The girl next door

Even though she presents herself in quite a refined way, Sulastri Ariffin is really appreciates the simple things in life.  You wouldn’t know it to meet her.  Sulastri dresses very well, often wearing fancy earrings and dressy clothes.  Every detail of her appearance is perfect and she speaks with a confident composure.  Under it all though, she strives for a normal life.

On her off days, when she’s not busy working with the Pink Triangle Foundation, Sulastri spends time in her neighbourhood.  She prefers to go to local food stalls for nasi lemak in the morning, instead of spending her time in expensive restaurants with air con and exotic foods.  On a Sunday, Sulastri spends the morning doing some marketing around the neighbourhood, seeing the errands as a chance to connect with people she knows in the area as well as a chance to make new friends.

As part of the Portraits of Perseverance documentary a lot of the women are working towards a goal.  They have been helping make video journals chronicling their lives over the past year.  Watching the videos I have seen them grow and change.  I feel like I’ve gotten to know them.  Sulastri comes off as a real character.  She is so natural on camera.  Her sense of humour resonates with the viewer. 

You would think that considering her charisma and potential, Sulastri would be working towards a performance of some kind as her goal at the end of the film, but Sulastri has something much simpler in mind.  She wants to go fishing.  I guess it makes sense, taking her down home roots into account.  What better way to cap off a busy year than with a nice relaxing afternoon by the water?  It’s a reminder for me to take time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

See more on Sulastri’s work on the website for the PT Foundation: www.ptfmalaysia.org

By:  Morgan Reed

The most inspirational woman I’ve ever met

Nestled in the shadows of the limestone caves, in the picturesque setting of Ipoh, Malaysia, lives a truly amazing human being.

Jenny Pong Seow Chin has a gift.  If you ever get the chance to interact with her you’ll know what I’m talking about.  It’s impossible to miss, clear from the moment you see her or hear her voice.

Pong shares a modest home with seven other family members.  They live in a lush, green, wonderland, but Pong says she’s never really noticed.  She has always been far too busy working to stop and gush over the trees and mountains.

From the time she was young, Pong worked in a tire factory, earning $2/day.  It was labour intensive work, but that’s the way Pong likes it, feeling productive and taking care of herself. Even now, confined to a trolley, Pong feels it’s important to work.

When I went to visit her I asked, “Why hasn’t anyone helped you?  Why hasn’t an aid group offered you money to buy a new van or house?”  Pong told me she’s been offered donations before, but she graciously tells people she doesn’t need a hand out.  Not yet.  For now she is still able to work and that is important.  She would much rather earn her money than have it handed to her.

 Right now she is making funeral shoes, to sell as part of a Chinese tradition. Pong has found a way to keep working, even though she is disabled.  She doesn’t waste time feeling sorry for herself or worrying about what happens next.  Instead, she “brings her happiness to the front.”

She says God gave her the gift of this day, and to be happy in the moment.  How many of us have that ability?  Even though, on paper, our lives are much easier with Pong’s, few of us have the spirit and the energy to attack the day that she has.  That’s why I think Pong’s true calling is to motivate others.  If you put a microphone and a crowd of people in front of that woman, you could change lives.

To learn more about Pong's story and past see previous blogs on the Portraits of Perseverance website, or watch some of her video journals also posted on the site!

By: Morgan Reed

She lights up the room

Nisha Ayub was meant to be in front of a crowd.

I watched her sing last night at a benefit for World Aids Day, (December 1^st 2011).  Nisha was part of a group of performers.  Every person was talented but Nisha’s performance was special.  She filled the room with her presence.  She chose her own rendition of “Colors of the Wind,” from the movie Pocahontas and called it “Colors of the World.”  It was creative and fitting for the occasion.

Shaz from the PT foundation wowing the crowd with a colourful performance

I only met Nisha yesterday at the Pink Triangle office where she works, but she and Sulastree were welcoming right away.  They filled me in on their schedules and Nisha invited me to hear her sing that very evening.  What a treat!

But when I say Nisha was meant to be in front of a crowd, I don’t just mean performing.  She has dedicated her life to becoming an advocate for the transgendered community.  As part of her job as Programme Manager with the Pink Triangle Foundation, Nisha often speaks at functions.  She also organizes events associated with the transgendered community in her spare time.  That means she’s a very busy lady!

To Nisha, it’s worth her spare time to spread a message of tolerance and understanding.  Because in an environment where everyone seeks to understand his/her neighbours, we are more free to reach our true potential, free of criticism and discrimination.  As Pocahontas would say, “How high will the sycamore grow?  If you cut it down, then you’ll never know!”

The more time I spend here on the other side of the world, the more I realise how much all of us have in common.





By: Morgan Reed