Grounded to Grow

Roots of Resilience is grounded in the belief that true growth begins with strong foundations – with roots. For the Orang Asli students we worked with from SMK Ulu Kinta and SMK Tanjung Rambutan, those roots come from their cultural identity, inner strength, and community connections. Yet these roots often face storms: unequal access to education, social barriers, and limited opportunities. 

Over three days, more than 40 students joined us at Ever Fresh Mushroom, Greenland in Ipoh, Perak. Our mission was not about “fixing” them, but about nurturing what was already there. By empowering these students with values, skills, and self-belief, we hoped to help them grow into confident and compassionate members of their communities.

Special thanks to our Operational Directors, Idham Zamsari and Puteri Nur Suraya, we were able to create a space filled with learning and self-discovery in the heart of Ipoh. 

Fahim Ghafar, Project Director of Roots of Resilience, wanted a symbol of strength, resilience and growth to represent these students in the three days and two nights that they’d spend here. These students belonged to groups named Saka Tualang, Bakawali, Meranti, Resak — gifts of nature that reflected the qualities we hoped to nurture in every participant.

The modules that were carefully crafted by our Module Directors, Aufa Nabila and Mastura Anuar were designed to elevate and expand the students ability to grow on the ground they have been brought up in. The three pillars that we focused on were educational literacy, cultural relevance and environmental awareness.

“Intentionality, selflessness and a shared vision for a better future.”

“Just have fun with it and enjoy the ride.” – That’s one thing Naim would like others to know when embarking on this journey. 

“Self doubt would be the thief of your greatest potential.” – From one aspiring changemaker to another, Farah believes that our call for action has to be louder than our self doubts. Her most profound advice is to approach their work with selflessness; it is this quality that fuels the greatest potential within each individual.

For Athirah Raduwan and Wan Mohamad Fawwaz, developing camp modules for Seeds of Deeds: I Through Us was never about polished perfection, it was about relevance. “We didn’t work alone. Every idea went through the team,” Athirah shared, highlighting their collaborative and student-centered approach.

Fawwaz emphasized the importance of empathy in design, noting that “good modules mean little if students can’t relate to them.” One highlight was Pasar Malam Smol Cenjes, a financial literacy simulation where students ran mock businesses, facing real-world challenges like taxes and disaster scenarios. The hands-on module taught core financial skills while reinforcing the camp’s four key pillars.

As the camp concluded, the overarching message became clear: there is always something to learn, even when experiences feel like pure fun. Seeds of Deeds: I Through Us planted seeds of possibility that will continue to grow long after the camp ended, nurturing a spirit of growth and connection for years to come.

The collective wisdom of Naim, Farah, Fawwaz Athirah and and all the facilitators that help to realize this module underscores the transformative power of leadership and learning within Small Changes, driven by intentionality, selflessness, and a shared vision for a brighter future in education.

This round of PowerUp was unlike any before. For the first time ever, Small Changes collaborated with Ipsos Sdn Bhd, one of our newest partners and sponsors for 2025.

With this collaboration came something beautiful. A double-layered impact. PowerUp didn’t just reach the students. It also reached the Ipsos volunteers, who were trained by the Small Changes team before they became facilitators. That meant we were not only empowering young minds at JESS, but also nurturing a new generation of volunteers to believe in education, in growth, and in giving back.

For Atikah Hamid, that dual mission was clear from the start.

“My main goal was to help Ipsos achieve their objectives while figuring out how to align Small Changes’ goals to create an impactful experience,” she shared.

The success of the Ngembak Blaja! program in empowering underserved students in Kuching districts ensured the program reached those who could benefit most, Small Changes partnered with the local education office in Kuching. Students were carefully selected from two secondary schools: SMK Paku and SMK Bako among them. The focus? Form 4 students from a variety of backgrounds who demonstrated both promise and potential. The selection process emphasized inclusivity—looking for students active in co-curricular life and representing a blend of high-achievers and those still finding their footing. It wasn’t just about grades. It was about giving a platform to future leaders from underserved communities.

Each module was curated with care to align with the camp’s dual focus: leadership and communication, especially in English. The activities weren’t abstract—they were grounded in real growth. One standout example was Trust the Trail, an outdoor challenge where students had to collaborate, listen actively, and problem-solve together. “Two-way communication was essential,” said Erin. “It pushed them to speak up, listen closely, and support one another.”

Each facilitator, affectionately called faci, was paired with a small group of participants for the duration of the program. They became a steady presence—checking in each morning, encouraging shy students to step forward, and offering heartfelt insights during group reflections. Their job wasn’t just to deliver a module. It was to build a bridge of trust.

Facis were specially trained to notice the quiet ones—the students who lingered on the edges, hesitant to speak. With patience and warmth, they’d draw them out, not with pressure, but with presence.

“One of our facilitators told me she noticed a girl who didn’t speak for the first day and a half,” Erin shared. “By the third night, she was leading a group chant. That’s the power of a safe space.”

The camp was filled with scheduled sessions—modules on leadership, communication, teamwork. But the real growth often happened in the margins: during late-night heart-to-hearts, spontaneous dance-offs, or quiet walks to the dining hall. It happened when a student felt seen, not as a name on a list, but as a person full of potential.

It’s a form of exercise in taqwa, God-consciousness; or as told by my Islamic Studies teacher in 4th grade, it is a heightened self-awareness of a presence greater than us. A reminder that even when no one else is watching, we are being seen. As we try to resist our basic desires, we strengthen our will, learning how to practice self-discipline and control, breaking us free from any chains of impulsive habits.

TL; DR: It is to keep our souls from succumbing to our egos and to nurture them through faith and filtering of undesirable emotions like wrath, greed, selfishness, intolerance, arrogance, and dishonesty. This experience later taught me that by being empathetic towards one another and having compassion, we can feel the pangs of hunger and thirst of those less fortunate who get through it daily, thus inspiring us to give back to our communities.