CSR Archives - Mudframes PicturesMudframes Pictures

January 27, 2014

AbbVie’s MISI 2014 Educational Symposium

I was recently present as the official photographer for AbbVie‘s major event of the year: Asian Multidisciplinary Interactive Symposium in Immunology (MISI) 2014 at Le Meridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. This healthcare professional symposium calls for the convergence of 3 medical disciplines in the area of Immunology; namely Rheumatology, Gastroenterology and Dermatology.

This 2-days educational symposium (25 – 26 January 2014) for healthcare professionals from both the private and government healthcare sectors is jointly organised by AbbVie, Malaysian Society of Rheumatology, Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Dermatological Society of Malaysia. The conference featured leading specialists in their respective field of interests, with doctors, professors, pharmacists and researchers conducting talks on updates and challenges of the management and treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) affecting the joints, gut and skin.

Registration began at 8.30 am before the Plenary session kicked off where everyone came together for opening remarks and talks that set the tone for the rest of the day.

Subsequently, the program broke off into 3 separate breakout sessions by their respective medical disciplines; Rheumatology, Gastroenterology & Dermatology, to cater to the various interest groups. Highly interactive workshops were also conducted where dialogues were exchanged between panel of speakers and participants from the floor.

MISI 2014 was also an event that served to exhibit finished artworks by participating artists from a recently concluded “Perspectives – Art, Inflammation & Me” Art Project, of which I too was a participant attempting to offer my artistic perspectives of arthritic patients. Apparently, there were only 3 full time participating artists in this project, while the rest were all design students from INTI College’s division of INTI Center of Art & Design (ICAD).

I have to say I was immensely impressed by the works of art by these young students from INTI International College Subang. Not only were they aesthetically balanced and pleasing, they offered a very unique and deep interpretation of the disease and patient experiences that brings with them, a very strong concept. The works hold themselves pretty solidly.

I was especially drawn to these two of my favourite pieces; “The Beauty” and “Fortitude”.

There was also a booth where real patients demonstrated to curious visitors how it feels like to have arthritic fingers. Thick rubber bands were tightly tied onto visitors’ hands to simulate the restrictive movement arthritis causes as a result of stiffened joints.

As the event for the first day drew to a close, a short video interview session was held to interview all participating artists for this “Perspectives – Art, Inflammation & Me” Art Project. The footage filmed will be collated into a short behind-the-scenes account of these artists’ endeavour in coming out with the pieces.

MISI 2014 was truly a well balanced event in that not only speakers and participants were from all over Malaysia; a select few key speakers were also flown in from Japan, France, Canada & Australia, offering an up to date 360 view on current treatment practices and challenges. The event’s format was carefully crafted to enable medical practitioners from the 3 IMID-related disciplines mingle and cross-pollinate ideas and views in a more cohesive and dynamic environment.

This synergistic approach not only benefited medical practitioners by lending them a platform for voices to be made and heard, the event also took on an unexpected twist by hosting a special “Insights Into the Life of Patients” session by guests speakers on the second day; Ms Ding Mee Hong (a rheumatoid arthritis patient), Mr Eugene Clifford Cross (a psoriasis patient) and Mr Leong Jia Ming (a Crohn’s disease patient).

These patients came on stage to share with the audience on what it means to be living with their respective diseases. The potentially poignant and tear-inducing session highlighted their trials and challenges in dealing with the inner demon, while putting up with the public in trying to manage and making their condition understood. The key takeaway from this session was the importance of social support from understanding family and friends.

The second day of MISI 2014 concluded with a Live Talk Show touching on the impact and burden of IMID from Bio-Psycho-Social Aspects, hosted by Simon D’Cruz.

The Deputy DG from Ministry of Health (MOH), Datuk Dr Jeyaindran was also present to deliver his closing remarks before being escorted for a gallery walk of the exhibited artworks.

January 11, 2014

Methodist Girls’ School’s 10-year wait for a Computer Lab ends

Students of Sekolah Kebangsaan (P) Methodist Klang, or fondly known as Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) have something to look forward to in 2014. The school is now equipped with a fully functioning computer lab, thanks to the kind donation of refurbished desktop computers by Rentwise Malaysia.

