Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Back-To-School Program for Pusat Jagaan Beribuan Kasih

26 November 2011  -  Today, we bring with us the charitable spirit of our friends and kind benefactors to this Home in Kajang.  Even though they were not there in person to hand-over their gifts and contributions but their generosity and kindness is deeply felt and appreciated by the Caretaker, Miss Kavitha and her kids.  I have taken the initiative to tag each gift and contribution with the respective “Uncles” and “Aunties” names so that the kids may thank them personally in their hearts and prayers.  Strangers they may be to each other and physically apart but their love and kindness made them all “family” in heart.  These kids’ plight have touched the hearts of these kind donors, who contributed in one form or another, big or small, to ensure that their schooling needs for 2012 are fulfilled.  
 
Our initial intention was to source for sponsorship of uniforms and shoes only, but as word got around among friends, gifts in form of stationery started pouring in too.  Apart from ourselves, the following persons have generously contributed towards the uniforms for the 14 kids.  A Big THANK YOU is not even enough to express our appreciation and gratitude to them;  Mrs. Tong, Mr. Ravi, Encik Masran & Friends, Mr. Alex Teng, Madam Lee Seok Fong. 

Mr. Woo, is another Good Samaritan, who big-heartedly contributed 14 BATA vouchers for the school shoes.  My dear sister, even though a bit financially tight, also put in her contribution in form of school socks. 

The gifts of stationery were caring thoughts from Encik Zaidi, who sponsored a whole bag of stationery goodies, Encik Aliakbar who approached Hubby with a stack of colour pencils for the kids and again Mr. Alex Teng, who apart from sponsoring 3 sets of uniforms also bought each kid a pencil case with stationery.
From Uncle Zaidi with Love
From Uncle Aliakbar with Love
From Uncle Alex with Love
The tender side of Hubby

Musical Chairs 

The kids’ elated faces on seeing these goodies are priceless.  They are such appreciative dears, simple things can bring so much joy to them.  Maybe it just goes to show how sadly lacking their lives are.  They not only hunger for food but also for love and warmth.  And dear Hubby, acknowledging this fact, took time to interact with them.  The kids were joyous to be showered attention upon and were seen happily chatting away with Hubby.  A few of them proudly showed him their trophy, a symbol of their achievement in school. 

While Hubby and kids sportingly obliged the kids with a game of Musical Chairs, I took this moment to talk to some of the dear old folks.  On our last trip, one of the them told us how sad she was to lose her rosary, so we presented her with a new one which Hubby’s friend obtained from his Church.  Upon seeing this, an old uncle shyly asked if he could have a Buddha pendant and another asked for Mantra bead bracelet.  This will definitely be on our list when we visit them next.



By the way, cooking in this Home will no longer pose a danger as Hubby bought them a brand-new gas stove to replace the broken one and also thoughtfully got them a bigger Wok to cater to the large quantity of cooking done.

The rain that pour upon us as we left this Home could not cool off the warmth in our hearts, put there by the lovely kids and our good friends charitable deeds.  These kids can now look forward to going to school with pride in their new uniforms and white shoes and new stationery.  They may be deprived of their natural parents' love and care but the caring uncles' and aunties' kind generosity saw to it that they can also start school just like other kids.


