Vijayaratnam Foundation2012 ACTIVITY RepoRT

The Vijayaratnam Foundation was established in 2006 as the Malaysian chapter of the RYTHM Foundation, the philanthropic arm of QI Group. Since then, the Vijayaratnam Foundation has been carrying out the RYTHM Foundation’s noble mission by working closely with the public and private sectors, civil society and the philanthropic community to facilitate and implement various sustainable initiatives to improve the lives of underprivileged and marginalised Malaysians.

Communities in need are the main beneficiaries of the Vijayaratnam Foundation’s philanthropic activities The foundation has also forged ties with non-governmental organisations, government bodies and the civil society in Malaysia, lending its support through various human developmental projects.

Dato’ Sri Vijay Eswaran, Founder of the QI Group, started the Vijayaratnam Foundation as a tribute to his late father, Mr. S. Vijayaratnam, a prominent Malaysian youth leader in the 50s and 60s, who dedicated his life to serving the community. Deeply influenced by his father from an early age, Eswaran lives by the core philosophy of RYTHM – Raise Yourself To Help Mankind – following Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings of Truth, Service, Care and Raising Oneself. Today, RYTHM serves as the guiding philosophy of the QI Group and both its Foundations.

Although it maintains close ties with the RYTHM Foundation, the Vijayaratnam Foundation is a separate legal entity that operates as an independent organisation to carry out its mission: Empowering lives, transforming communities.

The Foundation helps to improve the lives of the most deserving members of society and acts as a catalyst for change by initiating projects that address root problems in the community such as lack of education, poverty, oppression and decline in moral values, among others. Ultimately, the Foundation is focused on implementing sustainable solutions that will empower individuals and communities, helping them grow and become self-sustaining.

More information about the Foundation’s activities and projects is available online at www.vf.org.my.

Introduction

Mission

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Taarana, Vijayaratnam Foundation’s school for children with special learning needs, provides quality education and facilities for children between the ages of 3 and 12 who are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Sensory Integration Disorder and Down Syndrome, among other disorders. The following highlights the key events that involved the school in 2012:

• Taarana held it’s first ever Sports Day event at the Pure Life Society centre in Puchong. 36 children participated in the event which lasted for three hours. • Students experienced a 2-day 1-night experiential and sensory camp at the grounds of

Taarana.• In July, the children had their first Taekwan-Do grading and belt changing ceremony.• In September the school held its second annual concert titled ‘Power of Dreams’. • The school participated in ‘A Silent Walk in the Night’, where participants observed a contemplative candlelit walk around Taman Jaya Lake to reflect on the lives and achievements of children with learning disabilities.

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Maharani is a project initiated in 2010 aimed at helping adolescent girls aged between 13 and 16. The project is themed ‘The Princess In You’ and strives to instill a strong personal foundation in young women that will help them make the right decisions in day-to-day situations and for their future.

Essentially the programme focuses on five components:

• Gender, ethnicity and culture• Reproductive health and sexuality• Physical, mental and spiritual health• Rejuvenation and dream building• Recreational activities and team building

Education

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Workshop for Persons Dealin with Special Children

Vijayaratnam Foundation held a Workshop for Persons Dealing with Special Children at KUB Singgahsana Hotel to bridge the gap that may be experienced by parents who are raising children with learning disabilities or even caretakers, professionals and medical allied students

who deal with these children. Approximately 150 participants across Malaysia as far as Sarawak attended this one-day workshop.

Academic Excellence Programme

Supported by the Vijayaratnam Foundation, the Academic Excellence Programme conducted by the Hindu Youth Organisation (HYO) in Kuala Lumpur, aims to transform the mindset of youths to believe that they too, are entitled to an equitable opportunity to succeed in life.

The project objectives are to empower students with life skills, build high competency in livelihood skills, cultivate life-long learning, strengthen core academic subjects and inculcate social responsibilities.

