Oct 18, 2017
SOLS Foundation Response
8yThank you for the review, please allow us to clarify as there seems to be a skewed perspective which we would like to address.
Professionalism: Thank you for recognizing the professional conduct and processes for onboarding! Our HR team has worked very hard on trying to strike a balance between being structured while not overly-bureaucratic & complex.
International volunteering norms: Check online and many NGOs & connecting orgs charge a fee for placement (often this fee would include bed/food/transport) or if they dont charge, then volunteers (vols) would find & pay their own. As an NGO we dont have the ability to pay for flight tickets for our vols. We hope to in the future! We DO try to provide a safe, simple space for vols to crash & subsidise their food via our canteen. You mentioned only one serving of meat was allowed & that is true BECAUSE we also cook for our scholarship students from underprivileged backgrounds. As they have different timing due to classes, we need to ensure that there is enough food left when they return. If our vols ate all the food, they would go hungry- not the best feeling! Thus, it is with mutual respect that the teams ensure that they eat in moderation for there to be enough for all. The staples of rice/noodles & vegetables are of course not subject to the same limitation. It’s a pity you are not with us, as the team has given amazing feedback about the food with mashed potatoes & burgers being instagrammed from our canteen in the past few weeks. You are always welcome back to try out the food! In terms of accommodation, it is never a requirement for the vols to stay in the provided dorm. In fact, we always ask if they would like to stay externally or make use of the simple service we provide. Most of the time, vols choose to stay in the dorms, especially for the beginning until they are comfortable to find accommodation outside if necessary. Our contracts are all in accordance with the Malaysian Labour Law, there isn’t anything out of the ordinary with any other org in the country. If a vols violates a clause in the contract, we would, as any org, fall back on the contract in order to ensure that the rights of the team member & org are fairly followed through. Every team member gets the National & State holidays off as well as 10 days annual leave (which is more than the stipulated amount of 8 days according to Malaysian law…you’re welcome!) In terms of dismissal, it is once again in alignment with the Malaysian law that is fair to both vols and org.
Training & Material: As you were based in the HQ, Bahasa would be of use if you traveled to rural communities & were based there (or if you were stuck in a cab with a driver who couldn’t speak English!). Please do check Malaysian news as there are almost daily articles on the need for improvement in the language, especially amongst school leavers.
Our books & online material have gone through numerous reviews on a yearly basis. The English programme is basic as we want EVERYONE to be able to speak. Once they progress, then we will gradually increase the complexity of the lessons. We believe that smart people make difficult things simple, while those who need to feel smart make simple things difficult & complex =)
SOLS Social Enterprises (SE) and our CEO: Thank you for giving us the opportunity and platform to explain this, we have kept it under wraps as our CEO did not want to share his philanthropy practices (most cultures are taught not to ‘show off’ your philanthropy). It is true that our CEO is successful, he has been recognized as one of the top young social entrepreneurs in the country & puts in a LOT of hours & sacrifices building businesses that provide a service to humanity while being sustainable. Just to be clear, SOLS SE is COMPLETELY different from the NGO you were based in. They have separate registrations: Our NGO is tax-exempt, with audited accounts EVERY year. Our SE’s are registered as businesses with a social service outcome. As CEO of the SE’s, our CEO gives back much of his income to running various NGO programmes. Ex: He was the main funder for our youth development centres in Sabah & KL, with more than 100 underprivileged students getting free daily food, boarding, education. He sponsored free mental health checks via our SOLS Health programme & much more. Other corporate CEO’s have the right to spend their money the way they see fit, as does our CEO. You see a Maserati, but dont see the time spent hustling, nor the many other donations & assistance he gives with his own money to Malaysian communities. We dont blame you for making this assumption, as you did not take the time to do an independent investigation of truth, instead used a tool of perception that wasnt holistic. At the end of the day we always wish you the very best in your future. On our end, we humbly & continuously continue to reflect, improve & work towards our goals of serving, educating and empowering those in need.