Melaka Restaurant Owner Shares The Moving Reason This 13-Year-Old Is Working
"You have two hands, one to help yourself, the second to help others."
By Yap Wan Xiang — 22 Nov 2019, 07:26 PM
A Facebook post detailing how a 13-year-old boy begged a restaurant owner in Melaka for a job so he could help reduce the financial burden of his family has gone viral
The Facebook post was originally uploaded on 17 November by Amelia Tamby Hussin, an entrepreneur who owns the restaurant where the boy came asking for a job.
The restaurant, named Nasi Beriani Haji Tamby Padang, is located in Taman Pertam Jaya, Melaka.
She related how the boy, whom she assumed came from a not so well-to-do family due to the worn out clothes he wore, visited her restaurant and humbly asked for a job about two weeks ago.
Amelia's post eventually got picked up by other Facebook pages, where one post was liked over 21,000 times and has been shared by 1,800 netizens at the time of writing.
In her post, Amelia wrote that the boy, named Iskandar, wanted a job so that he could make enough money to cover his school expenses
According to Amelia, when she asked him what was the reason for working at such a young age, the boy replied that he wanted to help lighten his parents' financial burden.
"School holidays are about to start. If I can get a job here, I will be able to afford to buy school clothes and pay relevant school fees later," the 13-year-old told Amelia.
"I want to reduce the burden on my parents' shoulder."
Moved by Iskandar's motivation, the restaurant owner gave him the job
Amelia told Iskandar that he could start working on weekends even before the school holiday began.
"Don't forget to pass the money (you have made) to your father," Amelia gave Iskandar a small warning, to which Amelia was met with an assuring reply.
"That is what I'm planning to do," said the 13-year-old, according to Amelia's post.
"I have no interest in playing, I prefer to work on school holidays. Thank you, auntie and uncle, for allowing me to work here."
Speaking to SAYS following her viral post, Amelia said that she was elated when a boy like Iskandar came to her for help
She said that bringing Iskandar into her restaurant will not increase the cost of her business.
"I love to help children like Iskandar because they are responsible," Amelia told SAYS.
"Because they chose not to waste time during the two-month long school holiday."
According to her, Iskandar was shy when he first started working at her restaurant, but after some encouragement and teaching him how to be confident, he no longer faces any problem in taking and delivering orders for customers.
Amelia related that her restaurant has been in operation for the past 11 years and she has helped many children along the way
(Left to right) Nasi Beriani Haji Tamby Padang restaurant owner Amelia Tamby Hussin with one of her customers.
Image via Amelia Tamby Hussin/Facebook"There are school holidays every year and we have received many children asking for a job," she said.
"Some of them don't have parents, some of their parents work as lorry drivers," she said, adding that some parents even asked if their children could work for her.
Amelia said that working during the school holidays can prevent children from being involved in dangerous activities
"There are many cases of child death due to activities involving 'basikal lajak' and swimming in a river, lake, or dam," Amelia told SAYS.
"Working makes their school holidays more productive and their parents don't need to worry about their safety."
According to Amelia, "We need to help other children, like how we hope our children will be helped (in society)" as the responsibility to grow and educate children can come from anyone
She ended her viral post with a quote from American teacher, Sam Levenson, which read:
You have two hands, one to help yourself, the second to help others.