Education

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Initiated in October 2009, FOOTPRINTS is a mentoring programme that helps less fortunate children between the ages of nine and 12 to realise their potential. The mission of the programme is simple: to pair children with caring individuals who can guide them to develop self-confidence and learn important values for life. Since its establishment, FOOTPRINTS has become a full-fledged mentoring programme which seeks to have children grow while learning important life lessons along the way.

In the past four years, the programme has touched the lives of approximately 70 mentors and 79 mentees through various educational, experiential and outdoor activities. It is a definite platform for participants to grow individually and make a difference (M.A.D.) and also a place to discover individual talents and creativity.

The FOOTPRINTS Testimonial Night is usually the highlight for mentors and mentees,

as they get to share their first-hand experiences of the programme with others. Each year, the location of the event remains a secret until the day itself. Likewise, in 2012, mentors and mentees had a pleasant surprise when they found

themselves on the Tasik Putra Cruise, to celebrate the significance of the theme for the year, which was ‘Splash’. They enjoyed a lovely dinner, set against a great view. As the night progressed, many mentors and mentees also received trophies and awards as acknowledgement of their success in the programme.

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Taekwondo Lessons

Ms Mariama Krishnan, an employee of The V - a QI Group subsidiary, is a martial arts expert who has been providing free taekwondo lessons to 40 children from the Agathians Shelter since July 2010. The Agathian Shelter is a beneficiary of the Vijayaratnam Foundation and the Foundation fully sponsors the childrens’ uniform, annual fees, grading fees and other competition fees. The Foundation also facilitates weekly lessons which take place either at the home or the playground near the QI Group’s regional headquarters in Malaysia.

Community Development

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Vijayaratnam Foundation organised the second annual fundraiser concert, Bhajan Sandhya an evening of devotional music by legendary Indian classical vocalist O.S. Arun on February 25, 2012. It was held at the MAS Auditorium, Kelana Jaya in aid of Taarana, raising approximately RM114,000 on ticket sales, sponsorship packages and donation from well-wishers and general public. QI staff were “in-service” either by obtaining sponsorships, selling tickets or volunteering help during the event.O.S. Arun, the star of the show, is also known as the ‘prince charming of Indian Carnatic music’. He has a Master’s Degree in Carnatic music and a Sangeet Shiromani Diploma. His distinctive voice and ability to infuse new life into traditional compositions has earned him invitations to perform internationally from a very young age.

Arun, who was also the lead vocalist at the Dasavatar dance programme that was organised by Vijayaratnam Foundation for Taarana’s annual fundraiser.

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Mr. S. Vijayaratnam Memorial Concert 2012

MORE than 200 members of the public and invited guests attended the concert to honour the life of the late S. Vijayaratnam, who was known as the Father of the Hindu Youth Organisation (HYO). Held at the Auditorium Tan Sri Dato’ KR Soma, the Vijayaratnam Memorial Concert 2012 themed “An Evening of Carnatic Fusion Music” featured performances by the Temple of Fine Arts, instrumentals

from Aswara, and vocals by Sri Ram Subramaniam and Maykala Jayshanker, the Swaraa Sisters — Sumitra and Subatra Jayaseelan, and Preeta Prasad. Two lifetime achievement awards for the service to the community was presented to Pure Life Society co-founder Datin Paduka Mother Mangalam Iyaswamy Iyer and S. Kumarakulasingam, a founding member of the Hindu Youth movement in Malaysia. Mother Mangalam was conferred the award for her outstanding contributions towards promoting the welfare of the underprivileged and Kumarakulasingam for his invaluable service to the community through the promotion of arts and culture.

