SPOT (Soroptimist Puberty Organising Toolkit) Community Project is a project by Siti Aishah Hassan Hasri, born out of a deep frustration surrounding sexual and reproductive health education for young people. With the topic still being a taboo subject in these parts of the world, it’s disheartening to know that many young girls today can still be silenced, not knowing what to do, even after experiencing sexual assault. It’s a cause close to Aishah’s heart, as she herself was a victim of sexual assault as a child, whose parents were unsure of how to respond to the situation since the perpetrator was a trusted member of the community. “This lack of support and understanding made me realise the critical need for open conversations and education on these issues, motivating me to create SPOT and the safe space for such dialogues to happen,” she tells us.
“I was that child who was left voiceless and confused. I understand the pain of not having the language or support to articulate what I went through,” she continues. She wanted SPOT to be that platform to provide young girls with education, having open and respectful conversations with them, and consequently empowering them to understand their rights, set boundaries, and seek help when needed. But as anyone can guess, trying to advocate for sexual health education in a country like ours comes with its fair share of challenges. Now in its tenth year of inception, SPOT still faces criticism for what it does. “People accuse us of encouraging promiscuity or challenging cultural norms,” Aishah says. “But these misconceptions come from a lack of understanding. What keeps me going are the stories of empowerment from our participants. Knowing that our work has helped young people set boundaries, seek help, or simply feel seen and heard drives us.”
Thankfully, it’s not all bad news and challenges in the past decade. One particularly memorable incident was when an audience member’s mother became a SPOT volunteer out of sheer curiosity. Her daughter had attended a SPOT programme at school and went home, telling her mother about what she learned about sexual and reproductive health. The mother and daughter continued their conversation around the subjects of sexual and reproductive health, which inspired the former to find out what SPOT was all about. “She brought her best friend with her, trained with SPOT as a trainer, and they helped deliver our programme afterwards,” recalls Aishah. “She became one of our best supporters, and her daughter, who was once our student participant, now volunteers for us.” It’s stories like these that reaffirm to Aishah the impact of creating safe spaces for open dialogues and the work SPOT does.
Aishah, inadvertently, becomes a mother figure to these students who seek guidance from her beyond the SPOT sessions. “When the girls share personal stories and look to me for support, these connections are profound. There’s trust and responsibility placed upon me, and I do my best to be a consistent, supportive presence in their lives,” she says proudly. As for her personal mother figures? She remembers her two grandmothers: “One was a politician, the other a community organiser; one a child-bride, the other illiterate. Despite their differences, they were both grassroots activists who contributed immensely to their communities with humility and audacious leadership. They taught me the importance of leading with empathy, standing firm in one’s convictions, and believing in the transformative power of community engagement.”
This year, SPOT hits its biggest milestone yet and will be speaking at 250 schools in Malaysia with its educational programme. These programme modules are structured and designed in alignment with the International Technical Guidance of Sexuality Education, which Aishah ensures applies to our local audience. SPOT relies heavily on volunteers for these programmes, and they are the “village” in which Aishah helps raise sexually educated young girls: “It’s a collective effort, definitely. Each person brings unique strengths, from facilitating sessions to advocating for our cause in their communities. It’s this collaborative spirit that sustains and propels our mission forward.”
Want to be an advocate of SPOT Community Project? Make a donation or be a trained volunteer! hellospotgirl.com
Photography: Edmund Lee
Creative Direction & Styling: Joseph Cheng
Hair: Zac Lee
Makeup: Eranthe Loo
Art Direction: Shane Rohaizad
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