On 3 December 2013, a team of 5 Rentwise engineers arrived at MGS to deliver and setup 43 units of refurbished HP workstations as part of its continuous commitment in ensuring Information Technology accessibility to all. This community outreach project is Rentwise’s recent CSR effort in working with a national school, after the ground breaking successful implementation of a similar project with St. Mary’s School.

How did this project come about? It was truly a fortuitous event. “I was browsing St. Mary’s school’s website when I read about their recently setup computer lab,” says Alex, the President of MGS’s Parent Teacher Association. “I found myself at Rentwise’s CSR web page and it appears that Rentwise is actively supporting and expanding its CSR program. That was it!” Alex enthuses, as he has run into many obstacles previously trying to secure sponsorship for the school’s computer lab.

“I wrote to Rentwise about MGS’s plight. The rest were history,” says a smiling Alex. “The school has been without a computer lab for more than 10 years. This facility was first setup in 2002. Unfortunately, the contract with Ministry of Education (MOE) was terminated a year later,” says Alex.

The Methodist Girls’ School is a Missionary government-aided primary school (Sekolah Kebangsaan Perempuan Methodist (MGS Klang)) in Jalan Raya Barat within the district of Klang. The school was established by Ruth Eklund on May 24, 1924 after she discovered that there were 12 female pupils in the Anglo Chinese School, Klang during that academic year.

The school’s motto is Cum Deo Laboramus, which is Latin for “We Work With God”. MGS is one of the 5 premier schools in the district of Klang. MGS is reckoned to be one of the top all girls school for many years in the district of Klang. At present there are 920 students in MGS Klang.

The refurbished desktop computers donated by Rentwise Malaysia are HP Workstation XW 4400  Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor featuring  4GB of Memory and  160GB of Storage  with DVD Drive  and Integrated Video & Audio. The desktops also comes with Built in Network Interface . To top it off, Rentwise also included a  HP 17” inch LCD with each unit. The processing power of these computers meets the requirements of MGS students, who will basically be using them as presentation tools, for word and spreadsheet processing works and Internet browsing. MGS PTA also provided some printers for the computer lab.

As a sensitive and forward thinking organisation, Rentwise believes in giving back to the community through various ground events, programs and projects. They would like to keep a close touch with society by making their presence felt at every level of the community, especially the younger generation.

Thus, when and where budget permits, Rentwise tries to support one needy school every year, mainly missionary schools. These are mostly schools among the last to receive any kind of allocation for computers required by students to carry out their computer studies as part of the national school curriculum’s (KSSR) Science & Technology subjects.

“Since my child enrolled into MGS in 2009, I have written to many organisations for sponsorship as the PTA funds were not sufficient to setup a computer lab,” says Alex. The school has only a small sum of RM 12,000 yearly for basic improvement and maintenance of its infrastructure. PTA subsequently sought the support of the Methodist Board but failed most of the time.

However, it was not all that bleak an outcome though. Eventually, MGS got some funds from a general allocation of RM 200,000 given to some missionary schools, a much welcome breakthrough from the school’s writing to MOE through the Methodist Board. Some of the funds were mainly used to repair the school’s roof that was affected by termites.

“Being an engineer by profession, I did some value engineering on the works and managed to reduce the cost of repair and used the remainder of funds for the establishment of the computer lab. This was after we got confirmation from Rentwise in supplying the refurbished desktop computers,” says Alex. A sum of about RM 25,000 was spent in setting up the infrastructure (e.g. air conditioned units, AC power outlets, networking and electrical wiring works) of the computer lab before Rentwise deployed the refurbished desktop computers.

To ensure the smooth running of the computer lab, the school is considering collecting RM 50 per year for each student from 2014 onwards. These funds collected will be used for general upkeep of the lab’s infrastructure; e.g. small upgrades, repair and support works. “Rentwise is kind enough to provide us a 3-months warranty for all equipment sponsored,” says Alex. The school has also designated 4 teachers to conduct computer classes and is drawing up the syllabus and framework for students to follow.

Rentwise Malaysia is indeed glad to extend the much-needed assistance to MGS. It is truly a priceless feeling witnessing the beaming smiles of children having an opportunity to be exposed to computer studies at such a young age. 2014 is indeed a refreshing start to look forward to after more than 10 years without a computer lab.

