has been a crazy, yet impactful year for the Picha Girls. Not only have we been able to grow to 12 families, our team has also expanded! So in case any of you were wondering who the lovely girls behind Picha are, here is that chance ☺

While introducing, we also want to share with you a little more about the team, so we asked them the following questions!

1. What was the biggest challenge you overcame in and how did you do it?
2. What are your New Years Resolutions/ What are the goals that you see to accomplish?

Let’s see what they have to share with us! 😉

KANJANA
Marketing Hero (Nov – Current)

Challenge Overcome: My biggest challenge was actually getting the guts to quit my corporate job (despite being comfortable – money and working hours wise) and to join something a little less traditional and more fulfilling. And the even bigger challenge was telling my Indian parents about it!

Goals: I have always been a person who always played it safe and stayed within my comfort zone. In the coming year, I will push myself to step outside of this bubble and tell myself that new experiences, however uncomfortable, will make myself stronger and more adept for what is to come in life.

NURUL ATIKAH
Marketing Hero (Sept Current)

Challenge Overcome: Previously, I was scared of kids (I am still, but recovering. Lol). Especially those loud kids who say whatever they want. But Picha kids have made me go ‘awww’ all the time and they are super sweet! So yeah, I think we’re good now. Haha!

Goals: Besides learning the art of networking with people (you have no idea how I can get awkward. No joke. And I’m in marketing. Now how bout that?), I want to send my Iraqi brother and sister to a better school in Iraq (in case you’re wondering how’s that Iraqi family thing happened, they’re my best friend’s family which I take as mine). If every thing goes well, I want to bring my Iraqi family to Malaysia for a short visit end of next year. And it’ll be our first meeting! Yayy!

ILA
Operations Boss (Jun - Current)

Challenge Overcome: The biggest challenge that I overcame this year, is in my decision making. Before this, I was not strong enough to make decisions as I was always afraid of failing, which would be difficult to accept later on. So, I pushed myself and tried to be confident and take responsibility as this is a learning process for later on in life. I learnt that it is okay to make mistakes and learn from it because experiences is the best teacher in life.

Goals: In terms of work, I would focus on time management and work efficiency. I need to put myself out there and force myself to learn more and be better than I was last year. Believe in yourself, before you can believe in others.

YONG YEE
CSR Project Manager / The Mysterious YY (Sept - Current)

Challenge Overcome: has been a year of making tough decisions. “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Here are some of the mini challenging decisions made throughout the year: a) Started a new little venture to proliferate tools and techniques for problem solving (or some like to call it Design Thinking). b) Got myself certified as a Community Football Coach, so that I can start using football as a tool for social change. c) Allocated time to learn, empathise and give back to a community (Picha and the refugees families).

Goals: So research found that only 8% of the New Year resolutions were achieved. To make resolutions more achievable, here are some figures I thought would help to track and clinch the goals. a) Run a Full Marathon in the first 6 months. b) Improve access of underprivileged community to skills and health through football camps and creative problem solving in 3 different communities. c) Spend at least 20 hours a week in advocating for refugees community.

KIM LIM
Picha Brain (Jan - Current)

Challenge Overcome: My challenge in was trying to deal with different emotions in the work I do. From losing family members to working with different partners/collaborators and understanding more on how the world really works. At times, I just feel so drained and somehow lose myself in between emotionally. However, trying to turn these emotions into motivations was also much challenging, and honestly, I’m still trying my best to overcome it but I’m very fortunate to have supporting partners, families and team to help go through this together.

Goals: Personally, I would like to travel Europe and South America! However, the utmost priority is building an A-team in Picha to continuously impact many more people that are in need. Building a team of conscious and self-sustaining members is not going to be easy but it’s worth trying

SWEE LIN
Numbers Queen & Discipline Master (Jan - Current)

Challenge Overcome: I went out of my comfort zone this year which I only just realized. I always thought of myself as a person who is already outside my comfort zone for 2 years now, but nope, I am still in that little bubble of mine. I am slowly trying to get out of it with the support of my partners and team.

Goals: I want to do something which I have never done (what that exactly is, I am still not sure!) But most importantly, I don’t want to fear the unknown anymore.

