Leona Safarita, an Orang Asli of Semai descent, had an upbringing that was rooted in kindness.<\/p>\n
Her father, Rosli Bah Air, was adopted as a 14-year-old by a Chinese man named Chan Lai Tuck, who wanted to give him a better future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t imagine what would have happened if my dad wasn\u2019t adopted by him. We feel so lucky and grateful for his kindness, \u201d said Leona, 21.<\/p>\n
Apart from her father, Chan adopted three other boys \u2013 Yong Soo Fatt and Phon Kon Sen \u2013 whom she fondly refers to as \u201cuncles\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow they are the ones who are helping my family and paying for my studies, \u201d she said, adding that Chan passed away four years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had no wife or (biological) children, so we took care of him until he passed away. For us, it is our way of repaying him for taking us into his care, \u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Leona shared her story with us in support of the #StandTogether Kindness Movement, organised by R.AGE and S P Setia to create a new culture of kindness and empathy throughout Malaysian society \u2013 starting with schools.<\/p>\n
For the second year running, Orang Asli communities will be actively involved in the campaign, to support Orang Asli children who are struggling with being bullied or misunderstood in schools.<\/p>\n
Leona, who is currently in the second year of her degree in English Language Studies, said she had experienced bullying as a child as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey called me \u2018sakai\u2019, \u2018pig\u2019, and \u2018dark\u2019, \u201d said Leona, who admitted to feeling lonely in school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really slow at catching what the teacher was teaching, so some of my classmates would exclude me from activities, \u201d she shared.<\/p>\n
Many of her Orang Asli friends dropped out of school due to bullying.<\/p>\n
One of them was Adi Hadzil, 20, an Orang Asli of Semelai descent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey called me sakai without actually knowing the meaning of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople should stop using words like sakai and \u2018jakun\u2019, as they are sensitive words to the Orang Asli community, \u201d said Adi.<\/p>\n
He found solace in other Orang Asli friends who went through similar experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could only rely on one another, as we are the only ones who knew what each other was going through, \u201d said Adi, who hails from Perak.<\/p>\n
Leona believes the bullying she went through was the result of ignorance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember once when my sister was playing with her friends in the school playground and her friend\u2019s parents said, \u2018Look at that sakai.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it is clear where children learn such things, \u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Leona added that the #StandTogether campaign\u2019s focus on kindness and empathy is most apt since these values can help people really understand what it feels like to be bullied.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also hope this campaign can change the way the Orang Asli community thinks, and encourage them to ignore bullies and just go to school and continue doing what they want, \u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The #StandTogether campaign was founded in 2017 by R.AGE and S P Setia to counter the growing cases of bullying in schools and on social media.<\/p>\n
The campaign is supported by various stakeholders, including the Education Ministry, Unicef Malaysia, Study Hub Asia, Childline, UMCares, Digi, Tribeless, and Teach For Malaysia.<\/p>\n
All students and teachers can participate by signing up for the #StandTogether Kindness Workshops, a series of gatherings for students to participate in empathy-building games and activities designed by Tribeless.<\/p>\n
Students can also participate in the #StandTogether Kindness Leadership Programme, which is an online fellowship with e-learning programmes on empathy skills, a peer support network for students, and up to RM40,000 in grant funding for school Kindness Projects which participating students can pitch for.<\/p>\n