However, Rentwise aims to do more. The school still needs 15 laptops for their teachers. One possible means to fulfil this pressing need will be through corporate sponsorship. Rentwise is urgently seeking companies who are considering refreshing their existing laptops. These companies can contact Rentwise so they can carry out the refurbishment activities on these laptops before deploying them to the school.

“Words could not express how thankful we are to Rentwise in heeding our call for help. We’ve tried long and hard and finally, someone listened. I am eternally grateful to Rentwise’s dedication to their CSR program. This small act of kindness is certainly a game changer in the lives and experiences of the school’s 920 students!” Alex concludes.

October 19, 2013

Artistic Perspectives of Arthritic Patients

Arthritis has always been a vague understanding of a disease of the joints for as long as I can remember. I just know it as something that gives your joints the “wind chill”. So it came as a welcomed opportunity to delve into the disease when I agreed to take part in AbbVie‘s worldwide art campaign named “Perspectives – Art, Inflammation and Me”, to offer my perspectives of being an arthritic patient as part of Mudframes’ CSR efforts.

This highly interactive art campaign brings artists together with people with an IMID (immune-mediated inflammatory disease) to offer a unique insight into what it means to live with one of these diseases. Why “Perspectives”? Perspective is a technique or process used to represent objects as they might appear to the eye (Perspective Art). It is also the ability to view or interpret things from a relative – or in my case – from a patient’s point of view.

The Perspectives initiative will see a series of paintings, sculptures, photos and other artistic expressions developed around the world to creatively portray and help others understand the impact of IMIDs. Each artistic expression will depict a significant “moment of meaning” within the person’s journey with their disease.

A panel of judges in Malaysia will select the best art piece (i.e. ONE) to represent each therapy area – Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Psoriasis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Collitis). These will be subsequently sent for global judging where a group of international panel representing international art expos, museums, patient and medical associations, along with AbbVie executives will select the most creative and impactful artworks from each country for an internal launch and external debut in 2014.

I was paired with two arthritic patients during the recent World Arthritis Day celebration in Seremban. As the event drew to a close, I spent some time speaking with two female patients at one of the halls in the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO) premise. This series of four images (two representing each patient) are symbolic of the patients’ experiences and journey with rheumatoid arthritis.

Imprisoned

The arthritic fingers clinging helplessly on a row of metal bars signifies the patient’s forlornness and deprivation of freedom as though being incarcerated in a dark world of imprisonment. This representation is highly characteristic of the patient’s testimony of not being able to perform her favourite activities as a result of her disability from arthritis.

“I have always loved swimming and sewing. But since I was diagnosed with arthritis a year after the birth of my second son, I felt helpless. I couldn’t perform my favourite activities anymore. It’s no different being in a prison. It feels as though my freedom and wants have been completely stripped off me,” Siti (not her real name) says.

Disability is both a physical and mental handicap that prevents a person from living a full and normal life. It puts someone at a position of great disadvantage. Incapacitated, one is not being able to do what one wants. This visual of imprisonment resonates strongly with this phenomenon of being held back behind bars. She wouldn’t have been able to enjoy playing with her grandchildren or actively involved in sports activities. However, as the gap between the bars show, she could still watch in vicarious thrill of all the many wonderful things that revolve around her two children. More importantly, it’s a two way channel through which she could reach out to them. All is not lost.

Nails In Hand

The arthritic fingers grasping a bunch of nails echoes the patient’s sensation of pain experienced as though being swarmed by red ants and cold prickly needles. The overflowing nails signify the immense pain felt occasionally especially during cold weather or even spending too long a time at the shopping mall. The tight grip of nails also connotes her determination and strength in overcoming the obstacles arthritis poses. This symbolic fist of control stands out against a gloomy and pitch black backdrop of pain and lost.

“Mornings are especially a dreadful moment when it is pretty cold. The coldness of the air is tingling, piercing and especially stinging. Arthritis is a disease which is highly averse to the cold weather. I don’t like being in the cold. That includes being in a car with too cold an A/C. I feel like a sunflower at times, craving for the warmth of the sun. The joy and pleasure of being washed over with warmth in the transitioning away from cold makes me ‘bloom’ in comfort,” Nora (not her real name) says.