SUZANNE LING
Picha Loud Speaker (Jan - Current)

Challenge Overcome: Learning to love what I do. I used to really hate doing marketing and sales (which is my main role in Picha), and that made me feel very bitter and frustrated all the time because I felt that marketing isn’t something that I could excel in. In, I told myself that instead of feeling so frustrated all the time, let’s learn to love what I used to dislike. (I successfully brainwashed myself and now i LOVE what i do!). Another challenge was losing Zaza, which was very painful. But with the support from the Picha team and family, the pain was shared, and we turned it into something positive and started #thezazamovement.

Goals: To push myself beyond what I’m doing now, to be “uncomfortable” and feel challenged again, grow more, and embrace uncertainties.

SABRINA HOONG
Our First Intern! (Sept - Nov)

Challenge Overcome: was a year of self-learning and self-discovery. I was having a hard time dealing with personal loss and grief that I lost a sense of self. I had to constantly fill myself with positive thoughts and gratitude knowing that the world out there is big and many others are suffering far worse. We are a tiny speck of dust in the infinite universe. Over time, I shifted my focus from inner pain to hard work on my passion in human rights, finally got my desired job, stayed happy and healed myself.

Goals: Consume sustainably, swim, yoga and meditate more. Be a better person inside out - physically, mentally and emotionally - to be able to do more good for others and Mother Earth. And also, of course stay in constant quest for knowledge - my ultimate resolution for is to be enrolled for masters course in LLM Human Rights!

KEW LI WEN
Funniest Intern Ever (Jul – Aug)

Challenge Overcome: The biggest challenge I faced in was definitely during the internship period with The Picha Project! (laugh) But this challenge has moulded me and opened up my eyes to a brand new world, specifically on the operations of a social enterprise. Since I don’t have any experience in a business field, I had to learn from scratch from my dear bosses. The learning process was challenging as I have to pick up everything very quickly, but I found myself enjoying work at Picha. Seeing the refugee families work very hard for a living, yet always welcoming me with open arms and my crazy intern friends whom I loved so much, often showering me with jokes and words of encouragement that enabled me to walk through this journey 🙂

Goals: In, I put myself once again outside of my comfort zone, walking into the unknown, diving into uncertainties, to see how far I can go in this life. I will kickstart the year of by volunteering in Africa for two months, of course everyone around me thought I had gone crazy. By doing this, I hope to reach out to the community that I would have never had a chance to connect with before, building life and love together with them. In, I hope I can keep learning, stay humble and hungry, and give back to society.

NAJWA
Most Detailed Intern (May – Aug)

Challenge Overcome: Adapting to being an adult, I spent more time interacting with those who are older than me, getting their insights, travel and plan everything on my own and try to settle my problems more calmly and wisely, and control my spending.

Goals: I don’t have any specific resolutions but in general I want to learn about myself better, love myself so eventually I can find what I can give to people around me.

COAN LIM
Cutest Intern (Jan - Mar)

Challenge Overcome: My biggest challenge in was my internship in the Picha Project. Firstly, I’ve stepped out from my own comfort zone and chose a start up social enterprise instead of a prominent company. Then, the challenges during the internship process are uncountable yet they are all golden lesson. Though it’s a challenging journey, but I had fun.

Goals: My new year resolution is to improve myself by lessen down the clumsiness of mine and be more alert with the surroundings. By so, I will be able to gain more trust from colleagues and people around me.

BENITA RAJ
Most Cheerful Intern (Nov – Dec)

Challenge Overcome: This year my hardest challenge I had to go through was in my first semester, I was very stressed out 1 week before finals, as I was pushing to hit all my goals. To make things worse, I also fractured my leg & had to go through physical & mental pain to push through.

Goals: No more breaking legs lol and to just keep pushing myself & learn from my mistakes. (Like Dory just keep swimming swimming swimming)

LAURA WONG
Open House Sifu (Sep – Dec)

Challenge Overcome: By changing my mindset to approach failure differently. That failure isn’t necessary always a bad thing. It’s an opportunity for me to learn new things and to do them better.

Goals: Explore new things, never be afraid to fail and to read at least 1 book.

MIN CHIA
Most Steady Intern (Nov - Dec)  ||  E-lluminate Co-Founder (Current)

Challenge Overcome: My biggest challenge this year was juggling between multiple roles and managing my time, as I was finishing up my final semester in university while helping to build up e-lluminate. I am still learning to set my priorities and understand my limits.

Goals: Have gratitude towards people and give support to each other rather than putting others down. I would also like to focus on the journey which includes success and failure rather than focusing only on the end result

Happy New Year from the Picha Project! Let’s continue to empower more lives this year, together.