Charitable ways come in all shapes and sizes. These three ladies bring their own brand of cheer to those in need of a joyful smile!

The Balloon Artist
Chai Swee Lan, 43, entrepreneur
Children clamour over the balloons that Swee Lan twists into fun shapes. Balloon flowers, balloon animals, even balloon cartoon characters. It is this delight that fuels Swee Lan’s passion for balloon sculpting, a skill she picked up from her husband 12 years ago. Today, Swee Lan mostly performs at parties while her husband and daughter man their balloon stall at the Ikano Power Centre in Mutiara Damansara. “It’s cute when kids gleefully take their balloons and run to show it to their friends. Some of them have suffered so much, I feel content to see them happy.”

The Crooner
Penny Low, 39, music director & performer
For work, Penny Low writes musical scores. For fun, she strings together sounds for her acapella performances. They say music soothes the savage beast but in Penny’s case, she has used it to also entertain and raise awareness on various causes. Working with two groups, The LiT Performers and Vocalholics, Penny and her friends sing out of sheer love for music. “My favourite cause is women’s issues. I like to see girls explore their potential and reach their dreams. That’s why we get involved with groups like Pink Triangle and All Women’s Action Society of Malaysia (AWAM). Some of the ladies have had a really rough time, so we try to cheer them up with our songs.

The Storyteller
Ng Kim Chu, early 30s, educator/storyteller
Kim brings life to the stories she tells her young audience. She also exposes the children to new languages besides the joy of reading. Story time with Kim is fun because she engages her audience with much enthusiasm, as proven on the day of this interview. With this talent, she makes time to do her bit for the community. Children find sheer delight in what Kim unfolds. “No matter how tired my voice gets, the grin on their faces is payment enough for me,” says Kim with a big smile.