I could identify really well how it feels to have your hands crawled all over with red ants and bitten by it. I experienced the same too when any part of my body is numbed from the lack of blood flow. It feels just like a million needles nudging at you. Perhaps the sensation is magnified many folds by grasping tightly at a bunch of nails. It’s painful. I guess, this visual is also strongly representative of the fact that the patient has come to “grips” with the disease. As with any experiences, familiarity breeds desensitization of the condition. One needs to be strong and brave to grasp a bunch of nails tightly. At least I know she is, without a doubt.

Puppeteered

A puppeteer manipulates puppets in a series of actions; the former being Arthritis, the latter, the patient. More often than not, an arthritis patient’s actions and abilities are controlled and greatly influenced by the disease. The patient has lost their free will to act and is hugely defined by what the disease allows them to do. However, over time, the patient is able to resist this control and eventually break free from this bondage by adapting as evidenced by the frail looking ropes.

“It’s difficult to eat with my hands nowadays. I can’t cup my hands without gaps in between my deformed fingers. Due to lost of strength in my hand, I have to pull up the car hand brake with two hands! When I would like to move my fingers in a certain direction, I couldn’t because of the permanent deformity. Hence, I have to compensate by moving my arm in a certain direction and motion to perform the task. Joint damage by arthritis is irreversible. As much as you’d like to move in a certain way, you just can’t without adapting and improvising. It’s as though there’s this unseen force possessing you against your will,” Siti (not her real name) says.

It appears that all of the activities a patient tries to perform smoothly isn’t perfectly what they hope to be. The mind is willing but the body not. The patient may want to reach their back for a scratch but their arthritis-ravaged shoulder joints may not allow them to. A patient may want to bend over to pick up an item but is unable to do so because of their physical disability. Arthritis is a disease with a mind of its own, attempting to exert its deadly influence over the patient. However, through sheer determination and creativity, any patient can overcome this. If I have arthritis, I would feel like a puppet. But if I’m mentally strong, I can break free from these strands of manipulative ropes!

Time

The arthritic fingers clutching the clock signify an attempt at grappling with the disease on a constant struggle to battle against time. Any basic movement is slow and an arduous effort. Executing any actions seem to take forever. Time suddenly seems intangible, immaterial and “unidentifiable” as evidenced by the unmarked clock. It appears this setback impinges on one’s freedom and quality of life, but it also serves to harden the fighting spirit to overcome this disability creatively as demonstrated by this patient; hence the white clock in an otherwise gloomy setting. Hope prevails.

“A bath session of 2 hours includes a mere 5-10 min of actual showering; I have to extend my arms/shoulders and bend in a complicated “dance” move to bathe. The rest of the time is spent resting from exhaustion! I have to plan my actions well to avoid inconvenience of having to move much. For instance, I lay out the morning necessities by my bedside; i.e. vitamins, tooth brush etc, so they are easily within reach. As a result, I got creative! When I make coffee, I ensure I sweeten it first to avoid making another trip to the kitchen once I seat myself down at the living room. Planning ahead keeps my mind active and helps me move smoothly through the day,” Nora (not her real name) says.

The first thought that struck me upon hearing her getting about her daily routine was what a constant struggle it was against time to accomplish the most basic functions. It feels as though the patient easily loses track of time as they get absorbed into accomplishing a task. Time just stand still. It is said that time heals all things. But it can be the most torturous experience for a patient riddled with uncontrolled severe arthritis. It either works against you, or work with you. This jovial patient has clearly chosen the latter by being creative and mentally alert to combat this debilitating disease.

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I made a 36″ x 24″ foam board-mounted vinyl print out of each of the pictures above to be donated to AbbVie, who will be using them as educational tools to raise awareness of IMIDs. I chose foam board as I needed a very lightweight material for ease of handling and transport, as these art pieces may go on an international tour and exhibitions if selected.

This CSR project has been both an insightful and eye-opening experience for me. Learning the disease and empathizing with the patients’ experiences have been especially humbling and helpful to get a grasp of living with this debilitating medical condition.

More importantly, I get a first hand appreciation of the determination and courage of these patients in dealing with arthritis with an aura of hopeful joy. It sure does gives the notion that in the end, it’s all just a matter of the mind.

I wish I could have completed the series on Psoriasis and other diseases in the IMID group for a more comprehensive coverage but unfortunately, this initiative came to my knowledge too late a time. Perhaps with funding from the right parties and more planning, growing this to a larger scale with more impact would be possible. Until then, I’d just have to make do with four symbolic images of rheumatoid arthritis.

