Imagine being old, physically handicapped or mentally
challenged, having no close family to turn to, at times feeling overwhelmingly
lonely and spending day after day sitting around with nothing much to do and
staring into nothingness.
This was my take of the 25 residents at Rumah Amal Murni
when Bro Tommy, Bro Ivan and myself visited the home, late morning on Thursday,
3 Jan 2013.
Rumah Amal Murni was established in 2005 to care for the
elderly and underprivileged and managed by a committee of Persatuan Rumah Amal
Murni Kajang. The home currently houses 25 residents, 11 females and 14 males,
aged between 15 years to 79 years. Majority are Chinese, although the home does
have 3 Indians and 1 Malay resident. The 15 year old girl and another 2
residents in their 20s and 30s have down syndrome. Several residents in their
40s are either physically or mentally handicapped.
The home relies solely on public funding. Monthly expenses
can run up to RM10,000. The home only gets paid by 4 to 5 residents’ sponsors
(usually some association or NGO and not family members), and the total amount
is about RM1,200 – RM1,500 per month. Apart from rice, their other food
supplies appear to be depleting.
The home is run by Mr Soo, the administrator, who has been
there for 4 years, supported by a cook, a maid and one of the resident in his
60s who help bathe and care for some of his fellow residents. Mr Soo manages
the home well as it looks clean and tidy, and the residents, although most
looked bored, appear to be well taken care of physically.
Unlike children in orphanages who goes to school for half
the day and has homework or revision to attend to after school, the old folks
and handicapped do not have much activities to occupy themselves. For their own
safety, they live behind this fence with a locked gate.
When the TV is turned on, some of the mentally handicapped
residents just stare at the TV without any comprehension of what is going on. Sadly,
they just sit around in the big dining hall and wait for meal times. A day in
the home passes by very, very slowly.
To show we care, MoW would like to do something special for
the residents. Do come celebrate Chinese New Year with the residents in Rumah
Amal Murni … show them that someone out there cares, and bring some joy and
laughter into their mundane lives.
Details of event
Day/Date: Sunday, 3rd February 2013
Time: 10:30am to 1:00pm
Venue: Rumah Amal Murni, 58 & 59, Jalan Bukit, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
Program
10:30am Gather
at Ti-Ratana Penchala
10:30am Meet
and greet session with volunteers
10:45am Depart
to Rumah Amal Murni, Kajang
11:30am Arrive
and get organized at Rumah Amal Murni
11:45am Entertainment/Games/Activities
for the residents
12:00pm Lunch
12:30pm Presentation
of wish list items
12:45pm Group
photograph
1:00pm Event
ends
Wish List
Below are the items requested by the home. We have not
specified the quantity for some of the items, so we will just bring whatever
that is contributed by donors.
Items
|
Quantity
|
Unit
cost
|
Sub-Total
|
Donors
|
Instant noodles (without seasoning)
|
|
|
|
Karen Lim n Friend
|
Chocolate malt powder (Milo, Vico, Malta)
|
|
|
|
|
Canned baked beans
|
|
|
|
Celina Yong
|
Canned sardines
|
|
|
|
Celina Yong
|
Canned luncheon meat (pork or chicken)
|
|
|
|
Celina Yong
|
Body wash/gel/foam (not soap bars)
|
|
|
|
|
Antiseptic floor cleaner
|
|
|
|
|
Adult diapers for 5 residents (size S & M)
|
|
|
|
|
PVC mattress cover
|
25
|
|
|
Lee Kuan Kim (Updated 11/1/13)
|
Bath towels
|
25
|
|
|
Christina Hue (Updated 11/1/13)
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
|
|
Additional items donated by :
1) Karen Lim n Friend - Oats n biscuits
Cash Donation Received from :
1) Dennis Pet - RM100.00
2) Tracy Wong - RM200.00
3) Stone Empire Marketing Sdn Bhd - RM500.00
4) TC - RM200.00
5) J. Calli International - RM100.00
6) Lee Kuan Kim - RM1,000.00
7) Sharyn Wong - RM 300.00
8)Kek Chin Woo - RM500 (Updated 11/1/13)
9)Datin Christine Lim - RM 250 (Updated 11/1/13)
For all items, you may sponsor the actual items in whatever
quantities or donate cash (any amount) by banking into our account (Acc Name:
Ti Ratana Community Centre Penchala CIMB Acc No: 14660000259057).
Since it is a Chinese New Year celebration, you are also welcome to donate cookies and other festive food items (except mandarin oranges which the home feels is not suitable for the residents).
All items must be delivered to Ti-Ratana Penchala Centre by
5pm, Wednesday, 30th January 2013, to give the committee sufficient time
to buy any outstanding items and pack the items.
Apart from these, we are also seeking individuals or group
of individuals who have experience in organizing entertainment/activities for
the elderly and the physically and mentally handicapped.
If you would like to contribute to this event or need more
details, please call June at 03-77849002 or email trccpenchala@gmail.com.
Volunteers/Participants
For logistic and security reasons, all volunteers who wish
to participate in this event are requested to pre-register your name and
contact number with us by emailing trccpenchala@gmail.com.
Please arrive at the Ti-Ratana Penchala Centre by 10:30am sharp
for a briefing. We shall convoy together to Kajang thereafter. No transportation
will be provided, so kindly ensure you make your own arrangements if you wish to
carpool with other volunteers to get to the event venue and back to the Centre.
Lets come together and join hands to wish the residents at
Rumah Amal Murni “Gong Xi Fa Cai”, dance and sing with them, tell them a funny
story, light some firecrackers, or anything you can think of to inject some
zest into their lives!!!
Pictures courtesy of Bro Tommy Teh
