in Malaysia. She shared with us what we can do for the imigrant workers whom we should not treat as machines but as men and women, as equal workers, as beloved brothers and as people with a vocation for their nation:
-Create a loving, caring environment for them.
-Ensure that migrants are involved in community life.
-Look into their pastoral needs
-Take care of their welfare needs: dealing with local prejudices against foreigners.

After the lunch break were the workshop sessions. Each participants could choose two among six topics namely government, business & commerce, education, externally focused church (EFC), interfaith dialogue and immigrant work. The first one I joined was conducted by Bro John D'Cruz whom I had met at Harap Learning Centre Bukit Baru in Melaka last January.

He divided the participants into two groups to sit in the inner or outer circle. Each time, he gave us a topic to discuss with the person we were facing. Then he asked either circle of participants to move one seat on the left or right to continue to exchange opinions with another partner.

Later, we were assigned into small groups of four for discussions to find an answer to a question.

Not only the activities were creative, the real-life jokes he shared with us were also very funny. The room was often filled with our laughters.

We realised that we can learn by remembering, seeing, thinking, talking, listening, being silent, sharing, discussing or handling feelings.

After this intersting education workshop, I went to the EFC workshop by Ps Rich Rusaw who was also one of the keynotes speakers of last year's conference.

He let a participant from Kluang

to present a video showing what the Eden Community Service Centre had been doing to transform their community.

Then, Ps Rick talked about five characteristics of EFC.
1. They believe the community cannot be healthy without the church.
2. They believe that Christians do not grow until they begin serving.
3. They understand the power of service.

4. They are evangelistically effective.
5. They walk humbly with God, love mercy and are doing justice.

I enjoyed and learned a lot from both workshops.

Transforming Our City Together (TOCT) Conference 2011 II

Another HLC teacher Theresa's four-member family did not turn up before the departure due to some emergencies. With the presence of three other MLM classmates, there were 16 "delegates" from Melaka taking the same express bus.

The journey took about six hours. We stepped down from the bus at Sungai Nibong at about 4 o'clock the next morning and were immediately surrounded by a few taxi drivers. I arranged the trip to Hotel Royal Penang for the Sajar family, Grace's family, Sis Grace Wan and myself with three vehicles. The drivers were very puzzled to see our "Malay-Indian-Chinese-Filipino-adult-teenager-children-coalition" led by a Chinese lady. So I briefly explained to our drivers that we were attending an event together and that our multi-cultural combination truly showed the spirit of "One Malaysia"!

We finally checked in at the hotel and settled in our separate rooms. Sajar's wife Izan had told me earlier that the last time she had been to Penang with Sajar in 1991, they were newly wedded. She returned to the island about twenty years later accompanied by five more loved ones in addition to her husband!

Not only their children were excited about their holiday, the couple was enjoying their second honeymoon as well.

After breakfast, a city tour was specially organised for them. The rest of us

and other participants took the shuttle bus

to the conference venue Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang (Caring Society Complex).

Among three hundred over local and oversea participants, Ps Les was one I had not seen for several months though he was also based in Melaka. Sis Susan from Kuala Lumpur was one I had just befriended in the shuttle bus. Bro Ray was another one from KL who always engaged people in interesting conversations.

This two-day event was definitely an occasion to meet old friends and new friends.

Transforming Our City Together (TOCT) Conference 2011 I

After the EFC Leadership Summit last year, Piek See asked us to block 8th-9th April 2011 in our calender to attend the same conference in Penang this year under a different name "Transforming Our City Together (TOCT)". During the last March MLM class before the conference, Ps Richard reminded us that he had been coming to see us twice a month since 2008 but he only asked us to travel to the north of the country to see him two days a year. He even sang impromptu in Mandarin the refrain of Teresa Teng's song "How Do You Say"--"You said that you would come to see me in two days. But I've been waiting for one year plus..." to express how much he looked forward to our presence there!

I had made up my mind to attend this eye-opening event long time ago. But when I prepared my weekly teaching timetable for last semester, I had forgot about these two dates which included a Friday. Thank God my leave was approved.

I had started to befriend the Sajar couple in February. When I learned that the family was invited to Penang as well and would be taking a bus, I volunteered to be the accompanying person. Then, I received the confirmation that the two teachers from Harap Learning Centre (HLC) Bukit Baru and their families would also be going with the same transport. Soon later, I was told that Sis Grace Wan from the MLM class would be joining us as well. After I checked the bus schedule, Dr Wong kindly asked one of his clinic staff to buy our tickets.

On 7 April evening, I drove to Seri Siantan flat and parked my car in front of the shop lots. After awhile, the Sajar couple and their five out of six children carrying their own luggage appeared with their excited faces. As we were waiting for Sis Grace Wan who had also agreed to send Sajar's family members to the bus station, Nurul and her twin brothers Fikri and Syukri began to use their forefingers to write on my dusty car back windshield

English sentences that they had learnt at HLC.

Sis Grace W arrived very soon with a van and her son as the driver. So all of us left for Melaka Sentral which was less than 3km away.

It was the first time that seven members of the Sajar family were travelling outstation together.

The HLC teacher Grace's family was already at the bus terminal.

The platform was crowded because of our gang, especially the young ones.

Here we were leaving at 10pm for Penang. Before the opening of HLC, I was a total stranger to them. It was wonderful to realize that the love of God had connected me to

Nurul,

Syukri,

Siti,

Niger, Fikri,

Melisa

and their parents despite our differences of age and culture.