March 22, 2013

Shelter of Hope for Myanmar Refugees in Selayang

I never knew there is such a huge community of Myanmar refugees in Selayang alone! When I was sent by Rentwise to do a feature story on one of the learning centres in Selayang, I was both intrigued and excited at the prospect of meeting them in person. Much have been heard and spoken about the refugee community at large but I’ve never been this up close and personal. So, this is definitely an eye-opening experience!

It was very difficult to find the place as I was confused by both the old and new Pasar Borong Selayang. I thought there has only been one. GPS couldn’t register and pick out the location. So it was all stopping and asking around. This photo documentation and write up serve to further communicate the ongoing CSR program by Rentwise and most importantly, highlight the cause of the centre and the plight of the Myanmar refugees.

Rentwise Malaysia has indeed given these Myanmar refugees at the Pasar Borong Community Centre (PBCC) Learning Centre in Selayang a reason to smile. 7 units of refurbished Dell laptops were donated to the centre back in August 2011 as part of its ongoing CSR program. A Rentwise personnel and myself paid the centre a visit to see if any further assistance could be offered, in addition to checking on the conditions of the laptops. This donation is a small step towards improving the Learning Centre to be better equipped to teach and guide its students in a safe and conducive environment.

However, the PBCC Learning Centre is just one out of an estimated 50 such centres in Malaysia. More can certainly be done to improve the living, working and learning conditions of Myanmar refugees in these centres. The plight of this under-privileged but growing community in Malaysia often goes unnoticed.

As of 2011, there are more than 100,000 Myanmar refugees in Malaysia. 15,000 of them are children of school-going age. According to an UNHCR estimate, only 6,000 of these children attend schools which are set up by various Myanmar community-based groups. These schools are normally referred to as “Learning Centres” and are funded by NGOs or voluntary organisations. These numbers have definitely risen in view of the recent exodus of Rohingyas fleeing the social unrest in Myanmar.

The numbers are staggering, as Matthew Ngoh, founder of PBCC Learning Centre puts into perspective. “Along this stretch of shop lots here, there are about 10,000 Myanmar refugees alone,” says Ngoh. Parents would find work either at restaurants, while a large number of these refugees would be working at the nearby Pasar Borong as labourers.

Many of these Myanmar migrants arrived with a longing for a better country, but unfortunately, it’s never been so for them. It has not been an easy life for them as unlike Malaysians, they are at a legal, social and political disadvantage due to their “stateless” existence. They are constantly living in uncertainties and have been especially wary of their movements for fear of arrests that would see them sent to detention camps.

“Most of these Myanmar refugee children marry as early as 13 – 15 years of age! Thus, it’s easy to be deprived of a healthy school-going childhood where learning is everything at that tender age. I can’t stress enough the importance of education when I speak with their parents. Education is the only way out for these kids,” Matthew explains. Matthew recognizes the importance of education in steering young Myanmar children towards the right path in life.

“Education is undeniably a powerful means to upgrade oneself and enlighten one’s journey towards a brighter future,” he continues. “Knowledge of IT is one of the most effective tools in broadening these children’s learning experiences and accelerating their absorption of study materials. With computers, the possibilities are endless,” Matthew adds.

Realising this, Rentwise Malaysia has donated 7 units of refurbished Dell laptops to PBCC Learning Centre. These are Dell Latitude D610 CENT-1.73 and Dell Latitude D610 CENT-1.86 units that will be used to teach the children about all things information technology and a wide range of other computer skills such as typing, playing educational games, interacting with instructional CDs and internet surfing.

Unfortunately, the centre does not yet have an internet connection and will be more than glad to receive funding assistance for its monthly subscription. Located on the 2^nd floor of a shop lot, PBCC centre is constantly running on a tight monthly budget. It has 3 full time Myanmar teachers which incurs a monthly cost of RM 1,600. Rental is RM 600 monthly while utilities are at RM 100 monthly. Some of these children would bring their own home-cooked lunches to the centre while others would enjoy a simple meal of milo, crackers and bread. The centre only has a pantry without any cooking facilities.

