By: Peak Sen Chua 

About MCF

In 2000/2001, the Madeleine’s Children Fund was founded to honor the memory of Madeleine Sjönell. Madeleine was a kindergarten student at M’KIS who bravely fought cancer. Before the memorial service, Eva Sjönell, Madeleine’s mother, conveyed her wish that donations be made to help support children in Malaysia fighting their own cancer battles. This effort began the annual Madeleine Children’s Fund Week at M’KIS, where cancer prevention and awareness is combined with fundraising activities to take action against childhood cancer. 

Over the 20+ years, MCF has raised thousands of ringgit for hospitals treating childhood cancer, such as Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). The funds are used to purchase medical supplies for children with cancer and parents who cannot afford cancer treatment.

The work of the MCF is incredibly important. According to data from the National Cancer Registry Report, a total of 3,829 cases of childhood cancer in children and adolescents aged 0-19 occurred between 2012-2016 (Source). In Malaysia, 700 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with cancer every year, an average of two children per day (Source).

MCF Week 2024

The Mont Kiara International School (M'KIS) held the annual Madeleine Children's Fund (MCF) Cancer Awareness Week from October 7th to 11th, 2024.

The week began with assemblies, where students learned about the significance of MCF. Grades 3-5 attended a morning theater assembly, while younger students received age-appropriate information in their classrooms. The Middle School and High School Student Council also presented about MCF in a prior assembly.

Throughout the week, parent volunteers sold MCF-branded merchandise, including yellow T-shirts, bandanas, and umbrellas, during drop-off and pick-up times in the Main Breezeway.

The PE Department organized the annual Lap-a-Thon for Middle School and High School students, who gathered sponsors to donate based on the number of laps they ran during their one-hour session. Elementary school students participated in a Move-a-Thon on Friday in Sports Hall One.

To cap off the week, the school celebrated Alternate Dress Day, where students and staff wore yellow to show their support, with a minimum donation of RM 5 encouraged for participation. Additional contributions were welcomed to further support the cause.

With the kind contributions, M’KIS successfully raised over RM 40,000. This amount includes proceeds from Tee-Shirt Sales, Lap-a-Thon, Move-a-Thon, and individual donations. 

A Team Effort 

Parent Dzul Atfie Sahid, who played a large role in the organizing of the week, said:

"This is all a team effort. It would not have been possible without the unrelenting support from our parent volunteers during the MCF Cancer Awareness Week, for which I couldn’t thank them enough. I would also like to thank the MKIS administration, the Parent Association, faculty members, maintenance, and security staff, who also made this weeklong event a success.”

Finally, Dzul added: “Thank you to the M'KIS family and students for your generosity. MCF is not just about honoring the memory of the late Madeline Sjonell but also about giving other children out there, who are underprivileged, a fighting chance to fight an uphill battle against cancer. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the donation and immense love for children who are experiencing the fight against cancer.'