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Sunway students support NGOs

21 October 2009

Jessreen Kaur

Second-year medicine students from the Sunway campus, Malaysia have helped come up with practical solutions to health challenges faced by clients of non-government organisations.

The students spent up to six months planning and executing health promotion projects with the University's community partners in Malaysia, showcasing them recently at a one-day symposium.

Jessreen Kaur, 21, and her team spent their placements with Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), an association that fights for the rights of female survivors of domestic violence.

The team conducted health promotion activities at the WAO's shelters including dental hygiene and hand-washing, blood pressure and eye tests.

Jessreen said women in the region suffered greatly from domestic violence.

"We are now aware that domestic violence can happen to anyone; I hope our work has helped empower these women," she said.

Students attached to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) developed a cancer resource hub for patients for those seeking more information on the disease.

Isuru Sirisinghe, 18, said his team collated preliminary data on how the public used the internet to collect information on cancer.

"Statistics show that one in three people are going to die of cancer; setting up an online resource tool is both important and necessary," he said.

For fellow student Ivan Lai Yoon Kit, working at Rumah Hope was an emotional experience.

Ivan and his partner Roshan Awmee were responsible for developing a balanced diet plan for the home's 60 children aged between five and 17, many of whom are survivors of abuse, abandonment and familial drug use.

"To some of the kids, I was a brother. To others, I was a father figure," Ivan said.

Roshan said some of the kids at Rumah Hope were overweight, while others were too skinny.

"Our groups decided to improve on the children's nutritional intake by working on a balanced diet plan with the home's supervisors," he said.