TEKAD in New Sunday Times

COMMUNITY service has become a way of life for Hani Widyawani Fauzi and Noreen Izza Arshad. After all, they have been doing it since their schooldays.

So when the opportunity to help a group of students to prepare for campus life and adulthood came, there were no second thoughts. Both of them immediately signed up and are now on the way to their third Tekad Project.

Tekad is a community service project which aims to inculcate qualities that will help mould a young person’s character and prepare him for college and university and eventually working life.

The project, which started in January last year, is organised by the Young Professionals Chamber Malaysia, a youth organisation supported by the Education Ministry. Five Tekad Projects have been planned, two of which have already been implemented. All five are sponsored by the RHB Group

Hani Widyawani, 28, says: "I was also a director of programmes for an Islamic training course for Forms Three and Five students."

She was among a group of volunteers at the Multimedia University Malaysia campus in Putrajaya recently to undergo a Training for Trainers session to prepare them for the next Tekad Project at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.

At the session, young volunteers, comprising doctors, engineers and lecturers, among others, were trained to conduct various modules under the programme for students. Tekad programme director Aizan Azrina Rosli says: "When volunteers, whom we refer to as coaches, conduct the programmes, their objective is to fulfil five key components, namely goal setting, interpersonal skills, career guidance, importance of English and science and financial planning."

Hani Widyawani, who believes in sharing her life’s experience and giving back to society, says that under the project, students learn to be responsible, work as a team and be sensitive to others.

Noreen Izza, 27, who is actively involved in community programmes, such as counselling for students and fund-raising efforts for orphanages and old folks homes, finds satisfaction in helping others.

The Universiti Teknologi Petronas lecturer is happy with one of her charges, Aznie Syafariz Jamaludin, from the last Tekad Project in Tronoh, Perak. "I have kept in touch with his progress after the project and he has been doing well," she says.

Aznie Syafariz, a 17-year-old science stream student of SMK Bukit Jana, Kemunting, Perak, says guidance from Tekad coaches has helped him build up his confidence and self-esteem.

"I have never got an A before, but in my last exams, I obtained three As — in English, Bahasa Melayu and mathematics," he says. "I have also become more active in sports and social programmes. I have even volunteered as a student counsellor."

Aznie Syafariz’s schoolmate and fellow Tekad champion (as students who have graduated from a Tekad Project are called) Mohd Khairul Rahhim Yamin, also 17, is so happy with what he has learned that he aspires to be a Tekad coach.

Mohd Khairul Rahhim, who says he did not have any goals before, has done much better in his last exams compared with previous years.

Another volunteer for the Tekad Project, marketing analyst Afifah Kassim, 26, says her friend introduced her to the project last year. "I tried it out and got hooked," she says.

Afifah, who has experienced life’s many difficulties, likes the sharing and learning part of the project.

Aizan explains that 120 to 150 students, from Forms Four and Five, are selected for each project. Coaches act as role models and share experiences, inculcate positive values in students while helping to instil strong will and confidence to ensure that they strive harder to succeed in life.

"Tekad emphasises setting goals as well as instilling values such as respect, gratitude, responsibility, trust and risk-taking," Aizan says. "It is also our objective to stimulate students’ interest in English and science, inspire and motivate them by sharing life experiences and encourage them to be involved in community service."

Apart from being the sponsor, RHB also conducts a financial module for students to inculcate in them the importance of financial planning and teach them how best to manage money.

The first Tekad Project was held at Kem Tekali in Hulu Langat, Selangor, in January last year, and this was followed by the second outing at Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Tronoh, Perak.

The fourth Tekad Project will be held at Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Pahang on July 8, and the last one at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang on Sept 2.