by KT Leong & Sumathi Annamalai from YI
Twenty children with special needs alongside their families and a dedicated team of therapists and educators embarked on a journey to KidZania Kuala Lumpur, showing that every child deserves to explore, to dream, and to shine.
The trip took place on 7 May, starting at 6.30 am, with a bus taking off from Yayasan Ipoh. For many of the twenty children, this was their very first bus journey.
Organised by the Yayasan Ipoh (YI) Early Intervention Programme (EIP) & Daycare, the “Inclusion & Empowerment” trip brought together children living with a range of conditions including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Down Syndrome, Nail Patella Syndrome, Global Developmental Delay (GDD), isolated speech delay, and speech and language challenges. They were accompanied by their families and a dedicated support team of thirteen therapists and EIP day care educators.
The initiative, conceived by the EIP team, received the full and enthusiastic backing of Yayasan Ipoh’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Dr. Ramanathan Ramiah, and the organisation’s management team.
Before departure, parents were carefully briefed on the objectives of the trip: to expose the children to real-world role-play experiences in an inclusive, sensory-friendly environment; to build confidence and independence; and to create a space for families to connect more deeply with their children away from the daily routine of therapy and classroom sessions.
“The entire idea was to empower these children to let them see themselves as capable, creative, and full of potential. KidZania gave us the perfect stage to do exactly that.” stated the YI EIP Day Care Team.
Inside KidZania, the children threw themselves into an extraordinary range of activities.
For many families, the trip carried a significance that stretched far beyond the activities inside KidZania. Parents reported that for several children, the journey itself was a milestone. That seemingly simple experience, for a child whose world is often shaped by medical appointments, therapy sessions, and carefully managed routines, was nothing short of momentous.
Dato’ Dr. Ramanathan Ramiah and the management of YI expressed deep pride in the team who conceptualised and executed the trip, and in the parents whose trust and enthusiastic support made the whole endeavour possible. The CEO noted that initiatives such as this sit at the very heart of Yayasan Ipoh’s mission: to champion inclusion, to believe in the potential of every child regardless of ability, and to walk alongside families not just the children in their care on that journey.
The “Inclusion & Empowerment” KidZania trip is a testament to what happens when a community chooses to believe in its children.
