Bread of Life Home in Bahau

7 July 2012  -  We got to know about this Home through one of Hubby’s FB friend who is a regular volunteer at Tong Sim Senior Citizen Centre.  Hence, early Saturday morning saw us taking a scenic drive down to Bahau with the requested items which the Home needs.



Items requested



A special request - school socks to replace the worn out ones

Located in Taman Jempol, Bahau, next to a Mobil petrol station and a stone’s throw away from a prominent secondary school SMK Dato Mansor, finding our way there prove to be a fairly easy task.  Prior to that, we dropped by the town’s KFC restaurant to collect the pre-ordered lunch treats for the Home – 30 packets of their Snack Plates with side orders of Potato Wedges.

The Lunch

On arrival, the scene that greeted us was a pleasant surprise - a single-storey bungalow with ample garden space for the kids to run around, this Home painted in white, projects a clean and serene ambience.  A marked contrast to most of the ones we visited in the past.  We later found out that this spacious place is being rented to them at RM700 a month only – a steal of a price.

The Premise

This Home was established by Madam Francesca, who moved from Klang Valley to Bahau nine years ago.  Her first base was in Mah San, where she provides free tuition to the estate children there.  She has since helped many people in that area and nearby, counselling the troubled and distressed, providing spiritual guidance and being a friend to all.  She is a strong believer in sharing her blessings with others in need, and does not hesitate to part with whatever surplus that this Home gets on occasions and share it with other Homes.  An Old Folks Home nearby is a regular recipient of her generosity and friendly visits.  She admitted that in the early days of setting up this Home, she has seen hardships too, but by God’s grace, she has been able to overcome them. Therefore, she relates very well to other Homes’ sad predicament and will help them out within her means. Over the years, she has built up a network of friends and generous contributors, regardless their religion or beliefs and whenever she has the chance she will share with them the plight of other Homes who may benefit from their kind generosity.

Madam Francesca, fondly called as "Mummy" by the kids

This Home currently houses 26 women and girls, 15 of them schooling, the rest are toddlers and homeless women who help out as volunteers in the Home.  Due to limitation in rooms, Madam Francesca only accepts girls.  The kids are a lovely and friendly bunch, joyful and well-mannered, a testimony of Madam Francesca’s good guidance and loving care. 

We were informed that currently the Home’s grocery needs are adequately met by kind benefactors and friends, a night-market trader provides the vegetables from his leftover stock, another kind Samaritan drops in with poultry and fish once a month or so.  However, there are still other items needed by the Home such as cleaning detergent, toiletries etc, as well as rental and utility bills to be paid, which Madam Francesca has to struggle to fulfill with whatever little donations she gets.

While the kids tucked into their KFC lunch and later a game of Musical Chair, Madam Francesca shared with us her journey in life, the hardship she suffered, the kind people she met and all the blessings God bestowed on her.  In between running the Bread of Life Home, Madam Francesca also visits other Homes in the vicinity, bringing with her whatever excess the Home has to share with those less fortunate.  Even when she is in the Home, visitors will drop by, seeking advice or comfort from her.

Our visit ended on a different note this time, leaving us with a different and happy feeling.  The kids who arrived there carries painful past or memories, some deeply scarred for life, but under Madam Francesca's patient and loving care, their pain is soothed away, their past slowly left behind and they blossom with confidence. Their faces carry smiles, theirs heart filled with love – this Home provides more than “Bread of Life” to these kids.