 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

A Cry From Segamat

10 Nov 2011  -  A few days ago, I had this strange urge to call up Melissa, the caretaker of Selva Home For The Special Ones in Segamat to enquire how things are with them since our last visit in June.  We exchanged the usual pleasantries for a while before she broke down and cried.  It turned out that she was having sleepless nights and at her wits’ end as to how to solve the current crisis looming over her head.  Their financial is in dire straits due to lack of contributions coming in and they have been issued the Notice of Termination by both Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Syarikat Air Johor (SAJ) for utility bill arrears amounting to RM2000. Supply will be disconnected if payment is not settled by 10 November.  My heart went out to her upon hearing this and immediately called up Hubby to see how much we can afford to help. Bless dear Hubby’s big heart, he offered to approach some friends in Segamat to chip in and help settle the full outstanding amount, definitely not a small sum. Within the hour, Hubby managed to secure commitment from his Sangha brothers in a Segamat temple and another friend from his hometown. 
Achieving this within such short span of time is no mean feat and thanks to Hubby and his kind-hearted friends, Melissa is able to settle the outstanding bills. Melissa’s relief is apparent in her breaking voice when the news is related to her.  Dear Hubby and his friends were likened to angels who came to the rescue and offered the light of hope to her when she was drowning in darkness.  Words can’t describe the pride I feel for Hubby for going out of his way to render his help.  My initial intention was just to extend some amount of financial help to lighten Melissa’s debt but Hubby went a step further and solved the situation for her.  Her gratefulness to Hubby is equivalent to the pride I feel for this dear man.  Someone once told Hubby that he is lucky to have me as his wife, a fact which I refuted, and instead told her that it is I who is blessed to have him as my husband.  My appreciation and respect also goes to Hubby’s friends whose compassion for the unfortunate rose above doubts and wariness upon hearing the Home's plight, and they responded to the call of help, readily and unconditionally.  They have not met Melissa and in time to come they may even forget this day, but rest assured Melissa will never forget them.
Some say that what we did is akin to putting out a fire, only to have other fires litting up elsewhere in future.  Well, everyone is entitled to their views and both Hubby’s and mine are that the least we can do is put out whatever fire that is in front of us if we are able to. Hopefully, another kind soul will help put out the next fire and so forth. We are fully aware of the various problems in running a Home, especially for one in a less-caring community where contributions is almost non-existent.  People judge too easily, doubt too much and care too little. A little help goes a long way and gives people like Melissa and other Homes’ owners the motivation to strive on.  They are doing good for the society...they take in the abandoned ones, they clothe and feed the homeless and the helpless,  they care for those special ones whose family are unable to do so, they take in the abused and give them love. Theirs is not a profit-driven venture but rather one that driven by love and compassion.  They are the Angels that God put on Earth to take care of the unfortunate ones.

A Big Thank You to Hubby and Friends for being the Candle that brought Light to this Home

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

An Unexpected Discovery in Kajang

15 October 2011 - We stumbled upon this Home by chance when we were in Kajang to shop for some technical stationery  for elder son who is studying in a college there. Kajang is an unfamiliar territory for Hubby but his navigative skills manage to bring us into and out of Kajang town without much problem.  On the way back, we bypassed this rather run-down looking Home with badly faded signboard just by the side of the road.  We made a mental note to stop by the next time we are in town.
That “next time” happen to be a fortnight later…
View from the road, only the left half belongs to the Home

The Home's Entrance

29 October 2011 - The Home which has been an image on my mind finally had a name attached to it, Pusat Ribuan Kasih (Thousands of Love Care Centre).  As it was an impromptu visit, we did not get to meet the Caretaker, all the kids and a few of the old folks as they had gone out for a Deepavali function.  Staying behind were 7 elderly folks with mobility problems, 4 grannies resting in the porch and living area, and 3 grandpas resting in their room. However, we managed to make our acquaintance with a young Indian guy, who we found out was a former resident there and now helps out around the Home.  He showed us around and we saw many pitiful sights around the Home.  However, it was those worn out school shoes drying out in the sun which tugged at our heartstrings and ignited our desire to help these kids with their new school year needs such as uniforms, shoes and stationery. 
There are many more pairs just like these….
With those images etched in my mind, I called up the Caretaker, Miss Kavitha, on the following Monday to find out more on the Home, especially on the kids' schooling needs.  Preparing the kids for the new school year can be a yearly nightmare for parents but the burden is many times heavier on Homes.  In the past years, Kavitha will prepare a list of the kids’ name, sex and age and seek sponsorship from friends and visitors for the uniforms and shoes.  Due to her limitation in resources and contacts, this is a slow and tedious process. The Home will have 14 school-going kids next year, 1 in Kindergarten, 8 in Primary and 5 in Secondary.  Based on the latest pricing obtained, the approximate cost to sponsor one pair of uniform and one pair of shoes for each kid is around RM65 to RM85.  The total cost for all the 14 kids is estimated at RM1,000. 
5 November 2011 - We decided to drop by the Home again and meet up with Kavitha.  Upon learning that they are short on certain grocery items like rice, oil, Milo, tea, milk, sugar, we purchased them the night before and brought them along with us but we found out later that the “hole” to be plugged is bigger than we thought…  The contents of their store room;  few packets of instant mee, few packets of meehoon, a small sack of potatoes, onions, 4 cans of sardines, a can of half-used oil… wonder how long can all this feed 30 over kids and adults?  We peeked into their fridge and the contents that greeted us were lots of eggs, few strands of wilted long beans, a quarter cabbage (going black), one stick of carrot, one brinjal and some cucumbers.  This prompted us to go out and "stocked" up their fridge with some fresh vegetables which hopefully can last them a week.  We also bought them a broom, a mop and a dustpan to replace the broken ones. 
Kavitha briefed us that this Home was set up in Nov 2006 with 3 other friends who had since opted out of this venture.  Luckily, one of her brothers stepped in and has been helping her out with the Home’s monthly rental of RM500 and minor expenses. This Home holds a Day-Care Licence only as it does not fulfill the requirements to apply for Welfare Home Licence, therefore they are unable to apply for welfare assistance and depend on contributions which trickles in inconsistently.  Monthly expenses for this Home runs up to about RM3000 per month.  As contributions are inadequate and inconsistent, Kavitha has to work part-time in home-nursing, a job that takes her away from the Home for about 4 hours each day.
This building which used to be a sales office-cum-storage area for a tiling company now bears the result of years of wear and tear.  It has 3 rooms, one with 6 beds for the old men and some of the boys, another room with 5 double-decker beds and 2 single beds for the womenfolk and the girls.  There is another small room behind the office which used to be occupied by Kavitha and another girl but due to the serious leaking recently, the room is now inhabitable. Worn-out mattresses are laid out in the living room and porch area at night for some of the boys to sleep in. Yes, the porch area…which by day, is a resting area for the kids and the elderly folks, doubling-up as the dining area during meal times and when night falls, this is the sleeping area for a few of the boys.
The following photos shows the different sleeping areas for the residents.  Note the difference between the first two and the last two... The two bedrooms are the cheerier part of the Home and the result of noble efforts by a group of angels who made this possible by sponsoring the beds and giving the room a fresh coat of paint.  Hopefully, more will come forward and put their magic touch on the other parts of the Home.

