INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW
My name is Thilagavathy Karmegham and I am from Selangor Malaysia. I am a full time working Women in a Legal Firm for the past thirty eight (38) years.
I am involved in various types of Community Service and Volunteer Works.
The person who inspired me to involve in the Community Service and Volunteer Works is my late father. During my childhood, I cannot remember the flame of our kitchen stove going off. We are so used to having people of all walks of life coming in for food daily. It was a normal situation in our home back then.
My journey in Community and Volunteer Works started from my High School days (1985). I used to spend my after school days at Little Sisters of the Poor – Home for the Aged and St Nicholas Home (School for the blind and visually impaired) both situated in Penang, Malaysia. I used to help out with simple cleaning, spending time with the inmates reading story books/newspapers and accompanying them in their outdoor activities.
I felt so much happier spending my time there and this encouraged me to do more for the society. Upon my marriage and children, I moved to Selangor, another State in Malaysia and continued with my Community Service there initially by visiting to the Homes/Orphanages with my young boys and encouraged them too, for them to get involved and spend their time in the homes with the children. I found these moments spend there, gave the inmates some happiness and some kind of family bonding, which they were obviously lacking. This visits also educated my young boys on the hardship of life and the meaning of love and how privileged they are.
The life changing event was cathartic and it took place in the year 2014, when my younger son was diagnosed with Leukemia.
Whilst my son was undergoing his chemotherapy treatment, I realized the suffering of the children and the families. Financial burden faced by the families was the main issue. Though at the same time, we were also facing the same predicaments, I decided to do something for the families. I started off by sharing my food, time and whatever that I could to ease them. It was not easy at all for me, as we were also suffering at the same time.
Then, it was Covid. During the entire Movement Control Order period, I was moving around distributing food, grocery bags, milk powders etc daily. During one of this distribution, the incident that really took me aback, was a sight of a three months old baby being fed with black sugarless coffee as the family was unable to purchase any baby food/milk powder. This incident really promoted me to aggressively involve in the Social Work.
The Movement Control Order period is also another period I faced lots of challenges in continuing my work as an individual. I had to face a deduction in salary due to Covid and temporary closure of the office, but yet this did not hinder me from the work that I have committed myself too. However, I am glad to share, despite all the hardship and struggles that I was facing throughout the Movement Control Order period, my work continued without any halt and I have families that still in touch with me up until to date. During these period too, some individuals known to me came forward to help me with the situation and the funds required. I could not have continued the entire Movement Control Order period with my work without these individuals and I take this opportunity to thank them.
The Community Outreach and strong listening skills that I have developed as a result of my involvement in the Community Service and Social work, in way was very helpful in communication and identifying the needs of the family during the entire period of the Movement Control Order.
During this time of difficulties and predicament situation faced by many families, whereby the sole income earning is the Man, I saw the suffering of the families in particular the children, when the “father” becomes jobless or deduction of wages due to the COVID. This situation promoted me to enhance and acquire knowledge on multiple skills that I am able to teach the Women, such as pastry and cakes.
I wanted to educate Women, that as Women, we should not be just a Dependent but a Co-Provider for the family. Home based business using skills are thought by me and I have successfully conducted and completed one (1) year weekend classes targeting the group of women based on their socio economic backgrounds under an NGO for Women Empowerment and numerous other individual classes on my own.
I encourage women to enter into small business using online media platform and I fully support small business done by Women. A woman must be able to take over the role of “the main Provider” at times such as COVID and/or any situation that a woman may face unwantedly and/or sudden unpredicted changes in life.
For all those times, I was involved and still I am, I would like to thank, my husband Mr. Krishnamurthy Ramanchandran, who have been a support pillar and encouragement and also my children who understood the reason, my nature and the happiness that I have involving myself in these works. I also have their help in contributing to the society at all times. I would not have been able to do all these, without their support and consent of my husband.
Though I am involved in many types of social/community service including street feeding and stray feeding, my main concern and area that I would like to dedicate more is towards Children suffering from Cancer and their families. The support that a Carer and the needs whilst caring for the “Child”, that the said Carer requires must be addressed.
