A Positive Force For Change
Photo (above): M.A.D. Ambassadors Hannah Tan (second from left) and Jenn Chia (third from left) listening to inspiring stories
Looking to make an impact for the betterment of society?
Here‘s how 21 M.A.D. Days did it!
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
— Anne Frank
When we think about making a difference in the world, we probably think about big achievements and extraordinary feats that create significant changes in society.
We all want to look for the next Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi. But what if we could actually change the world even when we are not doing seemingly “great” things like the people mentioned above? That’s the main message of 21 M.A.D. Days.
What we stand for
21 M.A.D. Days is a social movement and campaign by Leaderonomics to empower anyone to make a difference wherever they are.
M.A.D. stands for “Making A Difference” and we believe that the smallest of acts can often make the biggest difference.
Everyone has the capacity to create change with whatever limited resources they have. The only thing to do is make the decision to do so.
The campaign, launched on Sept 16 on Malaysia Day, aimed to get people to embark on a 21-day journey to break out from their usual comfort zones and make a difference by doing one simple act a day.
Throughout the campaign, people who decided to join the M.A.D. movement (we call them “GoMADders”) took on a set of daily challenges comprising of acts such as starting a conversation with a complete stranger, catching up with an old friend, thanking someone they usually don’t get to, eating healthier for the day, and giving three people a hug to make their day.
As they took on the daily challenges, the GoMADders shared their experiences on social media to inspire friends and family to go M.A.D. too.
That way, one simple act, such as giving a colleague a hug, is no longer merely an encouragement to the person receiving the hug, but a potential catalyst to create a more empowering culture in the workplace.
Pulling together as one
With the goal of inspiring more people to be a GoMADder, other individuals, organisations and companies have joined the movement to do something within their respective capacities to go M.A.D. in their own ways.
Local establishments Chai Bar (salad bar) and Gee & Geek (café) offered discounts and promotions especially for 21 M.A.D. Days as their way of making a difference through the campaign.
Both outlets lent their spaces as M.A.D. hubs, where people could get to know more about the campaign as well as get their physical M.A.D. challenge kits (comprising of a t-shirt, M.A.D. journal and hand-drawn cards designed by @themakerjess).
21 M.A.D Days was a resounding success because of our Challenge Collaborator and sponsor Cadbury Malaysia. Our beverage sponsors Chatime Malaysia provided 100 cups of drinks to refresh the MAD Celebration attendees.
Everybody wins
During the closing event at Menara Star, GoMADders shared inspiring experiences from their campaign.
Three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were also present to inspire the attendees to make a difference however they can.
The NGOs present were Refuge For The Refugees, DropZone (a youth inspiration centre), and AIESEC from Taylor’s University. Each one of them are making a difference in the community and across the nation.
Eleven of the most inspiring submissions were shortlisted and awards were given out to the top three most inspiring stories, which were selected by a combination of online voting, judges’ evaluation and votes from the attendees at the event.
Three complementary flight tickets were sponsored by AirAsia to fly the grand award recipient and two other friends to Sabah to work on a project with Habitat For Humanity, building houses for the underprivileged in the area.
Accommodation worth RM2,400 was also awarded to the grand award recipient by our sponsor AirAsiaGo for their trip while they go and make a difference to the community there.
Big thanks to our Silver Award Sponsor, Paragliders Malaysia for two free flights!
Overall, the 21 M.A.D. Days campaign has inspired individuals to realise that they have the power to make a difference through small acts of kindness, generosity and giving.
More importantly, these small acts can inspire others to do the same. Now, what can you do today to make a difference?
21 M.A.D. Days will be back in 2016 to inspire more people to go M.A.D!
You can help to make a difference in someone’s life. Join us at:
Daniel Lee is a part of the Leaderonomics Youth team. He is a wheelchair marathoner, sitting volleyball player and a person dedicated to nurturing leaders of the future. He believes it’s not how you start but how you persevere throughout and end a race that counts the most. If you would like to know how your organisation can plan and manage a CSR project for the community, get in touch with Daniel today at daniel.lee@leaderonomics.com. For more Pay It Forward articles, click here.
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