BRIGHT LEARNERS: CSO students in the midst of making a rocket during U-SchoS’ ‘Rocket to the Moon’ campaign.

ENGAGING SESSION: Organising chairperson Suzanne Ling teaching CSO students to create rockets during U-SchoS’ ‘Rocket to the Moon’ campaign.

ENGAGING SESSION: Organising chairperson Suzanne Ling teaching CSO students to create rockets during U-SchoS’ ‘Rocket to the Moon’ campaign.

GROUP PORTRAIT: CSO students posing for a group shot with U-SchoS’ scholars and the club advisor, Shannen Choi (eighth from right, third row) during their ‘Rocket to the Moon’ campaign.

More than 200 UCSI University (UCSI) students recently participated in a community project themed, ‘Rocket to the Moon’. 

The campaign was organised by the UCSI Scholars (U-SchoS’) Club for the Chin Student Organisation (CSO) – a learning centre in Cheras that caters to 120 Myanmar refugee children and youths. 

Notably, the project is in line with U-SchoS’ commitment to inculcate the spirit of giving back to society among UCSI students, to touch lives and inspire those in need. 

This encompassed a two-week awareness campaign and a donation drive held on campus grounds, followed by a half-day visit to the learning centre in the following week. 

To educate UCSI students on the differences between refugees and immigrants, various activities – including a quiz – were carried out, and students were invited to leave encouraging messages for the children or donate cash. 

The activities also placed emphasis on the needs and problems faced by refugees in Malaysia – particularly education issues for refugee children – and the importance of providing moral support to them. 

Needless to say, the end result saw many UCSI students showing interest in volunteering their time to tutor the underprivileged children. 

The week after the donation drive, 11 scholars visited the centre to share interesting educational facts on the moon, rockets and the lunar eclipse with the students. 

From their happy expressions, the students enjoyed the inspiring story of Neil Armstrong – the first man to land on the moon in a rocket named Apollo 11 – the most. 

But their highlight of the day was making their own miniature rockets. 

According to the campaign’s organising chairperson Suzanne Ling, the students’ faces lit up with excitement and happiness. 

“It was heart-warming to see that the University’s students’ effort and money could bring so much joy to someone’s life,” she says. 

“Their reactions also serve as reminders to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have, as we often take too many things for granted.” 

’Rocket to the Moon’ raised a total of RM2,045 in cash, as well as 300 exercise books, football equipment (balls), and badminton racquets for the centre’s recreation activities. 

The funds will be used to start a long-term tutoring programme for the refugee children and equip the learning centre with teaching aids – yet another community project by U-SchoS’. 

To view more photos of this fundraiser, please click here to access USchoS’ photo album on Facebook.