ASEAN Ladies’ Circle of KL Fosters Awareness of ASEAN Culture Through Book Donation Project
ASEAN Ladies' Circle (ALC) of Kuala Lumpur President and ALC Philippines Patron Madam Maria Victoria H. Jose (center, top row) is joined by the Patrons of ASEAN's member countries and ALC Executive Committee members (top row), as well as the teachers, school administrators, and primary school students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara. (Kuala Lumpur PE photo)
KUALA LUMPUR 24 August 2018 – Children in five schools in Malaysia will learn about Filipino culture, as well as the cultures of the nine other member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), through the ASEAN Library Corner Book Donation Project of the ASEAN Ladies’ Circle (ALC) of Kuala Lumpur.
ALC President Ma. Victoria H. Jose, who also serves as Patron of ALC Philippines as the spouse of Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles C. Jose, worked closely with the other nine patrons of the ASEAN missions in Kuala Lumpur to gather 100 children’s books donated by the governments.
Meanwhile, ALC Vice President and ALC Malaysia Patron Datin Sri Hafipah Mohd Shah facilitated the selection and coordination with five Malaysian public schools to receive the books, some of which educate children with special needs.
The books were donated in three separate handover ceremonies held throughout the month of August in commemoration of the 51st founding anniversary of ASEAN.
The ALC ladies visited Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara on 07 August 2018, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Desa Perdana with representatives of Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Sri Sinar and Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Desa in attendance on 09 August 2018, and Sekolah Integrasi Rendah Agama JAWI Saidina Uthman Bin Affan on 14 August 2018.
At each school, the delegation was warmly welcomed by teachers and students alike through cultural performances and exhibitions of students’ arts and crafts, followed by the handing over of books to each school.
In her keynote remarks at each ceremony, Mrs. Jose told students, “The books will not only encourage you to read in English, but also help raise awareness about ASEAN and the culture of these countries at your early age. Most of the books are written in our own country’s languages but they have English translations so you can read them and understand them. We hope you will enjoy these books and borrow them from your school library.”
She also encouraged the schools to use the books to start an ASEAN Corner within their respective libraries.
The ASEAN Ladies’ Circle is a non-profit organization comprised of women from the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which aims to promote mutual understanding and encourage cultural exchanges among its members, to disseminate information on the ideals and objectives of ASEAN, and to encourage the advancement of women and children in the ASEAN region in terms of education and socio-economic standing. END
Madame Maria Victoria H. Jose listen as students read one of the books donated by the Philippines with a teacher guiding them. (Kuala Lumpur PE photo)
Madame Maria Victoria H. Jose gives her speech before the administrators, teachers and students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Desa Perdana. (Kuala Lumpur PE photo)
ASEAN Ladies’ Circle Patrons and members pose with students and teachers from Sekolah Integrasi Rendah Agama JAWI Saidina Uthman Bin Affan at the third book donation ceremony held on 14 August 2018. (Kuala Lumpur PE photo)
For more information, visit www.kualalumpurpe.dfa.gov.ph / www.philembassykl.org.my or https://www.facebook.com/PHinMalaysia.