BostonMS started helping people in need since May 2020.
The following is the amount we have received from January to April 2021.
Help Malaysia Campaign (to Pastor Chelhyun Park, Malaysia): $589.95
COVID-19 Campaign (to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston): $29.79
Support Victory School in Malaysia (to students and teachers, Malaysia): $315.78
Total: $935.52
We're going to issue Newsletter once a month to announce our donations and future plans.
Supporting Victory School in Malaysia
BostonMS launched a new project this month in which we connect donors with students in Malaysia. Our primary goal is to designate a donor to a student; donors will support the students every month for at least a year to study in a better environment. BostonMS had been donating to Missionary Park Chul-hyun in Malaysia to establish a refugee school, the Victory Christian School, and to improve the education system. The difference between this campaign and the previous donation is that we will promote building rapport between donors and the students.
The Victory School is geographically near the equator which is not an ideal environment for the students to study. People can barely breathe due to the heavy, hot, humid air. Most of the people are jobless and suffer from extreme poverty leading their children to impaired growth development. Some students have to take public transportation for hours just to get to school. Some even have to walk for miles because they can't afford the transportation fee. Even though this school asks for the very least amount of tuition, many students can't even afford the five dollars to go to school. Also, due to lack of finance, the teachers are getting underpaid but overworked - they work as teachers, nurses, administrators, and more.
Missionary Park, being the bridge between BostonMS and the teachers at the Victory School, provided us information about the challenges they are facing, what the local students need, and what kind of environment the students study in. During our first meeting with Missionary Park, he emphasized how the school is trying to help the students and that with the help of the donors, this school will be able to help more students than before. After listening to the plan of how this campaign is going to work, Kyeongyeon Park, the director of this campaign, and I were able to ask some questions to Missionary Park. Since we wanted the donors to build a strong relationship with the students they are sponsoring, we asked for a way that the donors could keep in contact with the students. We decided that once the donors send a letter to the students every two months, the students would send a response letter or a video back every six months. After we briefly decided how this campaign is going to work on our first meeting, we had a second meeting with other directors of BostonMS to discuss how we could bring this to life. After conducting with the website tech director and website construction director, we were able to start getting donations for both students and the teachers.
While we were discussing the amount of money the students would monthly get, Missionary Park suggested that $20 will be enough. With 20 dollars, students will be able to buy school uniforms and materials such as notebooks, pencils, pens, books and pay tuition, transportation fee, food. As for teachers, $120 for each month would not be enough for all of the work they do for the school. However, a steady salary every month would help them to support the students better. Without the teachers, students would not be able to study properly in a safe environment. Without the teachers, there is no education.
Thankfully, we were able to recruit donors for four students and two teachers. Four more donors are waiting to be connected with their students. We are planning on adding 20 more students to the list of children who need donations, along with more teachers. It is our duty and pleasure to help students and teachers in need and spread the awareness of those who need our support. We are so thankful for all of the support.