The extended families support is decisive throughout the treatment period of the child in question and beyond that, which I have seen not many families are getting from the extended families.
The “Carer” who can be anyone from the family, a father/mother/grandmother etc who are there for the child 24/7, must be guided, morally supported and emotionally balance. The “Carer” is the pillar of strength of the “child” but then our society seems to ignore them as they think; it’s the duty and responsibility of the Carer solely and in most cases, the Carer is the mother of the child.
I have seen people suffering from depression due to lack of communication between spouse/family members and also other siblings of the “child” being neglected due to the trauma of facing a child with cancer, financial burden and the time spent for the caring of the “child”. I have even seen families going separate ways/divorce due to all issues arising from the first day of the “child” being diagnosed with Cancer.
The Carer(s) should be able to speak freely and share their thoughts on what they are undergoing along with the child undergoing chemotherapy merely to prevent them to go into depression which is not only detrimental to the “child” they are caring for, it is also detrimental to themselves. A person who shows signs of depression for more than two (2) weeks, should be monitored and provided with the required help and assistance in whichever way that they are in need of and if need be, a professional counseling or treatment (if necessary) should be recommended and arranged.
I would like to establish a group of adults as a start, to volunteer themselves as a moral support system to these “Carers”. As a Carer, I myself was not able to communicate with my husband freely, even though he was there for us at all times, I am also aware that not all mothers are privileged as me. Reason being, some kind of distance occurred without realizing it and also for some reason we may not be able to speak our heart out. The fear of losing the “child” overcomes all other activities and communications. These volunteers basically can just sit and listen and be a shoulder to cry, which the Carer(s) may not be able to do with their partners/spouse or any of the extended family members.
I do face lots of hurdles, the reason being, I am as an unknown or rather an individual not vastly known in public moving around in addressing such issues connected with the Childhood Cancer. This will not prevent me in any way to achieve my goals and at the same time continuing with my committee service and social work and the advocacy on “Awareness on Childhood Cancer” and “Women Empowerment”
It’s also my opinion that young children should be advocated on the Awareness on Childhood Cancer and Healthy eating habits from young age rather than the adults as the children must understand well the contributing factor and cause of Cancer, such as food (especially Fast and Processed Food), usage of excessive electronic items in particular mobile phones etc. For this reason, I have targeted Primary Schools and students from the age group of seven (7) to twelve (12) years and successfully conducted two (2) sessions with students in the above age group in a Tamil School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I am trying my best to reach out to more schools in days to come.
By creating the Awareness on Childhood Cancer and Healthy Eating Habits among the young children, it is my opinion and believe that for the future generation, we are able to diminish the number of cases on childhood cancer, though I am well aware that it is impossible to totally wipe clean of the same.
I applaud “Women Icon powered by Times Women” and (WWC) and World Women Council for recognizing my work and being a recipient of this Award. It is an honor for me and also an added encouragement towards the betterment of my work involving the Community and the Children suffering of Cancer and their families and to all other nature of Community Service/Social Work and Volunteer works that I am involved with.
I thank “Women Icon powered by Times Women” for the joy and excitement, which is beyond words, for being a recipient of “Emerging Women Leader in Social Work” Award under the Category of No. 1 Women Leadership Excellence Award. This Award is definitely a boost to me and surely this Award is also an added advantage in my resume when I approach Schools or any organization for the intended issues raised in relation to the Childhood Cancer.
Thank you.
Thilagavathy Karmegham
Note:
As a Women, age, appearance or financial status is not an issue to achieve our goals and dreams, what we need is just support and encouragement and not just being bounded in the kitchen.
A women can achieve and progress in life far better by balancing the role of wife/mother/homemaker/career women.
I am proud to say at my age (I am 56 in September, 2024), I joined a Pageant recently and won the TITLE-MRS SAREE BEAUTY MALAYSIA 2024 and 3 other Sub-Titles (Mrs Mrs. Congeniality, Most Inspiring Award and Best Talent Award) and will be soon entering an International Pageant.
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