 Pink for the Ladies and Girls

Blue for the Men and Boys

Due to lack of rooms, some sleep here...


Shockingly, they sleep here too...

The small kitchen is quite bare, with only a rice cooker and a gas stove with its broken wok support, definitely a hazard when cooking on it.  A broken-down commercial refridgerator, few old cupboards and plastic storage drawers with missing or broken drawers occupy the living room.  At one corner, are 6 study tables, generous gifts from a donor for the kids. Its only ventilation and light source comes from the main door and a side door, as it has no windows.  Some of the lighting fixtures in the living area have been spoilt for some time as they cannot afford to pay for an electrician to fix it.
Note the piece of stone on the stove which is used to stabilise the wok...

Excluding Kavitha and her adopted 1 1/2 yr old daughter, this Home has 31 residents, 16 kids, out of which only 14 goes to school, 4 handicapped kids, 10 elderly folks and a 25-year-old homeless lady who looks after the Home and cooks for the residents when Kavitha is not around.  Kavitha’s adopted daughter’s natural mother is a typical case of an innocent under-aged girl cheated and dumped by the boyfriend.  With no place to go after giving birth, Kavitha took in both mother and baby.  Unable to cope with being a single mother at a young age, the girl then gave up the baby to Kavitha for adoption.
Despite the hardship and objections from her family, Kavitha is determined to keep this Home.  She has committed to purchase this building from the Owner and has signed the Sale and Purchase Agreement under the Home’s name about 2 years ago.  To-date, Kavitha has managed to raise and paid RM130k for the building, through funds raised by friends and family, and her own savings.  However, time is running short as she has to settle another RM20k by December.  At 28, unmarried and with this Home as additional liability, Kavitha tells me that marriage is a near-impossible thing in her life.  To her, this is her Home and the residents are her Family.  She has her fair share of discouragement from family and friends on her choice in life, but she claim she has no regrets.  In fact, she feels that her God does watch over her as she is able to maintain this Home so far despite difficulties and lack of fund.  She believes that God sees her sincerity, which explains the occasional help that comes in from nowhere... like the group who sponsored the beds for the bedrooms and even painted it, another group who sponsored the 6 study tables, and another group who sponsored the cost to repair the leakage in the living room, not forgetting those generous souls who sponsored the TV, washing machine and recently, a set of computer.  Kavitha herself did not seek them out and may not even know some of them personally.  Some came upon hearing the Home’s plight from friends, some came by chance and decided to contribute but whatever reason they all came with one thing in common, BIG HEARTS OF GOLD.

At the end of our visit, we decided to help her out with seeking sponsors for the school uniforms and shoes for the kids, definitely a “first” for us. We are aware it may be challenging to find the generous sponsors for this purpose but to us, it is a challenge for good cause.  We believe charity is still alive in this society.  Our belief is further strengthen by our friends’ and colleagues’ acts of generosity and commitment in this cause.
Keeping our fingers crossed, we hope to be able to fulfill these kids’ school wish-list, put new uniforms on their backs, new shoes on their feet, smiles on their face and renewed confidence in society.


