The love of ex students and others for Convent Sentul

Old mural in the center of the school with the original school badge.

I wrote a short email to Dr Cheah Yin Mee and several others entitled "One square meal for poor CS girls" last Wednesday night. The email went something like this.

Budimas which sponsors our food program for 80 girls in  Convent Sentul has just given notice that they will stop the Budimas food program for all 9 secondary schools effective 21 July.  I am quite worried for the many poor girls who have now grown dependent on the food provided for at a price of RM 1.50 per school day per child. There are many girls who need to have a square meal. Is there any one who wants to sponsor a square meal for them?"

Dr Cheah Yin Mee and others asked a few sensible questions. "How much would it cost to pay the meals of one student up to the end of the school year?" "Can we have some details of the students involved in the Budimas food program?" Once I had given the pertinent information required, I witnessed and experienced the onslaught of the deep  affection of the ex-students for their alma mater.

A flurry of emails flew in,  by so many ex Convent Sentul girls ( already more than 60 girls on Thursday emails ), all with positive responses coordinated by Yin Mee who happened to be in Kuala Lumpur that weekend. God's timing that weekend? I think so. But very clearly I saw the willingness of Yin Mee to sacrifice her designated holiday and family weekend to help the needy girls of Convent Sentul. She took time to search out contacts and to thank each and every donor on behalf of the school.  Thank you Yin Mee!

One of the first to respond was Chris Low who pledged to cover the expenses of 10 girls. Chris wrote she understood the hard times experienced by our girls. By Sunday night, Yin Mee wrote she had 42 sponsors. At the school assembly on Monday morning, I was struck by one phrase in the school song. " We pledge to you our loyalty" as I realize that the loyalty and affection was what spurred the ex-students to pledge so quickly and so freely. So I spoke at assembly to the school about how I was moved by the deep loyalty ex-Convent students had for their alma mater. I challenged our present students to always maintain that affection and loyalty and to do the same things and emulate their seniors when they were financially able to bless back the school.

Sometime later that morning while I was teaching a student  in my office ( the student had been absent for some time and needed to do some catching up on the Physics lessons I taught ), the school office staff said someone had come to the school and wanted to see me. When I went out, she introduced herself as Swee Peng and she had heard about the Budimas food program.  I brought her into my office and showed her some files while giving some work to my student who was still in the office. Swee Peng gave me the money on behalf of her and her friend. Her visit and gift impacted the student who witnessed first hand  the reality of the deep affection for Convent Sentul.

Kim Ng coordinated the KL responses when Yin Mee returned to Singapore. Thank you Kim Ng. By Monday night, Yin Mee wrote to say she had 56 sponsors. Tuesday noon, my friend Katherine Leong smsed me to say the directors of her company "D' One" pledged to sponsor 10 girls. By Tuesday night ie now, I wished to report we now already have enough for all the girls with a little to spare for some extra good meals and not just the basic square meal I asked for. We here at SMK Convent Sentul are overwhelmed and bowled over by your love. Through this call for help, I have been introduced to the bigger family of Convent Sentul and I am so happy to note that we have a big caring family out there. There are many of you I do not know and may not have the privilege to meet but nevertheless I know your love and support for Convent Sentul.

Some words from the play "Oliver Twist" which I happened to watch last Friday night in Wesley Methodist Musical  - "Food, glorious food" and the infamous "Please sir, can I have some more?" ring a very strong bell especially last Friday. But we in SMK Convent Sentul are quite unlike OliverTwist because we are much blessed with more food and food served with love. Thank you on behalf of the girls!

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