2016 is ending with the notable demise of a popular actress Carrie Fisher, who played the beloved character of Princess Leia in the Star Wars movie franchise.
Fittingly, December 2016 also saw the premiere of Rogue One, A Star Wars story, about a group of rebels who fight tooth and nail, against all odds, to deliver the Death Star blueprints to the Rebel Alliance.
A lot of lives were lost in the battle against the Empire (aka bad guys) and lives sacrificed in the process. There were obstacles to overcome and nothing was easy.
At the end of the movie, Princess Leia receives the Death Star blueprints and the rebel soldier asks her “What is it they’ve sent us?” and she replied “Hope.”
While we at Generasi Gemilang are not in a life or death battle with the evil Empire, nor are we rebels, I see a parallel here.
I like to think that we are also sending “HOPE” to those we serve. Perhaps we are sending HOPE to the under-served communities and students in Malaysia.
What HOPE is it exactly?
H: Having enough of what they need; school uniforms, bags and mostly importantly, daily breakfast so they can learn better in school. O: Opening opportunities; opportunities that elude students that may not be the brightest and get all the attention. Opportunities for exposure to industries, companies, and scholarships to pursue tertiary education that would enhance employability in their future. P: Preparing for life with relevant lifeskills in sound financial management, digital literacy, and character leadership. E: Enhancing the language literacy among students to put them in a position to succeed academically. You might ask, is this really important? Does it really help them? My answer is a resounding yes!
Hope is more powerful that we think. It is a mindset that spurs us to greater things. In fact, if you’ve watched the movie The Hunger Games, President Snow said “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous.”
Let’s not stop sending hope to those around us. Great things can happen.
(Picture © Lucasfilm)