Having a learning difficulty does not mean one is unable to learn at all. A good teacher knows how to adapt his ways to suit the learning style of his students. Kiwanis Careheart Centre does exactly that – providing special education to students with all types of disabilities and special needs.
With a motto of “helping children of the world,” Kiwanis Careheart Centre, the main project of Kiwanis Taman Sentosa, was established when a group of parents noted the absence of a proper vocational school to send their teen and adult children to. With the guidance of Dr. Koh Guan Hoe, the parents, who used to send their children to Singapore for school, set up the club focused on skills training for those with special needs.
Dr. Koh Guan Hoe, an 82-year-old volunteer principal, said that the word “Kiwanis” came from a Native American word that meant “to know your feelings”. Kiwanis International is a service-oriented non-profit organisation that helps people in need across the globe. Dr. Koh, with a background in special education, passionately believes in providing a platform for the children to develop and realise their skills. To him, just because they are disabled, does not mean they are unable. Being only human, those with special needs also want to feel useful and find a way to contribute to society.
Kiwanis Careheart Centre currently has about 70 trainees from ages 12 to 50 years old. They are given an orientation of the training school for one month during which they are observed by trainers to assess which skill the trainee leans towards. Horticulture, handicraft, janitorial, and food/beverage are among the training offered. They are then given job training and work-related skill training, after which they undergo attachments with companies who employ less-abled people. After they graduate, they are open to employment. There is no specific timeframe to decide when a trainee graduates; it differs from individual to individual.
In the centre, an art gallery displays the works of Kiwanis Club trainees all over the world. The centre also has a gorgeous organic farm – beds of beautiful produce grown without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Chambers of a variety of mushrooms, a recycling centre, and even an earthworm compost square plot can be found in their backyard. Trainees are taught how to man the garden and pack the produce according to weight and with proper hygiene standards. To instill a sense of responsibility, to pique their curiosity, and as a form of therapy, farm animals and pets are also kept at the centre for the trainees to observe and care for.
2017 was a year of awards for the centre, winning the best project at the ASPAC Kiwanis Convention in Jeju, Korea, the Best Display Award at Malaysia Kiwanian Convention, and then being recognised in Education Advancement at the Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Awards. The achievements definitely keep the centre motivated and moving.