Arts & Culture

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Chinese New Year Celebration

On 16 January 2012, Vijayaratnam Foundation turned its customary Chinese New Year celebrations into a timely and meaningful contribution to the House of Joy in Puchong, upon discovering that the residents of the home had lost everything to a fire on the morning of 30th December 2011. Vijayaratnam Foundation helped raise funds for the home with the help of all QI staff - and also donated a washing machine and sports shoes for the children. The total contribution were presented to the Chairman of the House of Joy, Pastor Tang Chee Sing, who thanked Vijayaratnam Foundation for its kind gesture.

Hari Raya Celebration

In conjunction with Hari Raya, QNET, Friends of the National Heart Institute (FNHI) and the Vijayaratnam Foundation made a surprise visit to 200 patients who were warded at the

National Heart Institute (IJN). Patients were also pleasantly surprised to receive ‘duit raya’ packets and hampers from Vijayaratnam Foundation’s Chairperson, Datin Umayal Eswaran, and President of FNHI, Raja Datin Hajah Zuraida binti Raja Dato Seri Mansur. The contribution was part of the

Foundation’s efforts to reach out to the community and share the festive occasion with the less fortunate.

Arts & Culture

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Arts & Culture

Deepavali Celebration

In 2012, Vijayaratnam Foundation celebrated Deepavali with underprivileged families in the area of Dengkil, Selangor. Vijayaratnam Foundation, in collaboration with Agathiar Charity Organisation, provided 500 poor and needy families with basic goods and grocery items. Through the Vijayaratnam Foundation, stakeholders of QI Group, namely QI staff, Independent Representatives of QNET and QI suppliers extended their helping hands to give out the essential items.

Box of Love

Vijayaratnam Foundation organised the Box of Love Christmas project on 19 December, 2012. In the true spirit of giving, gift boxes were received from staff showing their thoughtfulness and support for under-privileged children.

These boxes of loved were filled with goodies for children between the ages of seven and 12 were disseminated to three different orphanages in the Selangor district. The Boxes of Love contained essential items such as educational supplies like books and stationery, hygiene items such as soap bars and toothbrushes as well as toys and other

items such as sunglasses, hats and necklaces. The homes visited were the Shepherd’s Centre Foundation in Semenyih, Praise Emmanuel Children’s Home in Petaling Jaya and Destiny Starting Point in Klang.

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National Theatre Competition

Fenomena Seni Pentas , supported by the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry and the Education Ministry, organised a National Level Theatre Competition in Bahasa Malaysia for Tamil schools in Peninsular Malaysia, from 30 March to 29 April 2013. Since 2010, Vijayaratnam Foundation has been one of the funding partners of this event, involving participants from 45 Tamil schools from Kedah, Penang, Perak, Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur and Johor .

The competition introduces theatre to primary school students and helps them develop interest and proficiency in the national language. It also enables the children to be more assertive, better equipped to face life and do well in their exams.

MaDFest

MaDFest is a platform for people from the various ethnic groups across Malaysia to share and enjoy the different cultures that exist in this wonderful nation. The evening of music and dance is a free walk-in concert held on 30 June, at the Civic Centre in Petaling Jaya. MaDFest 2012, was an opportunity for the children of Taarana to celebrate diversity while learning about the different cultures in Malaysia. The purpose of this event funded by Vijayaratnam Foundation, among other organisations, was to engage Malaysians of all ages to unite under the umbrella of cultural diversity. Samarpanam

Samarpanam, is a thorough two-week cultural camp held during the year-end school holidays where children are taught the facts relating to the selected theme for the year via dance, songs and drama.The Vijayaratnam Foundation has funded Sugam Karnatica’s Samarpanam carrying the themes of ‘Warrior’ in 2009, ‘Samudra’ (which is Sanskrit for ocean) in 2010, ‘Larger Than Life’ in 2011 and Apocalypse in 2012. Samarpanam helps raise the children’s awareness on current social issues while creating all-rounded individuals who appreciate arts

and culture and have a sense of community consciousness.

