M. Arivarasu, from Penang, first smoked a cigarette at the age of 12.
“It was peer pressure and bad company, I guess. But at that age, what my friends thought of me was very important to me and I wanted to be accepted by them,” Arivarasu, now 16, says.
He was also hot-tempered and aggressive and often got involved in fights with other boys in school and in his neighbourhood. Determined to get him to change his ways, his parents enrolled him at MySkills Foundation campus in Kalumpang in Perak state in Malaysia.
“Initially I did not want to leave Penang to go study at this Foundation but after giving it a lot of thought, I realised that the life I was living then was not a good one and this was an opportunity turn my life around,” Arivarasu said.
Arivarasu is among the 25 young boys that RYTHM Foundation is sponsoring to do a one-year course in electrical wiring at MySkills Foundation. The sponsorship covers his tuition fees, trainings, and living expenses.
He gets up at 5.30 am in the morning and as the hostel leader, he is responsible for making sure all the others are ready by 6 am with their beds neatly made.
“Sometimes, there are some boys who are unable to wake up so early in the morning. When I see such boys, I tell them that if it was the earlier me, I certainly would have beaten up those who disobeyed or refused to wake up on time. But now, I don’t have that kind of anger in me anymore,” he said.
He has been going to the gymnasium on campus and working out which has helped him with managing his anger issues.
READ: RYTHM Foundation Provides Skills Training to Malaysian Youth Build Better Future
Today, the tall and lanky youth is grateful for listening to his parents and enrolling at MySkills Foundation.
“Not everyone gets a second chance in their life, but I am glad that I did. I want to become a Chargeman and make my parents proud,” he said.
He said his coordinator at the campus, S. Sarveswary, has been a great motivator and influencer in his change of behavior and attitude.
“I consider Ms Sarveswary an elder sister. I respect and appreciate her concerns for me and I want her to be proud of me,” he added.
Looking back, Arivarasu says getting involved with bad company had led him to many unfavourable activities.
“My advice to young boys out there, please do not waste your time engaging in illegal and useless activities. Use your time and energy to uplift and better yourselves,” he said.
Through this sponsorship, RYTHM Foundation hopes to bring Arivarasu and other young boys like him back into mainstream development and turn them into responsible and productive citizens.