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Lighting Up Homes For Deepavali


Saturday 22 October 2011, another eye-opening and soul-searching experience in destinations Karak, Mentakab, Temerloh,  Maran, Kuala Krau and Jerantut. These are places I have never been to and ironically, my maiden trip to these places  were not for sight-seeing or food adventure, but to join some friends in bringing Deepavali Cheer to 40 families living there.
This is our second time on a Feeding Program with Project MADE and 1Month 1Charity, people whom we have grown to refer to fondly  as our Friends. We truly respect and admire their enthusiasm and selflessness in carrying out their noble work.
Our journey started before sunrise, left Nilai at 5.40am to reach the first Meeting Point (McDonald’s outlet before the Gombak Toll) before 7am, where we had breakfast while waiting for the rest of the group. The convoy that morning consist of four cars and a lorry. The lorry contains 40 big boxes of grocery, kind courtesy from the Textile Merchant Traders Association of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Masjid India, Jalan Melayu, while the rest of the four cars were literally packed to the roof with grocery and other goodies. It was a smooth and lovely one-hour drive to Karak, our first destination stop, where we met up with Project MADE’s local contact.
In Karak,  we distributed the grocery packs and other goodies to 7 families there. On top of this, few selected families were gifted with Deepavali money packets contributed by Hubby’s kind-hearted colleague, Mr Chandra. His generous contribution amounting to RM200 has helped eased the financial burden of 10 poor families.  Each home that we visited carries a sad tale….In the first home, lies a sick man with feeding tube, apparently he just underwent surgery.  The second home belongs to a young woman with 5 very young kids and a husband in prison.  What will happen to them when the food provision received today runs out? Another home is occupied by an unfortunate old lady who lives alone as she had lost all her 4 sons within this year.  In another home, the sole breadwinner is the lady of the house, who works as a cleaner. Her husband is deaf and she has a handicapped old mother and 3 kids to feed.  Hopefully, this round’s extra grocery and other goodies can make a bigger difference to these homes this Deepavali.
Upon completing our mission in Karak, we left for Mentakab and reached there around 11am. We proceeded to distribute the food packs and goodies to the rest of the families located in Maran, Temerloh and Kuala Krau before returning to Mentakab, where we distributed to 10 families living in a flats residential area. Throughout the journey, the scenery before us constantly interchanged between one of beauty and ugliness.  As we travel along our route, nature’s scenic beauty is a stark contrast to the dilapidated huts which greeted us at our destinations. 
Each of the homes which we visited has its own poignant tale to tell.  We witnessed many “No’s” that day… a house with NO furniture, a man with NO legs, an old woman with NO kids, adults with NO identity cards, kids with NO birth certificates and I’m sure that tucked away somewhere there are many more homes with NO food.  On a positive note, there is our friend Chew who had NO qualms in driving long distance alone for this purpose, the lorry driver who had NO problem transporting the goods and unloading them, Hajjah Ainie and her wonderful family who have NO discrimination in helping the needy of another race and not forgetting the rest of the group who had NO reservation at all in getting wet and dirty on this mission.  There were moments when we had to distribute in the drizzle but apparently not even  Mr. Rain could dampen these people’s spirit as they continued on with their distribution without giving a care to the rain.  During certain parts of the trip,  we even trekked through muddy paths and uneven terrain to reach some of the houses.  Now and then, dear Hubby would cast worried glances at me, concerned at how I was coping with all this.  By the end, we made him proud by completing the mission all the way.  Hopefully, this means we can join in other future Feeding Programs?
On this Feeding Program, we made sure that the kids were not forgotten amidst the excitement. Our 3 sons were given the responsibility to hand out  candy sticks, lollipops, chocs and jellies to all the kids they see regardless they are on the feeding list or not.  They even went out of their way to nearby houses to hand out the goodies to the curious kids who peeped shyly at the commotion.    Passerby with kids were not left out either…  It’s a good thing we brought more than enough to go round so none were disappointed.
By the time we completed this Feeding Program, it was past 5pm and time to feed our own kids, who gamely forgo lunch without any complain.  So, after bidding farewell to the rest of the Group, we parted ways and drove on to Karak town with Chew to fill our stomach with a proper meal.  We reached home close to 9pm, exhausted but with a deep sense of satisfaction, knowing that our Deepavali cheer will light up those homes on this festive season.

One for the album