Children from the Padmasambhava Children Loving Association in Klang received a headstart to the Lunar New Year cheer when volunteers from XOX Mobile, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) taught them festive crafts, decorated the home, served them a reunion feast and gifted them with red packets.
XOX Mobile also donated RM3,000 towards the operational expenses of the home.
The XOX Mobile team had prepared a combination of traditional festive activities with a thoroughly modern twist by using online resources to teach the old time craft of making festive lanterns using red packets. They also helped the children make book markers personalised festive wishes.
The Padmasambhava Children Loving Association, located in Klang Selangor, houses 52 orphan children, aged between 6 months to 23 years old. The home was established by Sister Ani, a Buddhist nun, with the assistance of her family and volunteers who are mainly single mothers.
The team of 20 volunteers from XOX Mobile dedicated the entire day to interacting with the children, sharing skills and experiences with them, and sprucing up the home ahead of an early reunion dinner that was the first ‘Yee Sang’ tossing experience for many of the children at the home.
According to XOX Mobile, Group Chief Financial Officer, Slyvia Kong Choo Hui, the company had planned the activities to share good traditions while highlighting the use of technology, always emphasizing interaction, mentorship, building trust and confidence, while introducing the children to new experiences such as Yee Sang.
“When we were planning this activity we looked at it from the perspective of the children at the Padmasambhava home, and the Lunar New Year experiences that they may have missed as orphans. The spring cleaning, lantern and book mark crafts, and decorating are traditions from the families of our volunteers. We wanted to share personal and meaningful activities with the children to give them a feel of home. It was an awesome experience to interact with them,” said Kong.
The highlight of the lantern-making activity was putting up to giant lanterns at the main entrance of the home. Raising the lanterns is significant as it symbolizes the wish for a bright future and ‘roundness’ which marks smooth completion and harmony for the year. The red is a mark of happiness, while the gold stands for prosperity.
“When we raised these lanterns, our team shared the significance, and did the traditional ‘wishes’ for the Lunar New Year. Some of the children had never recited the ‘wishes’ and it was a lot of fun as they tried out these traditional greetings,” explained Ms Kong.
For Padmasambhava Home, Chairman, Robin Woo, the assistance from the XOX Mobile volunteers was much appreciated.
“The festive season can be a difficult time for the children as they do not have the traditional family structure to return to. The volunteers from XOX have mindfully given our kids a taste of home by sharing their families’ traditions and practices. The children had a great time, picked up some new skills and made friends. We also appreciate the effort of the XOX team in cleaning the home ahead of the Lunar New Year. The Yee Sang tossing was a novel experience for the children that they will remember for a long time. We hope that the children will adopt some of these traditions and make them their own,” Mr Woo said.
“We are thankful for XOX Mobile’s generosity in giving their time, talents and showing so much love and care for the children. Their donation of RM3,000 to the operating expenses of the home is much appreciated,” added Woo.
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