The UNHCR-certified PBCC Learning Centre is founded by three individuals 3 years ago in recognition of the plight of this community. They are Alan Lee, Pastor Yeoh and Matthew Ngoh. Ngoh, a retiree who now serves full time at the centre has always a special place in his heart for these children. “Most centres would have Myanmar teachers teaching English, but here in PBCC, Pastor Yeoh and I personally conduct English lessons for these children. Mastering the English language is of utmost importance,” Ngoh says.

Apart from English, the PBCC Learning Centre conducts classes for Bahasa Malaysia, Science, Maths, Arts and Computer lessons for its 28 children aged between 4 to 12 years old. Art and Computer classes used to be conducted but unfortunately have to be discontinued about a year and a half ago due to lack of volunteers.

“Back then, our computer classes were during every Sunday afternoon for both children and adults. However, these classes have to be put on hold due to lack of volunteers,” Ngoh reveals with regret. “It would really be great to have volunteers help revive these classes at least twice a week to give these children a refreshing boost in their learning pace,” Ngoh hopes.

“Rentwise has been especially helpful and when some of the donated laptops were faulty, they were instantly repaired. We are grateful for their donation and hope to get more volunteers to help us train the children on how to use the computers,” Ngoh says.

Most of the learning materials including school books and stationeries are supplied by UNHCR. “Of course, we would always welcome donation from members of the public, whether be they reading materials, food items, clothing or even toiletries,” says Ngoh. “We are currently sustaining on public donations by NGOs and churches. Unfortunately, one of the churches is not able to support us financially this year. Nevertheless, we should still be able to pull through another year,” Ngoh says optimistically.

Initially when the centre was opened, admission to all Myanmar children was free. However, Ngoh soon realized the need to secure commitment from the parents and safeguard the centre from those who treated it as a free “day-care” centre for parents to leave their child before going to work. He does so by charging a monthly fee of RM 30 per child. “We do so because we hope the parents would take their children’s education seriously. This is a learning centre and no different from a school. You just can’t attend as you wish,” Ngoh says. “Even then, many of them cannot afford to pay and we just waived it or accept a lower amount. Payment is erratic and on average, we only manage to collect 50% of the fees, much of which is used to pay for the children’s transportation,” Ngoh explains.

Ngoh certainly has high aspirations for the centre’s operation. “We are looking to rent or renovate an entire unit of 2 or 3-floor shop lot so that we will have full control over accessibility, and ultimately security. Currently, we have no control over who passes our centre on their way up to neighbouring units. We have children in this centre and their safety is always first on our minds,” Ngoh says.

On that note, Ngoh also expresses his hope to provide a means for single mothers to take shelter at the centre. “A bigger place also translates to an ability to conduct multiple classes simultaneously with minimal disruptions between them,” he explains.

The PBCC Learning Centre at the helm of these 3 caring and loving Malaysians will continue to provide refuge to the Myanmar refugee community. The struggle of these Myanmar refugees is real. Every day is a constant fight for survival and recognition to be treated equal just like any other. “It’s pretty heart-wrenching at times when you witness poverty-stricken families breaking up or ill-treated by authorities for being just a refugee in a foreign land! However, nothing beats witnessing the smiles, joy and laughter of these children during their play time and classes. When that happens, everything becomes so clear, and suddenly, the entire struggle seems worthwhile,” Ngoh smiles.

I believed I was left with more questions than answers after the interview with Matthew. Things simply just don’t add up. Many of the problems faced by these underprivileged and ill-treated foreigners are undoubtedly and directly linked to an undeniably flawed system with extremely poor standards of enforcement that is meant to exploit rather than to help. The answer to that? There isn’t. Perhaps, at least not for the moment.

———-

The Pasar Borong Community Centre (PBCC) Learning Centre is located at:
Jalan 2/3a (Pasar Borong Baru),
Selayang, Selangor 68100.

The centre welcomes donation of any kind from the public, NGOs and corporate organisations. Any enquiries can be directed to Mr. Matthew Ngoh (Email: matthewnth@hotmail.com | Mobile: +6016-3804463)

August 4, 2012

Rentwise CSR Program with SMK St. Mary’s School, KL

St. Mary’s School, locally known as SMK St. Mary, is a public all-girls secondary school located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. St. Mary’s school is undoubtedly steeped in old charm personality and tradition, both of which clearly noted by my discovery of the school having had hosted two of Malaysia’s First Ladies; Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah and Datin Paduka Seri Endon, and its humble beginnings since pre-world war two era.

