A Very Special Tribute By Duta May Bouquet-Brown

Nothing reveals the truth behind global orphan crisis more than the stories of those who live it and fight for change. I care very deeply for orphan children, foster children, street children, special needs children and community outreach children not because I am a rescuer but because I was saved, rescued, championed and adopted. From orphan to privileged and today duty of care, this is my change that I wish to see in the world.

A faultless past is something in life we all know to be true but to speak of it is taboo. This is our pure and faultless past, it is not our own doing why we became orphans and foster children. This is my journey of the unspoken truth and the sole purpose for writing my own tale to champion the rights for the equality of orphans and foster children, together our voices will echo in all hearts.

Most orphans, foster and adopted children would turn the other way in denial of the shame rather than see a life of opportunities. For me because I was reminded of how different I was every day I have realized that the mindset of society needs to conform and change in the best interest of the underprivileged children who never chose the life they were unfortunately placed in and they need to be championed for equality. Teach the less fortunate children well because they are our present and our future.

I am not ashamed of once being an orphan from only two hours old. I was born and saved on the side steps of a café shop front in Kimberley Street, Penang Island and taken to Penang General Hospital now known as Hospital Pulau Pinang where I spent ten days under strict observation. I became a ward of state and for the first four and a half years of my life I resided in an orphanage called Rumah Kanak-Kanak Taman Bakti JKMM, Kepala Batas, Penang before I was fortunate to be championed, adopted and raised in Australia.

I learnt to accept from an early age of being very different and imperfect. My faultless past cannot be changed, erased or forgotten. Inner beauty, education and compassion are the light of life’s gifts and the most important part of improving one’s self. How we feel on the inside is reflected in our eyes and we should always be proud of who we are.

This is not a sad story but a celebration of being lucky to be alive today. Words cannot convey the gratitude in my heart for being championed. To hide the story of my life’s journey is to be ashamed of my existence and for the many orphans and foster children in Malaysia, South East Asia and throughout the world.

The proceeds from all sales of May-Belle, a children’s story book of a little orphan girl will go 100% directly to champion orphan children, foster children, special needs children and community outreach children through the provision of First Aid Kits, First Aid Training Courses, Humane Education Programs, High School Work Experience Programs, Vocational Education Training and Apprenticeships to help them help themselves throughout Penang, Kedah and Malaysia. The Legacy Mission is to stop by lessening the hopelessness cycle repeating of orphaning and abandonment of children by changing their lives with support for a promising future. To take their weaknesses and make them much stronger for a lifetime of opportunities is of the utmost importance.

The endeavour is to keep the coming of age orphans and foster children off the streets and out of harms way therefore it is imperative that they learn skills and tools to fend for themselves to be independent. To stop the hopelessness cycle of the growing number coming of age orphans and foster children from repeating their faultless past by instilling into them to always think positively with self-acceptance, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-integrity, self-pride, self-worth, self-value and faith for their careers ahead. For orphan children, foster children, street children, special needs children and community outreach children to stand on the united rock of Malaysia’s combined love of races, religions and faiths together as one heart that saves them.

Super Heroes Sunday on the Wings Of Goodwill is a Not-For-Profit Children’s Charity Carnival. Exclusively to celebrate the less fortunate and underprivileged children of Penang to raise awareness, support and understanding the gifts of our faultless Children of the Universe. Empowering our future generations to help them develop their roles as future everyday ambassadors with people, animals, nature, heritage and not-for-profit volunteerism so that their decisions are founded on a deeply rooted caring ethic of humanity in Penang.

The Penang Children’s Charity Carnival is in conjunction with the introduction to the launch of a very special project by the Wings Of Goodwill, a children's storybook "May-Belle" which tells a story about the unspoken truth of a little orphan and the self-acceptance of her faultless past to help improve the equality in the lives of countless other faultless Children of the Universe.

A weekend of fun filled games, humane education programs and featuring an array of talents from Penang and Kuala Lumpur. In honor of the orphanages, foster homes and community outreach services of 25 Penang’s Children’s Organizations by joining together to commemorate their work beliefs, values and the moral benefits of making a positive differences which they will greatly benefit. This large scale cause will also serve to bring people together and create a sense of national community, spirit and pride.

I exposed to the world that I was once an orphan who had been born on the streets. Many orphan children are born under far more worst circumstances which they will have to live with that every day because they will never have the opportunity to be championed like I was. They will continue to live on without love, little hope and no direction or purpose only to fall into the hopelessness cycle.

I continue to wear my heart on my sleeve to champion the rights for equality for each and every faultless child of the Universe in Malaysia for the unspoken truth that people fear to speak about orphans which is usually the most profound and revolutionary, and should not be hidden. Because of my great love for Malaysia and my faultless orphan and foster sisters and brothers, no matter what their background or where they were born, their dreams are valid. May-Belle is inspired by my unconditional love for faultless children to help bring closure with self-acceptance and the hope that they never let shame keep them from celebrating the life they so richly deserve.

I am Eurasian of Malay, Chinese and English parentage and was blessed to be adopted to a Malaysian Chinese family when I was 4 and a half years old. I am a living proof that each and every child needs a family and there truly is beauty in the eyes of orphan children of empowerment when they are given the extraordinary blessing to be adopted and championed. I truly believe Every Faultless Child Needs A Family.

When I first heard the word OrphanCARE http://www.orphancare.org.my/ on June 2011, I envisioned a “baby safe haven”. In August 2012, Muslim Aid Malaysia http://muslimaid.org.my/ and Kindness Malaysia http://www.kindness.my/ took me to visit the wonders of a baby hatch, OrphanCARE and it was explained to me in depth the OrphanCARE Foundation’s mission and vision. It touched me more profoundly than I thought anything could.

Unlike, my biological mother who passed away from loss of blood after giving birth to me on the street side step, many abandoned babies are thrown into the streets, the garbage, the rivers, sewers and toilets in Malaysia. In the rubbish bin is the occasional abandoned new born, sometimes alive, sometimes dead. Hearing about this is heartbreaking.

We must ensure all faultless children of the Universe have a healthy beginning and are protected from abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence. We must improve access to community health services, address their needs and rights, provide quality education for street children and others at risk, and seek to reintegrate the children back into local communities and society. We must create a powerful and long term dramatic change for the lives of thousands of underprivileged and less fortunate children across Malaysia.

We can leave a better planet for our children and we can also leave better children for our planet too. Most importantly, it is our moral obligations to leave a legacy that is worthy of our children and of future generations with the strength to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and circumstances to not only survive but also thrive spiritually, emotionally, academically and enjoy what the future brings. Children are our most greatest, most precious and most valuable natural resource for the future.

I dedicate my life's work and humanitarian endeavours in Malaysia and South East Asia to my beautiful family as a gift and truly extraordinary blessing for saving, rescuing, championing and adopting me. I am very proud to say the goodwill, kindness and not-for-profit volunteerism movement is based with self-value and achieved on my own merits. I was an orphan, I had been championed, now I am championing my sisters and brothers, the children of the Universe in Malaysia and this is my way of saying, Saya Sayang Dan Terima Kasih Malaysia.

Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield

By Alfred Lord Tennyson

........ THUS THE LEGACY MISSION TO CHAMPION ........

Orphans Always Make The Best Recruits, Always With Love, Light And Goodwill