Empowering the leaders of tomorrow.
In wanting to help those in need, our kneejerk reaction may be to fix the problem at hand. And in most cases, these would be temporary fixes such as donations, food, and clothing. While these are more often than not much needed, providing immediate relief only addresses obvious and immediate problems, and may inadvertently create dependency.
To make a difference in the long run, long-term thinking which involves understanding and addressing the underlying issues such as poverty, homelessness and other societal challenges, must be present. This would not only help to alleviate the immediate problem but also create an environment where individuals can strive to make it on their own and thrive.
So how can this be done?
Empowering Future Minds
Education is an important component in bettering one’s life, and this includes education in schools, tertiary education, vocational training, training programmes, just to name a few. Instead of just helping them to address the ‘now’ with donations and handouts, education can help individuals to gain the knowledge and skills needed for them to form long-term plans or strategies that will help them better their lives.
Maybank’s Cashville Kidz is a programme designed to provide schools, as well as educators, with tools and resources that will enable them to sustainably educate and elevate the financial literacy level of students for years to come. Financial literacy is the education and understanding of knowing how money is made, spent, and saved, as well as the skills and ability to use financial resources to make decisions. These decisions include how to generate, invest, spend, and save money. Starting them young will equip them with the financial savvy they need to help them navigate their finances in the future.
And it’s not just children who can benefit from gaining knowledge and skills. Maybank’s Reach Independence & Sustainable Entrepreneurship (R.I.S.E.) programme was set up specifically to assist the disabled and the disadvantaged communities. Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) may need an array of organisations to champion their cause, and R.I.S.E. is an economic empowerment programme designed to support them through training and mentorship. The programme involves regular training covering practical topics in running a business, such as financial goals, operational planning, budgeting and tracking, and sales and customer analysis. In addition to capacity building, a structured mentoring system is in place, making sure the entrepreneurs get continued support and knowledge transfer from skilled Maybank volunteers. This way, these entrepreneurs can not only be financially independent but to also elevate their lives and those of their families.
Strength in Diversity
Some segments of society are undoubtedly sometimes ‘forgotten’, sidelined or relegated to roles where they don’t have any control over their own finances. Giving them the opportunities to take control of their lives can make a significant difference to their lives.
Training and learning a new skill to uplift their lives and those of their families.
Maybank Women Eco-Weavers is a programme that encourages women to learn the art of weaving and turning it into a source of income. Apart from reviving and ensuring the survival of this art form, the programme trains the weavers and thereafter provides them with the means to earn their living as weavers through the provision of equipment and guidance. The programme has successfully trained weavers across ASEAN and has given these women the chance to play an active role in bettering the finances of their families.
Improving Healthcare Access for a Healthier Tomorrow
Healthcare is of course important, and while healthcare in Malaysia is heavily subsidised by the government, some cases may need some extra help. Specialist treatments or major illnesses that require long-term care can be expensive, and not having the means to pay for the treatment is unfortunately more common than it should be. Ensuring that those who need assistance receive the help they need is crucial.
Maybank’s Heart2Heart Campaign objective is to provide life-saving treatments for paediatric heart patients from the underserved communities in the ASEAN Community. This campaign is in collaboration with Institut Jantung Negara (IJN Hospital) where the funds raised from the public will be channelled to IJN Hospital and their partner hospitals across the region to identify the paediatric patients in need. Funds raised from the public will be channelled to Institut Jantung Negara for patient surgical costs. Patients will include children from the ages of 0 – 18 years old from families that are in the lower income category. The Heart2Heart campaign is in collaboration with Institut Jantung Negara (IJN Hospital), working with their partner hospitals across the ASEAN region to identify paediatric patients in need, aligned with our continued commitment to sustainable growth and development for the underserved in ASEAN.
Protecting Basic Human Rights
We may take our access to water for granted as for most of us, we just need to turn on the tap for clean water. There are however, segments of society that aren’t as fortunate. Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are crucial to human health and well-being, and there are many rural communities who still don’t have access to it, which puts their health, well-being and livelihoods at risk. Water is one of our most basic needs.
Making clean and safe water accessible to the rural communities.
Maybank Islamic’s WASH programme not only recognises the importance of clean water as a prerequisite to health, but also the impact that it has on livelihoods, the community and the environment. Through this programme, Maybank puts in place the infrastructure for access to clean and safe water, therefore reducing the incidences of waterborne diseases through sustainable and hygiene practices. This in turn improves the health and socioeconomic well-being of the communities. The WASH programme also improves the quality of water sources for the underserved communities in rural areas, and ensures sustainability by promoting integrated water resources management at the local level with a focus on maintaining the quantity and quality of drinking water.
How can you help?
There are many charitable organisations that have solid plans in place and you could contribute to them through donations or maybe even by bringing your skills and knowledge to the table. Maybank also has a fundraising platform Maybank Heart which highlights and fundraises for different causes that may be close to your heart.
The concept of "teaching a man to fish" encapsulates the essence of long-term thinking. In making sure that the underserved have their basic necessities and are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to support themselves, we would be doing a lot more than just taking care of their needs for the day. Let’s help them help themselves through sustainable solutions that will not only better their lives, but also foster a sense of pride and accomplishment.
