Stella Maris committed to helping dialysis patients through the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia

Through the years, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Stella Maris International School, Damansara (SMIS) held firmly to its commitment to the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKFM) through its annual Kidney Awareness Day charity drive among its students and their parents, teachers and admini

May 20, 2022

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From left: Resource Management Division Manager, Kenneth Yap Eu Seong; Admin and Complex Management Division Manager, Daniel Gan Jin Aik; Sports and ECA Coordinator, Arunandy A/L Subramaniam; President of SMIS Damansara, Dr B C Tan; Member of the SMIS Damansara Board of Governors, Nicholas Chan Yee Soon; Chief Executive Officer of National Kidney Foundation, Khor Xin Yun; Principal of Primary Wing, B. Scully; and Principal of Pre-University Centre and Secondary Wing, Madhu Singh.

KUALA LUMPUR: Through the years, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Stella Maris International School, Damansara (SMIS) held firmly to its commitment to the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia (NKFM) through its annual Kidney Awareness Day charity drive among its students and their parents, teachers and administrative staff and well-wishers.

SMIS President, Dr B C Tan, thanked everyone who had given their unstinting support towards this cause. “It is heartening to see the generosity of the SMIS family and others being recognised in a chequepresentation of RM 8,600.00 made to the NKFM despite the difficult time the pandemic has inflicted on everyone. In the last seven years, the school successfully raised over RM98,000 for the NKFM. It is Stella Maris’ way of saying “we do care and we are here to help.”’ he said.

The annual charity drive initiative was also aimed at promoting awareness of kidney diseases with a programme that included a presentation contextualising the issue of poor health outcomes experienced globally by millions of renal-failure patients. The school dedicates a day each year for Kidney Awareness in conjunction with the international World Kidney Day, when all students, teachers and administrative staff come to school in red to show solidarity with NKFM and to commemorate World Kidney Day. Video presentations and quiz competitions on kidney health for the students would be the usual programme.

The cheque-presentation is an annual affair that usually coincides with the school’s cross-country run, except for the past two years when outdoor sports was restricted due to the pandemic. This year’s event was particularly significant, being held in conjunction with the school’s seventh Cross-Country run that was very much welcomed after a lapse of two years, albeit managed under a strict SOP.

Dr Tan wishes to put on record that the entire initiative was facilitated by SMIS Sports and ECA Coordinator, Arunandy A/L Subramaniam, whose love for sports and physical education can only be matched by his passion for raising awareness to the needs of the less fortunate among our Malaysian society.