Boasting a long string of proud academic and extracurricular achievements, the school’s history stretched as far back as when it first opened its doors on 4 November 1912, in a house located at 18 Weld Road (now known as Jalan Raja Chulan).

In 1998, the school was relocated to Jalan Intan Baiduri, KL with an enrolment of 410 students in 10 classes. All Science labs, the VIP room and meeting room were fully equipped by the end of the year. In 15 July 1999, the school PA system was fully established.

On 15 June 2001, the school ushered in the dawn of the information technology age. Datin Amar Elizabeth Moggie, wife of the then Minister of Telecommunications, Multimedia and Post, officially opened the school’s Computer Laboratory.

I was present on Saturday morning at the school to photograph the delivery and setup of new computers, donated by Rentwise as part of its continuous corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Three highly qualified Rentwise engineers were present to oversee the installation of desktops and LCDs at the Computer Lab.

I shot the above picture at 1/200 sec, f/5.6 @ ISO 400 with a shoot thru umbrella speedlight to camera right. The Computer Lab was located on the second floor. It was a real painful and laborious undertaking, lugging all the computers up through 4 flights of stairs.

The lighting setup was a simple pair of two speed lights. Basically, one bare head bounced into the ceiling to provide the ambient/fill, while another shoot thru umbrella as key light. I had to move them around for each and every single angle taken.

Unfortunately, I had to work at ISO 800-1000 to pick up some ambient and help lift my flashes to a comfortable working level, else, the speed lights (they were at roughly 1/4 – 1/2 power) wouldn’t be powerful enough to light the subjects and working area.

Even then, without a third light, working with two speed lights was a problem as I wasn’t getting enough even lighting (especially some wider shots with a slightly darker background). This could be remedied by placing the third light at the end of the room where the shot was taken to help balance with the foreground.

Another problem was a huge long stretch of mirror on one side of the computer lab’s wall (seen in the above ambient-only shot), which totally pissed me off. I had to constantly avoid my own reflections, plus that of the speed lights.

Recognizing the importance of education and generation of future accomplished leaders, Rentwise saw a need in helping to re-equip the school’s computer lab after 11 years since its launch. This upgrade was necessary to afford students of St. Mary’s school, a much needed competitive edge in this ever changing fast paced technology-enabled society.

Capitalizing on its core specialty in the sourcing, consultation, support, management and rental services of IT equipment, Rentwise donated 40 sets of desktops and LCDs as part of its ongoing CSR program. This donation would inject new life and breathe new creativity among the students of St. Mary’s school, thereby allowing them to experience among some of the latest hardware and software in information technology.

With the availability of high speed broadband and better equipped IT infrastructure, students of St. Mary’s school can now enjoy quality IT service through a smooth and conducive learning environment, made possible by the upgraded IT equipment.

After setup, the desktops were loaded with the necessary anti-virus tools and other software packages before they were tweaked for their network connectivity.

All the old IT equipment were then loaded into the truck to be properly disposed of.

Finally, the faces of the good Samaritans and a happy recipient, defining this momentous occasion.

Rentwise’s CSR program is all about giving back to the society. It aims to help impoverished, marginalized and vulnerable children and their families. This commitment is demonstrated not just through monetary support afforded or equipment upgrades enabled as the current project testifies, but also through pro-active participation and engagement of its employees and their families whenever possible.

With the many significant theatrical performances, musical and sports achievements SMK St. Mary has witnessed over its many decades of existence, Rentwise sincerely hopes its donation of IT equipment will also help contribute to the school’s many facades of successes and proud chapters.

Whether be it igniting the passion of a future technologist among its notable alumnae-in-the-making, or simply serving as a source of inspiration to its students, Rentwise’s act of kindness surely does go a long way in impacting impressionable minds.

As a big-hearted organisation who preaches practicing sound investment strategy; “Own that which appreciates, rent that which depreciates”, Rentwise is certainly living up to its tenets of wisdom for both businesses and the younger generation alike. An investment into the human capital especially in a school as reputable as SMK St. Mary is a demonstration of Rentwise’s firm beliefs in paying it forward. After all, there are no better appreciating assets than our very own children paving the way for a brighter future.

Rentwise has definitely redefined the very essence of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Truly, a small step in the making, to a giant leap forward for a better tomorrow with endless possibilities.