The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Parenting |
| Passion and interests can enrich a child's life Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:50 PM PST Six young winners enjoyed extraordinary experiences under a project that promotes the pursuit of passions among children. BELIEVING that every child has a unique passion, a popular biscuit brand embarked on a campaign from Feb 1 to April 30 last year, asking parents across Malaysia to submit creative works in the form of words, illustrations, videos or photos that best describe what their child likes most. On the basis of their passions being "the most energetic, inspiring and original", six children won themselves once-in-a-lifetime experiences under the Tiger Realize Your Child's Passion project by Tiger Biskuat. The experiences, costing RM10,000 each, were all meaningfully connected to what the respective winners love best. The Tiger Realize Your Child's Passion contest is aimed at finding that one thing that brings children joy and providing them the energy, be it physical, mental, emotional or social, to do what they love. "This campaign has been invaluable in raising awareness of the importance of kids pursuing their passion and creating opportunities for parents to continue to nurture and fulfil their child's passion," said Tiger Biskuat brand manager Jaren Ong. Let's hear it from the winners: Muhammad Emir Rasyid Emran, seven: Passion for dolphins An animal lover, Emir is especially passionate about dolphins. When his kindergarten teacher had a session on endangered animals, the then-six-year-old was instantly taken with the mammal despite never having seen a dolphin personally. Through Tiger Biskuat, Emir got to attend a special programme with dolphin trainers at Underwater World Singapore, where he was taught to interact with dolphins, and how to train them and swim with them. At the end of the programme, Emir put on a show at the training facility before an audience that included his family. "This experience has confirmed my true passion," said Emir. Muhammad Fawwaz Qaisar, 13: Passion for animals It all started when a four-year-old Fawwaz fed a stray cat that had walked up to his family home. After discovering his love of animals, he continued to care for them by updating himself through books and documentaries. Tiger Biskuat provided Fawwaz with an opportunity to be part of an exclusive volunteer programme at Zoo Negara over one month, where he was guided by zookeepers and educated about specific animal diets, habitats and survival skills. "I've learnt a great deal from the sessions at the zoo thanks to Tiger Biskuat and I'm more in tune with my passion now. I hope to be able to give back to the community by sharing more information on animal care and the prevention of animal cruelty," said Fawwaz. Anaqi Bunyamin, 12: Passion for food Anaqi pretty much loves anything and everything about food. Since he was six, he has been mum's little helper in the kitchen. His love of culinary arts got Tiger Biskuat to offer Anaqi a special course at Young Chefs Academy Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur under the guidance of chef Abang Bryan. The young lad improved on his basic cooking skills and was exposed to an array of international and local cooking styles. He also attended a food science camp and learnt to pick fresh produce at an organic farm. "By winning the contest and going on this fulfilling journey, I feel like I've been pointed the right direction; it has brought me one step closer to becoming a famous chef like Malaysia's very own Chef Wan," said Anaqi. Aaron Ewe Teik Soon, 12: Passion for underwater photography Aaron developed a love of underwater photography when he went on a family holiday to the Thai beach resort Pattaya. While on an underwater trip, all he wished he could do was to take photos of each and every species of marine life he encountered. With this in mind, Tiger Biskuat started Aaron off by enlisting the Professional Association of Diving Instructors to teach him how to scuba dive as well as gifting him a brand new underwater camera. "I never thought to get an incredible opportunity such as this. The trainers taught me so much and now I have the certificate needed to continue with my passion ... and a camera to boot!" gushed Aaron. Fatnin Nur Qamarina, nine: Passion for ice skating Since trying out ice skating with her cousins in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Fatnin has started to have a keen interest in the sport but was restrained by the lack of resources. In came Tiger Biskuat, which set out to ensure that the lass was first and foremost equipped with the necessary gears before arranging for her to train under national ice skater Ryan Yee Zhi Jwen. "I could barely stand the first few lessons with Ryan; it was quite tough in the beginning. Thankfully, Ryan was helpful and patient in guiding me through it all. It was very hard for my parents to enable this passion of mine due to the costs involved. So I'm grateful for this opportunity to do what I love, especially with all the right equipment," shared Fatnin. Jian Sue Wern, nine: Passion for fashion A petite little fashionista who loves to play dress-up, Sue Wern is often seen flipping through magazines and pointing out the latest trends to her family. She regularly comes up with drawings of fashion designs and plays dress-up on the apps on her father's phone. Tiger Biskuat thus engaged renowned local couturier Jovian Mandagie to impart tips about the industry and the finer points of designing and fabrics to the young fashion plate. "Jovian was so nice and patient with me. He taught me many things about fashion. This is definitely what I'd like to do as a career and I'm looking forward to working with him on creating a dress for myself," said Sue Wern. |
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