HELPING TO EDUCATE MORE DESERVING STUDENTS

Extracted from Success Principles








HELPING TO EDUCATE MORE DESERVING STUDENTS
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 11:43 AM

One of the most life transforming endeavour is to educate the people of a nation. This, I am sure, has the support of every right thinking people.



In this respect, I am most proud of my good friend, Andrew Chua, from Singapore who has kindly volunteered to make available 300 scholarships for deserving students to study for degrees with the University of Wales Institute Cardiff or Queen Margaret University, both, highly regarded UK-based universities.



Not only has Andrew contributed to award these scholarships (EASB-Lions Higher Education Scholarship Awards)to Malaysian although he is a Singaporean, he has also made US$20 million worth of scholarships for deserving students in Asia! Andrew is truly a man of great compassion and vision for educating people. He is really contributing to educating the youths of the world!



I am confident that his contributions will not only transform the youths of our world but also transform his own life to one of joy, satisfaction and fulfillment. As you sow, so shall you reap. Give, and you will receive.



As one approaches one's 60th birthday, the feeling of usefulness and being able to contribute to our communities become more important than enriching oneself financially. Enriching one's life of purpose becomes more fulfilling and rewarding. I trust my good friend, Andrew, is at this stage of his life.



During our recent road-show in Penang to promote the scholarships to ensure that more deserving students get to know of their availability, we shared with the headmasters, student counselors,students and members of the press, that some parents actually sacrificed their retirement savings and may even, re-mortgage or sell their house to finance their children's higher education! Thus, Andrew's contribution will help not only the students, but also their parents to retire more comfortably with the knowledge that a substantial financial burden has been taken care of.



Personally, I feel a great satisfaction that Andrew has entrusted the responsibility of promoting these scholarship to me. It is a trust I find very heavy as I have to make sure that the objectives are met so that more deserving students can avail themselves to these scholarships. Thus, although I may not be in a position to offer such a large number of scholarships, I have gained the trust of my good friend to deliver his contributions to qualified students. Each of us has a role to play in this world and our different roles are just as important to make sure that the full impact of the well-intentioned gesture becomes a reality.



In this respect, I feel grateful that my involvement with the Lions Club has come in handy. As Lions' purpose is to serve, we can serve together and my home club, the Lions Club of KL North, has adopted this as its major project. We are also working with Lions Clubs and other service organizations to help deliver these scholarships to students who qualify.



Being in a position to be able to give and serve is indeed a life enriching experience and I definitely look forward to serving more in the remaining years of my life.



In closing I would like to quote Helen Keller, "I know I am one, but still I am one; I know I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."