Sponsor A Child Through PERTIWI

I've recently become quite involved with PERTIWI's Soup Kitchen, and have been quite impressed by the ladies' values and dedication. While PERTIWI (Pertubuhan Tindakan Wanita Islam) is an Islamic association first, they provide assistance regardless of race and religion.

PERTIWI has a little known child sponsorship programme called Projek Anak Angkat (Orphan Project), which has been in operation since the 1970s. Graduates of the programme have gone on to attend university and begin their own careers. As a believer in child sponsorship, I'm surprised that I hadn't heard of the programme. I hope this blog entry will help others find it.

Projek Anak Angkat aims to ensure that needy children are able to have a proper education to give them a better chance of lifting themselves out of poverty. PERTIWI liaises directly with schools, who identify children in need. This ensures that the money donated is used solely for the sponsored child's educational needs.

Website: http://www.pertiwi.org

Sponsorship amount: RM40/month

For more information, please contact PERTIWI at 03-7874 4203.

How to Help Victims of Natural Disaster in Japan

Many were devastated by the recent devastation in Japan, and the rest of the world mourns with them. What's brilliant is that so many want to help and do something to make a difference. Unfortunately, not many know how.

The following is a (short and in no way comprehensive) list of Malaysian aid organisations that will be assisting by sending aid. For non-Malaysians, I suggest you Google their international counterpart, or Google for your local aid organisations and contact them.

1. Red Crescent (www.redcrescent.org.my)
   The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) has set up an International Relief Fund account at Maybank to collect donations from the public to assist those affected by national disasters. Maybank account number: 5144 2210 2657. All donations are tax exempt. You can also find out how to volunteer.
2. Mercy Malaysia (www.mercy.org.my)
   Mercy Malaysia is a well established Malaysian NGO, which has shown dedication in providing international relief efforts time and again. I'm continually impressed by their dedication and efforts. As with MRCS, there is further information for those who want to do more and volunteer their time.
3. World Vision Malaysia (www.worldvision.com.my)
   World Vision is also accepting donations to help victims of the natural disasters in Japan.
4. Force of Nature Aid Foundation (www.forceofnature.org)
   Force of Nature (FON) was set up to help rebuild communities affected by natural disasters. Their involvement is less in the aftermath, and more when things settle down. FON commits to funding projects initiated by local communities aimed at sustainably improving their living standards and situation. A worthy cause.

The things that victims of natural disasters are usually in need of the most are perishable necessities, i.e. food and water, diapers, baby formula. Some items that could help are flashlights, blankets, mosquito nets, basic first aid items.

Please bear in mind that some organisations don't like accepting donations in kind that have not been explicitly requested for. This is usually due to logistics reasons, and it may be more efficient to send money and purchase items at/near the site itself.

Customer Service Review: Domino's Pizza

The Situation:
I had ordered Domino's Pizza for dinner, and when I sat down to eat, I discovered that it was the wrong pizza.

The Happening:
I called them. They apologised profusely and immediately sent me the correct pizza. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get a free pizza voucher, but I was so impressed that they called me twice to find out what went wrong that I didn't care.

The Verdict:
Five star customer service. Other companies could learn from the way Domino's treats its customers. Kudos and thanks, Domino's, for making the effort.

Girl Runs Away To Avoid Arranged Marriage

From Reuters: California girl fled to escape arranged marriage:

(Reuters) - A 13-year-old Southern California girl who ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage in Pakistan has been taken into protective custody by child welfare authorities, police said on Thursday.

Jessie Marie Bender, who vanished from her home in the early morning hours of February 22, was found on Wednesday at a motel in a nearby community, where she had been hiding with the help of an uncle, San Bernardino County Sheriff's spokeswoman Roxanne Walker said.

After an investigation turned up no evidence that Jessie had been kidnapped, Walker said, detectives discovered that an uncle had taken her to a motel in nearby Apple Valley out of fear that she would be taken to Pakistan for an arranged marriage.

Walker said Jessie and her mother were American but that the girl's stepfather was a Pakistani native. It was not immediately clear if the girl's mother and stepfather are married.

For one, it's pretty incredible that something like this could happen in America, for all they boast about personal freedom. For another, I applaud her bravery in running away from and risking everything she knows to stand up for her own rights. Apparently this 13-year-old girl has more balls than certain people.

This isn't the first incidence of American families sending girls to far-off lands like Pakistan to be married off, with or without their consent. I'm glad that the real situation has come to light, and perhaps this will raise more awareness on the issue globally. I sincerely hope things turn out for the best for her.

Phoenix Jones & The Rain City Superhero Movement

So the last 1-year or so of my blog basically entails me whinging about not being loved, how the world hates me, being hurt, etc, and so on, and so forth. Not that there hasn't been damn good reason for it, but I think it's about time I stop feeling bloody sorry for myself and bring back this blog to what I do best: whinging about less personal stuff.

Don't get me wrong, there've been plenty of things that I've wanted to write about over the past year, but due to time constraints and sometimes just me being lazy and unmotivated, it's gone unnoticed.

Never fear, I have a doozy to start with: Superheroes. No. Seriously. Introducing Phoenix Jones and the Rain City Superhero Movement (not to be confused with the dance crew).

Phoenix Jones is a civilian who dresses up as a superhero at night to patrol the streets and keep the citizens of Seattle safe. His costume has a bulletproof vest, knife plates, etc.. They carry non-lethal weapons, and are all trained in combat or mixed martial arts (which, as someone who has trained in kickboxing for several years, I can tell you is no joke).

The Rain City Superhero Movement is apparently 9 people including Phoenix Jones. The other members are Thorn, Buster Doe, Green Reaper, Gemini, No Name, Catastrophe, Thunder 88 and Penelope. There's less information around on these 8 guys, but then again, I'm not a Facebook user and can't fully access their Facebook page. I am, however, heartened by the inclusion of at least 1 female persona (I think).

If you thought they were the only people in the world crazy enough to do something, you'd be wrong. Well, you'd probably be right if you said Americans (to my knowledge). There's a website for a community of Real Life SuperHeroes (www.reallifesuperheroes.org), detailing the exploits of other masked/unmasked caped/uncaped crusaders who choose to fight crime/injustice/homelessness/etc. There's even tips on what to/what not to do.

For further reading, Suite 101 has an interesting and informative article here. And then there's always Phoenix Jones and the Rain City Superhero Movement's Facebook page. And yes, the Seattle police are well aware of their existence, and can tell who is or isn't in the group (really).