Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email A laudable effort by EWRF:
Malcolm (not his real name) was a drug pusher and a ganja user from the tender age of 12. By 15, he would skip school and spend his time gambling.
He started drinking alcohol at 15, was expelled from school and was brazen enough to steal a motorbike from a police station.
Another boy, Sam (not his real name) started creating problems in school when he was only 10 years old. He joined an infamous gang when he was 15, stole and got involved in fights.
Another underachiever Manuel (also not his real name) stole, smuggled goods and drugs for a syndicate and almost lost his life.
By 15, these Indian teenagers, like many others, were fully aware of infamous gangs such as “36, 08 and 77.” School was far from their minds with drinking, smoking, crime and drugs becoming a norm in their lives.
However, all was not lost for these problematic Indian youth who were often dubbed as a “lost cause.”
They were referred to the Education, Welfare and Research Foundation (EWRF), a non-governmental organisation which helped turn their lives around.
“I was paid for the drugs I pushed and even saw people get killed. But now, I have reformed and am trying to improve my life,” said Malcolm.
EWRF executive director S. Malar said many – including Malcolm, Sam and Manuel – had turned over a new leaf, acquired skills and obtained decent jobs.
Yesterday, EWRP mooted a Civil Society Intervention (CSI) to target the “bad boys” and Indian underachievers in schools nationwide and reform them with an initial focus on five schools in the Klang Valley and Johor.
“The children just need guidance. We need to go down to their level and help understand them better. Some come from broken homes or are just mixing with the wrong crowd, but there is hope,” she said.
The CSI module, she said, was comprehensive and would be implemented by professionally trained personnel.
“Our work starts right from breaking the teenagers’ ego, grooming them – including cutting their ekor (hair), sending them for empowerment classes, skills training and ensuring they get jobs,” she said.
According to police sources, Indians committed 18% of crimes over the last three years with theft, robbery and rioting.
