The Red Carpet Entrance at The Base came alive with the sound of laughter, excited chatter, and the thunderous roar of airplanes taking off in the background. Children from the Children’s Protection Society (CPS), Wisma Yatim Laki-Laki Islam and Wisma Yatim Perempuan Islam had gathered for a special play date, held in collaboration with Dr. Wong Teik Aun, a senior lecturer from INTI College Penang.
As the seats of the Lower Walhalla Hall gradually filled up, the day kicked off with an icebreaking session for the kids to give their self-introduction – a simple yet effective approach to build their self-confidence and inner courage. Their shyness, though, was concealed by the wide smile they had when announcing their name, age and school loudly.
After a hearty breakfast and some bonding time, the children were divided into groups. The younger ones began constructing wooden model cars and airplanes, while the older kids were guided by engineers from Aemulus Corporation to build Breadboard Internal Connections. The aim was to provide them with exposure, and most importantly, instil their interest in science at their growing stage.
While the wooden kits proved challenging at first, the children showed impressive perseverance. The teammates displayed teamwork in assisting and providing their inputs in assembling them. As each group also has a dedicated leader, it allows them hands-on leadership training, providing them an opportunity to experience firsthand how to manage a small group of people especially when faced with difficulties along the way. The enhancement of their communication skills was also a key benefit as they learn how to articulate their thoughts and ideas and delivering it effectively.
“Ada batteries tak?” those were the exact words from them when they were done. As they popped the batteries in, the orange-coloured front blades of the airplane rotated swiftly and advanced forward. The kids had to give it a chase to avoid damaging their newly-built airplanes.
To reward them for their efforts, simple games were held and prizes were gifted to the winning individuals. The science quiz session had the kids scrambling to raise their hands and shouting out the answers to the questions – attempting to get their hands on the prizes. The quiz session was a major brainstorming activity for the little ones to not only put their thinking cap on, but to also elevate their science knowledge further.
Hugging the various gifts they won, the satisfied kids were beaming as they munched on their burgers. “I wanna come back here next time.” “Sangat happy.” The little ones expressed their inner thoughts to the volunteers who were involved. Aemulus Corporation couldn’t be happier for being able to be a part of our long-term sustainability efforts of giving back to the community whilst incorporating educational knowledge along the way. The day ended on a high note, with smiling faces and hopeful hearts, as the children looked forward to more opportunities like this in the future.
