THE top 15 finalists of the 23rd annual Miss MalaysiaIndian Global (MMIGlobal) personal empowerment programme have managed to raise RM7,200 for the Peace Children Care Centre.
The funds were raised as part of a 48-hour challenge to aid education for marginalised children, and emergency food baskets for B40 families in need and affected by Covid-19.
The 23rd MMIGlobal programme is organised by MMICare Association, a non-profit women’s organisation that was founded in 2002, to raise funds for the Gift Her With Life Fund.
Gift Her With Life Fund trustee and co-chairman Prof Datuk Dr Aileen Tan presented the mock cheque to Peace Children Care Centre chairman A. Alagesan in a simple ceremony at Komtar today. Witnessing the event was Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy.
Gift Her With Life Fund is a community charity chest under the MMICare Association.
Prof Tan, who is also the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (Cemacs) director, said the fund provides small education grants for Science students in public universities; and supports a wide range of health and safety empowerment workshops for teenagers, and young women in schools, colleges and universities.
“It is done through direct community engagement with other non-governmental organisations, corporations, and institutions.
“We have been actively doing reproductive health, personal online safety, and community and environmental awareness workshops for teenagers and young women since 2006,” she said, adding that the Gift Her With Life Fund is the main beneficiary of the annual MMIGlobal grand final programme. The grand final will be held on Sept 10 at JEN Penang Georgetown.
Dr Ramasamy welcomed and lauded the programme which aimed at empowering women.
“This is not the typical beauty pageant, but a personal empowerment programme that identifies, nurtures and grooms Malaysian Indian women to become the best versions of themselves,” he said in his speech.
Dr Ramasamy also encouraged the women to believe in themselves and their capabilities.
The 15 finalists of the 23rd MMIGlobal programme were shortlisted from 81 participants after a series of elimination rounds. The finalists are from Penang, Perak, Johor, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, and Selangor.
From now until Sept 8, the finalists will be undergoing the finalists’ progress – the Community and Environment Awareness Bootcamp – at Cemacs. They will be competing in ‘The Pitch’ and ‘Team Presentation’.
The winner of the 23rd MMIGlobal programme will receive a full MBA scholarship from Veritas University College, a return ticket to Bali, and gifts from MMICare Association.
Meanwhile, the second and third prize winners will take home return tickets to Bangkok, and gifts from MMICare Association.
Also present at the media conference were Penang Hindu Endowments Board executive director Datuk M. Ramachandran, MMICare president Pavithra Paneer Selvam, MMIGlobal chief executive officer Dr Mohanaapriya Sina Raja, and Cemacs senior lecturer Dr Annette Jaya Ram.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Siew Chia En