TO DO AND BE BETTER FOR EVERYONE

By: Noor Husna Ahmad Toha

Personal or not, everyone has different reasons why they begin to join the humanitarian workforce. To begin is one thing, and the reasons why one chooses to stay on the same path for weeks, months, years, or even decades surely vary from one person to another.

It's a question I'd like to ask more people out there - how do you finally get to the point where you realised that this is the human rights issue that you want to commit to?

Syahirah, the school coordinator, said that she's all about human or skills development in education. She finds the satisfaction in improving the school modules as well as observing and discussing with others on the best teaching methods to use in different contexts. In this context, our students are first and second generation refugees who we all believe are deserving of quality education regardless of their backgrounds.

"What an admirable reason. So cool." I thought to myself.

So I started to think of my own reasons, and nothing has surpassed my love for children so far. I used to think that I'm fine being put in any organisations and that I have no preferences on the type of community I want to serve but over the years it has become clear that every child does not automatically get quality education. The quality education must be first provided to them. When they are forced to flee their countries from wars or conflicts, quality education must be provided to them. When they are denied citizenship and have no access to schools, quality education must be provided to them. When they have to battle between education and financial struggles, quality education must be provided to them.

Yesterday a student came to me and eagerly asked for the Malay translation of a prayer. It's a prayer that we specifically ask for our parents and she's been reciting it every day during Ramadan. I must not disappoint her noble intention to understand the Arabic prayer. Later that day another student asked me to tell him stories of the Prophets in Islam while he waited for the next lesson to start. I wasn't at all prepared and I hadn't read or revised that many stories myself. But I must not disappoint his noble intention to know more about our Prophets.

We will continue to grow and develop - be it the height and weight of our bodies or the knowledge and humanity inside us. For everyone who just started, and for everyone who has chosen to stay on this path, we must aim to provide quality education to these children no matter how long this journey will take. We must aim to do and be better for ourselves and for everyone no matter how long this journey will take, so we no more disappoint their noble intention to learn.

**This article is personal opionion of the writer and does not represent Sekolah Islamiyah as a whole.