The Bario Highlands, an isolated plateau in the northern interior of Sarawak, is home to the Kelabit community. Despite its cultural significance, the region’s extreme geographical isolation—accessible only by light aircraft or a 10-hour trek via logging roads—has led to significant developmental gaps.Currently, the community faces limited logistical support, resulting in a lack of basic road safety infrastructure and inadequate waste management systems. Furthermore, the "youth-drain" to urban centers has left behind a vulnerable aging population at locations such as Rumah Panjang Ulung Palang, who struggle with limited access to consistent healthcare and essential mobility aids. This project is established to bridge these gaps through a multi-sectoral approach, addressing safety, environmental sustainability, health, and education.  The purpose of this project is to implement a holistic community intervention that addresses the immediate and systemic challenges faced by the residents of Bario.By integrating infrastructure development with social welfare, the project aims to:Enhance Public Safety: Mitigate the risks of road accidents along the 2KM stretch through the installation of professional road signage, addressing the limited road visibility often experienced during the monsoon season.Strengthen Social Safety Nets: Provide a dedicated Food Bank and voluntary equipment contributions to PWDs and senior citizens, directly alleviating the burdens caused by limited financial resources and physical isolation.Empower Future Generations: Deliver targeted educational aid and health screenings to ensure that, despite limited access to urban facilities, the Bario community maintains a high standard of health and academic potential.

Vinyl of Nusantara 2026 (VON 2026) is a community-driven cultural initiative organised by Pemuzik Tradisional (PETRA) UTP that aims to address the growing disconnection between Malaysian youth and traditional cultural heritage, particularly traditional music and Baba Nyonya heritage. Although many young people appreciate the importance of preserving culture, meaningful participation and engagement remain low due to limited exposure and the perception that traditional cultural activities are outdated or less relatable to modern youth.This project is important because culture and unity are essential parts of Malaysia’s identity. Without engaging and accessible platforms, younger generations may gradually lose connection with traditional heritage, cultural values, and intercultural understanding. VON 2026 addresses this issue by transforming traditional culture into a modern and immersive experience through a combination of cultural immersion activities, interactive exhibitions, and a musical theatre performance inspired by Baba Nyonya heritage and the theme of unity (Perpaduan).The project includes a Melaka Cultural Immersion Trip, Cultural Showcase Booths at UTP, Cultural Art & Wellness Workshops, and a full-scale musical theatre performance at Chancellor Hall. These activities provide students, international participants, staff, and the public with opportunities to experience culture in a more engaging, emotional, and interactive way rather than through passive learning alone.VON 2026 benefits the community by:Promoting appreciation and preservation of Malaysian cultural heritage.Strengthening unity and intercultural understanding among students and the wider community.Supporting local heritage practitioners and cultural organisations through collaboration and cultural engagement.Encouraging active participation in arts and culture through experiential learning.Increasing awareness of Baba Nyonya heritage and Melaka’s cultural tourism potential.Support from My Starfish Foundation and the public is important because it enables the project to create wider cultural impact and reach more communities. Funding and support will help provide accessible cultural programmes, strengthen collaboration with heritage communities, and ensure that traditional culture continues to be appreciated and preserved among future generations in a meaningful and sustainable way.

 Period poverty remains a major issue among B40 and underserved communities. Limited access to proper menstrual hygiene products and education. Lack of awareness on sustainable menstrual health practices. Financial burden of disposable sanitary products for low-income families. Limited income opportunities for B40 women and single mothers. Project RED promotes sustainable menstrual health education and empowerment. Provides reusable pad-making workshops and hygiene support. Creates potential livelihood opportunities through practical skills training. Promotes dignity, health equity, and long-term community impact.

 🌱 Imagine being a child who sees the world differently. What may feel ordinary to most of us a bright classroom light, a busy wall, or a noisy room can sometimes feel overwhelming for an autistic child. Many Children in a normal classroom today spend their days learning, growing, and developing important life skills, yet the physical environment around them has the potential to do even more to support their well-being. This is where Roots of Resilience Sanctuary begins.Inspired by the healing power of nature, Roots of Resilience Sanctuary is a community project that transforms existing classrooms into calming, sensory-supportive spaces through a biophilic neuro-architectural approach. By introducing nature-themed murals, soft lighting, greenery, visual supports, and sensory-friendly elements, we aim to create an environment that feels safer, more comfortable, and more welcoming for autistic children. These carefully selected features are designed not only to enhance the appearance of the space, but also to encourage emotional regulation, improve focus, and provide moments of calm when children feel overstimulated.More than just a classroom makeover, this project is about creating a sanctuary where children can feel understood, supported, and empowered to learn at their own pace. It is also about supporting the teachers, therapists, and caregivers who work tirelessly every day to help these children thrive. Through a low-cost, reusable, and sustainable approach, Roots of Resilience Sanctuary demonstrates that meaningful change does not always require major renovations sometimes, thoughtful design, compassion, and community support are enough to transform an ordinary room into a place of comfort, confidence, and hope. 💙✨

