THERE is a saying that kindness is a wonderful way to let struggling souls to know that there is still love left in the world. Malaysian actress Sora Ma, who is based in Singapore, is a living example of this saying.
She believes in using her fame to help the underprivileged. It was her maternal grandparents who first taught her the art of kindness.
“Upon retirement, my grandparents tended a piece of land in the rural area of Sungai Petani in Kedah, where they would grow all sorts of vegetables and fruit trees,” says Ma, who has been working in the Singapore entertainment industry for nearly 20 years.
“My grandparents always shared whatever they produced on the land with poor families who had kids.
“Whenever I visited them, they would rope me in to distribute food to the needy.
“I could see the smiles on their faces as they received the food from us. My grandparents’ belief was that if one is in a position to give, they should.”
Her grandparents have since passed away, but she has not forgotten how they showed compassion to the poor and the needy.
In 2013, she started her own charity company called Heartworks. Two years later, she officially registered Heartsworks as a non-profit organisation. To date, she has organised numerous meaningful charity events benefiting residents from smaller charity homes.
“Many of these lesser known places which needed help were not as ‘popular’ with the public, and were not known to benefit from corporate [donations],” says Ma.
“Even in an affluent city like ours, there are pockets of people who sometimes need a helping hand. Heartworks strives to touch and improve the lives of women and children from disadvantaged backgrounds and the elderly. If every one of us pitches in to help, would it not be a utopia?”
Most of her charity activities are held in Singapore; however, in recent years she has been organising charity events in Malaysia, including in her hometown of Sungai Petani.
In future, she hopes to have more resources to organise large scale charity events in Malaysia.
“The smiles and tears of joy on the faces of recipients brings me and the volunteers a lot of joy. It is truly priceless!” says the actress, who hopes to produce her own films in five years.
She has great plans for her charity organisation. In future, she hopes to start a ‘befriender programme’ where she will rope in her celebrity friends and volunteers to visit orphanages and old folks’ homes for an afternoon of music, dance and games.
There are also plans to provide general house cleaning services, and refurbishing fixtures and fittings in the homes of those in need. She hopes to get volunteers to contribute their skills in areas such as personal grooming and hair cutting, as well as teaching arts and crafts to the young.
“As an actor, I am lucky to be able to be in this position of influence where I can spread awareness, as well as encourage others to join my Heartworks charity events,” she says.
“This privilege is something that I am immensely grateful for.”
Ma cites Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn as the perfect example of a celebrity who used her influence for a good cause.
“Behind the Hollywood lifestyle, where she was a fashion icon and actress, she never forgot the poor and needy,” she says.
“She rose from her challenging background as a war survivor, where as a young girl, she received help from Unicef when there was a shortage of food and medicine.
“Her experiences surely would have been traumatic and sorrowful, but it did not deter her from helping others. After retiring from acting, she continued to help impoverished children and the needy as a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef.”
Ma is certainly following in the footsteps of her idol, and putting her fame to good use.