Arts & Culture

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1 Murid 1 Pokok (1M1P)

The 1M1P programme which was launched in 2010, involves selected Primary One students from 45 selected primary schools in the Petaling Jaya district. Each student is encouraged to plant a tree in his or her respective school and to continue maintaining and caring for it throughout their tenure there.

In light of saving the environment and ‘going green’, Vijayaratnam Foundation kick-started its first 1 Murid 1 Pokok programme for the year 2012 with a lucky bunch of students from Sekolah Kebangsaan (1) & (2) Sultan Alam Shah, Petaling Jaya.

The recent activity saw the participation of 91 students who planted 56 fruit trees and 30 herb trees of various kinds. The plants were sponsored by QNET Malaysia, a subsidiary of QI Group.

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Coastal Clean-up

QI staff and FOOTPRINTS mentors and mentees had a meaningful Saturday at the Pantai Batu Laut, Banting Selangor beach when they collected over 45 bags of rubbish weighing up to about 200kgs. The event was a great platform to interact with colleagues from different subsidiaries and departments towards a common cause – the environment.

Environment

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CSR Week

In 2012, over 260 staff took part in CSR Week, organised by Vijayaratnam Foundation (Corporate Social Responsibility), centred on the four pillars of education, community development, arts and culture, and environment. Some of the activities were a cruise in Putrajaya with

children of Taarana and Beautiful Gate Foundation 92 rainforest trees were also planted at a nursery in Batu Arang, Rawang. Staff also

collected 1,000 cans in three hours for recycling and set up a reference library at a tuition centre for underpriviledge children at Desa Mentari, in Petaling Jaya. Staff also took part in a kite-making workshop with a group of underprivileged children to liver up the CSR week. The programme was concluded with a motivational seminar titled ‘Creating Agents of Positive Change 2012’ where all activities throughout the week were showcased in a multi-media presentation.

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VF Twelve

VF Twelve is a celebration of staff birthdays with those who are less fortunate. QI staff who are celebrating their birthday in a particular month are invited to share their special day with children from various welfare homes or community centres in Malaysia. Employees get to spend the day with the children at various educational and entertaining venues with fun activities and a big cake. Each staff is paired up with a child and they participate in the activities lined up, working together to build friendship, trust and understanding. The

welfare homes involved were Pertubuhan Rumah Anak Yatim Miskin Banting, Agathians Shelter Petaling Jaya, Destiny Starting Point Klang, Pure Life Society Puchong, Selayang Community Centre and Sinthamani Divine Asharam.

International Women’s Day (IWD)

Vijayaratnam Foundation celebrated its first International Women’s Day (IWD) with a series of insightful health talks in QI Malaysia on April 6, 2012. The half day event began during lunch hour where staff were treated to a sumptuous vegetarian lunch. There was also a special bazaar selling accessories and clothes for the ladies, who were also given free vouchers/gifts and a day to call their own.

Corporate Initiatives

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Corporate Initiatives

QI Ambassador for Philanthropy

The Vijayaratnam Foundation recognises the need to acknowledge and appreciate individuals who support the ideals of the company in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). RYTHM - Raise Yourself To Help Mankind – is the corporate philosophy of the Group and the QI Ambassador for Philanthropy is a symbol of QI’s RYTHM on two legs. The Ambassadorship is awarded as a recognition and acknowledgment of QI staff who walk the talk and breathe the concept of RYTHM in their daily life.

In 2012, Vijayaratnam Foundation identified three QI Ambassadors for Philanthropy among Malaysian staff and presented them with a badge of honour, certificate and an award, in appreciation of their ongoing service and also for carrying the torch of QI’s DNA (RYTHM). The recipients were Ms. Mariama Krishnan, Ms Aishah Sharmilee and Ms Phil Koh.

Level 10, QI Tower,Block C PJ8, 23, Jalan Barat,

46050 Petaling Jaya,Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: +603 7967 9888; Fax: +603 7967 9981Website: www.vf.org.my

FB: https://www.facebook.com/VJFoundation