Traditional crafts are an important part of Malaysia’s cultural heritage and community identity. In Negeri Sembilan, traditional craft practices related to local culture and the values of Adat Perpatih reflect the knowledge, creativity, and skills passed down through generations. However, many of these traditional crafts, including the Bujam technique, are becoming less familiar among younger generations due to limited exposure and learning opportunities.At the same time, youth in local communities often lack access to creative and skills-based activities that can strengthen cultural appreciation while developing practical abilities. Inspired by community-based initiatives similar to those promoted under the spirit of Program Sejati MADANI, this project seeks to empower youth through meaningful cultural engagement and hands-on learning.The SeniBujam Project aims to introduce and revitalise the traditional Bujam craft among youth in Negeri Sembilan through experiential learning workshops with local craft practitioners. By combining traditional knowledge with creative activities, the project seeks to enhance youth creativity, strengthen appreciation for cultural heritage, and encourage community participation in preserving traditional crafts. Ultimately, this initiative hopes to contribute to sustaining traditional knowledge while empowering youth with creative skills and cultural awareness.

The elders voice so as the Hakka language in Senai Kampung Baru is slowly disappearingMany younger generations can understand a little but are unable or too shy to speakVoices carry memories, emotions, identity, and family connectionThis project aims to preserve these voices before they disappear and reconnect generations through storytelling and shared memories

Kelantan records one of the highest prevalences of childhood dental caries in Malaysia viz. 74.6% among preschool children as reported in a study by Dolah in 2020. Dental disease in children can lead to pain, infection, poor nutrition, reduced school attendance, and diminished quality of life.Despite this, minority and underserved communities such as the Siamese (Thai) community in Tumpat remain underrepresented in targeted oral health promotion programmes. Limited access to preventive education and early screening may contribute to untreated oral health problems.As a dental student, I believe that oral health is closely linked to happiness, confidence, and overall wellbeing. Early, preventive, and community-based interventions are essential to create meaningful and lasting impact. Project Objectives: To improve oral health knowledge among preschoolers and schoolchildren among the Siamese community in Tumpat.To conduct basic dental screenings for early identification of common oral health problems.To transfer oral health knowledge to teachers and community leaders through Train of Trainers (ToT).To assess oral health related knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) pre- and post- intervention among teachers, community leaders and parents. Supporting Sawasdee Smiles is an investment in health equity and cultural preservation for the underserved Thai minority of Tumpat, a community currently at risk due to unknown caries prevalence and linguistic barriers to mainstream healthcare. By integrating clinical screenings with culturally resonant education—facilitated through the local Wat and bilingual resources—this project transitions from a simple dental check-up into a sustainable community ritual that protects children from the debilitating cycle of chronic oral pain and the subsequent financial strain on family livelihoods. Your support empowers a "pioneer intervention" that not only improves the immediate wellbeing and social confidence of these children but also establishes a scalable, data-driven blueprint for how modern medicine can respectfully and effectively serve Malaysia’s unique cultural enclaves.

UnLABEL addresses the growing normalization of everyday racial steroetyping among youth, where jokes, assumptions, labels and casual comments are often dismissed as harmless despite shaping perception, empathy and social inclusion. In a multicultural society like Malaysia, these repeated stereotypes can quietly weaken intercultural understanding and unity. Through immersive activities, cultural participation and experiential design, UnLABEL transform awareness into empathy by helping young people recognise, experience and collectively challenge the impact of labels in everyday life.

Children living in institutional care environments may face challenges in emotional expression, confidence-building, and social interaction due to limited opportunities for safe and structured emotional engagement. While many children’s homes are able to provide essential care and daily support, there is often limited access to dedicated emotional learning environments that encourage children to express themselves comfortably through creative, interactive, and child-centred experiences.Heartventure was created to address this gap by transforming an existing space into a structured emotional learning environment designed specifically for children in care settings. The project introduces a modular 5-zone experiential system that supports different emotional functions such as calming, creative expression, storytelling, social interaction, and reflection. Through guided and non-pressuring activities, children are given opportunities to gradually explore emotions, build confidence, and participate in safe social engagement.The purpose of Heartventure is not to provide and create consistent and supportive opportunities for emotional participation and positive emotional experiences over time. The project also aims to support caregivers by providing a structured and transferable system that can continue beyond the initial implementation phase.Supporting this project is important because emotional wellbeing and confidence-building are essential parts of a child’s overall development, especially for children growing up in institutional care environments. With support from My Starfish Foundation and the wider community, Heartventure can create a more emotionally supportive environment for children while also developing a reusable and scalable system that may benefit other children’s homes and community spaces in the future.