Silver Awardees: Part 3

Education for All

By Naveen

Education. With education, you would be able to pursue any career you desire if you have the dedication and the commitment. Education equips people with knowledge and critical thinking skills. It helps individuals make informed decisions about health, finances, and their future. It boosts confidence and opens doors to personal success.

Many take it for granted and limit their potential. However, imagine a world where every child, no matter where they are born, wakes up knowing they have a place in a classroom. What would that world look like?  With the huge number of people around the world who lack the opportunity to access education, currently. I believe that if everyone had access to education, it would greatly impact the world. Language barriers between people would decrease or maybe not exist, and everyone would have an easier time communicating with each other. The potential behind countless children who are not able to access education would be unlocked, and the world would be much farther in knowledge and technology. I am gonna make this into a reality by writing this essay. 

The power of education can transform lives, shape the future, and unlock potential. Education gives people the tools to understand the world, think critically, and make informed decisions. Many parents who are unable to afford education for their children work more than one job just to be able to afford their child’s education. In Singapore, many parents work multiple jobs to afford their children's education, driven by the high cost of raising a child and the emphasis on education within the country. This shows how important education is. A famous quote by Nelson Mandela is “Education is the most powerful weapon.” Instead of using violence or force, Mandela believed that education could fight poverty, injustice, and inequality. When people are educated, they understand their rights, can think critically, and are better prepared to solve problems and lead their communities. Education gives people the power to shape their future and influence the world around them in peaceful and meaningful ways.

Education gives people the skills and knowledge they need to get better jobs and earn stable incomes. It helps families break the cycle of poverty, generation after generation.

Educated people are more likely to start businesses, create jobs, and contribute to the economy.

For example, when children stay in school instead of working, they have a much better chance of bringing their families out of poverty in the future. Education gives girls the confidence and opportunities to participate equally in society. It delays child marriage, reduces gender based violence, and increases women’s chances of having a career. When girls are educated, they become leaders, decision-makers, and role models in their communities. 

If everyone had access to education, many serious global problems would be reduced. One major issue is unemployment. Education equips people with the skills and knowledge needed to find stable jobs or even start their own businesses, creating opportunities not just for themselves but for others. It would also help reduce violence and crime, as educated individuals are more likely to solve problems peacefully and less likely to engage in criminal activities. Education plays a key role in fighting discrimination and ignorance by teaching respect, empathy, and understanding between different cultures, religions, and communities. Additionally, environmental problems could be addressed more effectively, as educated people are more aware of the impact of pollution and climate change and are better prepared to support sustainable practices. In these ways, education acts as a powerful tool to create a safer, fairer, and more responsible world.

Making education accessible to everyone is a challenging but achievable goal if the world works together with commitment, resources, and smart solutions. Many countries have already made progress by building more schools, training teachers, and providing free or low-cost education. Technology also helps reach students in remote areas through online learning and radio programs. However, challenges like poverty, war, gender discrimination, and lack of funding still prevent millions of children, especially in developing countries, from going to school. If everyone could have access to education, we could change the world for the better.

Just Be 'You'

By Shanitta

It was a bright sunny day where the sun rays kissed my skin. My family and I decided to go on an adventure to explore caves. In one cave, there was a mysterious secret door and out of curiosity, I opened the door and to my surprise, it took me into my favorite book, ”The Anxious Generation”. 

When I opened the door, there were many faceless people, and all I could see were their insecure thoughts, feelings, being mentally disturbed, stressed, and anxious. It took a while to process everything, and deep down I know that I am facing the exact same problem, but I realised that I am not alone. There were many times I felt insecure or did not really know how to deal with emotions, and specifically, accept criticism. 

It started from a very young age, and I will get easily offended when someone criticises me, and I will get really angry and defend myself. Over time, as I grew up, I faced challenges such as not knowing how to control my emotions. I get really emotional when something goes wrong between me and someone. 

One day, my best friend decided to give me a talk about how he noticed that I have different masks around different people. He advised me, saying that it is to protect me and that when anyone criticises me, it is for my own good, as I can identify my flaws and areas to improve on. He said, "This is life". There is no more time to be delusional. Wake up to reality. Life gets hard but I am here to protect you and guide you to be a better version of myself. Just be 'you'.  There is no point putting on different masks.'

From his advice, I also understood that he wants what is best for me, and I have to stand on my own feet when anything comes in the way. 

A Taste of Unity: Discovering Malaysia Through Rojak

By Auni

There I was, standing in the middle of the hectic hawker centre. Conversations could be heard everywhere. The scorching hot sun was pointing directly at me and I was sweating profusely. It was my first time setting foot into a hawker centre in Malaysia. While I was looking around, I came across a shop selling rojak that caught my eye, changing my entire perspective on Malaysian culture.

I was in Malaysia with my family for the second time, and we were exploring the different places in Malaysia so that we could compare them to how different they are in Singapore. Personally, my family and I have not tried rojak before. So, when we spotted that shop selling rojak, we were interested in finding out more about the food that was being sold in Malaysia. 

When we were checking out the menu, we realised that there were many different types of rojak from different cultures. That really shocked me, because I have always thought that Malaysia would only sell food that is unique to Malaysia but that proved me wrong. The shop sold a variety of rojak. From Malay rojak, to Indian rojak, and even Chinese rojak! Since it was me, my father and my mother, we all decided to get each of the rojak dishes so that we would be able to taste all of them.

As we were waiting for our food to be ready, we were able to smell the delicious aroma from the kitchen. The Chinese rojak had a sweet and sour smell, with the fresh pineapples and cucumbers enhancing the aroma. The Malay rojak had a very strong, sweet and spicy smell. There were many ingredients put into it, such as hard-boiled eggs, apples, cucumbers, and so much more. It was making me even more eager to try it. The Indian rojak had a strong nutty smell along with the different types of fritters. I was so excited to indulge myself in each and every rojak.

When we got our food, I was able to try all the different flavours from every rojak. The Chinese rojak had a very crunchy texture from the fruits and fritters. The prawn paste filled my entire mouth. This was my very first time trying Chinese rojak, and I did not expect it to be so refreshing. The Indian rojak was rich and crispy. The spicy orange gravy gave the rojak a little kick and I fell in love with it. The Malay rojak was full of flavour. All the ingredients made me want to eat it more and more! It felt like a scavenger hunt, looking for a new thing to try. Each of the dishes had its very own unique taste and aroma, which I found very interesting. There was also a variety of colours from all the different ingredients. As we were enjoying our food, the stall owner came up to us as she noticed how in love we were with the rojak. She taught us all about the different kinds of rojak and where they originated from.

That day, not only did I learn about a new dish, but I was also able to experience it with different senses. This journey also changed my perspective of Malaysia as I did not know that they were so inclusive of different cultures. I will never forget this experience.