In conjunction with the holy month of Ramadan, 60 underprivileged children from three different homes within the Klang Valley under the Rising Star Juniors programme had the pleasure of Berbuka Puasa, at the prestigious golf club in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) on 21 June 2015.
Rising Star Juniors is a community- sports project initiated by KLGCC with the support from Yayasan Sime Darby and MST Golf Sdn Bhd. The programme is the first of its kind in Malaysia that has its own host venue and specifically target talents from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing life-skills assistance and golf playing opportunities in order to produce successful, well-rounded and educated young golfers. 18 shortlisted candidates has been selected from various home in the Klang Valley to undergo an extensive 2-year training programme.
The Majlis Berbuka Puasa event was hosted by Steven Thielke, General Manager of KLGCC, Dato’ Mustafa Mohd Ali, Club Captain, and Farroul Hossey, Club Manager together with the management staff of KLGCC.
The children together with their caretakers arrived at the Club house around 6.30 pm, and were warmly greeted by the staff of KLGCC, leading them to the beautifully decorated area themed Lighting of Hearts, for Berbuka Puasa near the club’s Olympic-sized swimming pool. The children were treated to a sumptuous spread of traditional and local delicacies, all deliciously prepared by Senior Executive Sous Chef Sahizal Azrul and his team of culinary experts.
The event started off with a warm welcome by emcee, followed with a presentation video of the Rising Star Juniors programme which showcased the journey of the children during the assessment camp and selection of the final 18 candidates. The evening continued with a welcome speech by the Club Captain, Dato’ Mustafa Mohd Ali and recitation of Doa. The children indulged in a sweet Buah Kurma to officially break the fast before heading for the Mahgrib prayers. After the prayers, the children indulged in the delectable spread of buffet while enjoying traditional Ghazal band.
Speaking at the Buka Puasa event, Dato’ Mustafa Mohd Ali said, “On behalf of KLGCC, we are delighted to host this Majlis Berbuka Puasa, and together we hope to reap the barakah the holy month brings. It is the time of the month for us to reflect upon ourselves and be grateful for the plentiful nikmat that has been bestowed upon us, while not forgetting those who are in need. We hope that through this humble gesture, these children get to embrace the Ramadan month in joyous mood”.
According to Steven Thielke, General Manager of KLGCC, “It is important for the selected individuals under the Rising Star Junior programme to not feel isolated from their home. We at KLGCC will not only work with the individuals, but will also be a support structure for the homes as well. And this is part of our effort in contributing towards the welfare of these deserving children while connecting with them during this season of self-reflection”.
He added “ We look forward to make this a continuous journey where lighting the hearts of the less fortunate will be an all- year- round effort instead of focusing only during festive seasons”.
The evening ended with the handing out duit raya by Dato’ Mustafa Mod Ali to all the 60 children, while the caretakers were presented with a scrumptious Date Cake and a box of traditional Malay Kuih by Club Manager, Farroul Hossey. After a group photograph, the children made their way home with smiles on their faces.