Crashing at Krash Pad

There's this new centre for at-risk youths in KL to hang out at after their school hours called Krash Pad. The aim is to ensure these kids do not loiter around aimlessly and to provide a safe environment for them to be in.

So, Wai Meng and I decided to check out the place yesterday and we were pleasantly surprised with the condition of the place. Very clean, organized and high-tech too. They have a gym, ICT lab, a common room with a flat screen Plasma TV, music room with guitars and drums, fully-equipped classroom and a library with a great selection of books from all sorts of genres. The books are even better than the ones in DJ's library! Sorry to say =p

We've decided to help tutor the kids there. Wai Meng will teach Bahasa Malaysia to Form 3-Form 5 kids while I opt to personally tutor stateless children who have not been schooled for as long as they could remember. Seeing as how these kids have no birth cert and official documents, they are not allowed to go to school.

Some of them, even at 17 years old, still can't read, write and count the simple things. One of the girls was so eager to learn and she told me, "Saya suka la ada orang lembut macam kakak ni nak ajar saya. Dulu saya punya kakak pernah nak ajar saya. Tapi kalau saya tak faham sikit, dia jirus muka saya dengan air la, buang pisang kat saya la. Saya pun takut nak belajar." (I like gentle people like you who wants to teach me. Last time, my sister tried to teach me. But if I can't understand a bit, she will splash my face with water, throws banana at me. I've become scared to learn, too).

It's saddening, really. These kids are not stupid, no way at all. It's just that, they're not given the opportunity to learn like how the more fortunate kids are. So, I'm helping out at the centre and do what I can and help where I can. And when you're there, you can't help but feel attached to the children and feel yourself at home, too.

I've always thought that charity doesn't only begin at home, it begins from the heart. <3

They have dance class every Monday morning. A volunteer who is also a medical student from India teaches the girls belly dancing. I couldn't help but join in as well. Hehe.

And we stretcheeddd to the left

The Gym at the centre

The library. I can't get over how cool the book selections are.

Played a Malay-version of Scrabble; Sahibba. It's a lot harder, you know!

Teaching one of the girls how to read. She told me she had always wanted to read a book on Pinocchio but she didn't know how to read and no one would read with her. And so, yesterday we managed to read about Gepetto and Pinocchio's lies :)