TOWARDS A CARING 1 MALAYSIA WELFARE PROGRAMME 2014

TOWARDS A CARING 1 MALAYSIA WELFARE PROGRAMME 2014

 

Lembah Pantai Hindu youth give needy kids and the disabled a treat

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Published: Saturday January 10, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Saturday January 10, 2015 MYT 8:32:55 AM

Lembah Pantai Hindu youth give needy kids and the disabled a treat

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PHOTOS BY LOW LAY PHON

Vibrant dance: College students giving a lively performance depicting unity

 

PEALS of laughter and screams of joy reverberated inside the Girl Guides hall in Brickfields recently. The annual event, called Towards a Caring 1Malaysia Welfare Programme, was organised by the Lembah Pantai Hindu Youth Organisation with the help of volunteers.

It was heartening to see 600 people, mostly children and the disabled, laughing, clapping and singing along to the songs that were being performed by orphans and undergraduates from Universiti Teknologi Petronas and several other colleges.

The event, in its 13th year, was a resounding success, even though it was the first year without the presence of the founder.

“The founder of the welfare programme, the late A. Subramaniam, passed away last year from a heart attack,” said his son, Vinayagamurthi Subramaniam.

“My father died the day after chairing a meeting to organise today’s event. Had he been alive, it would have been his 13th year at the helm of the charitable event,” Vinayagamurthi said.

“But the show must go on as they say, and my father would be proud that his good work will continue in years to come,” he added proudly.

Indeed, the late Subramaniam would be proud to know that his son and a group of volunteers are determined to carry on with the noble tradition.

According to Vinayagamurthi, his father came from a humble background and struggled to work and care for his family at a young age.

“He was only a technician with TNB, but that did not stop him from helping the poor and needy. He was always thankful for his little blessings and always vowed that despite his humble background, he would continue to help those in need,” he said.

“It was his idea to organise a welfare programme comprising children from poor families, orphans from homes, old folks and the disabled; to bring them together, treat them to good food, gifts and ang pow and we will continue to do so,” Vinayagamurti said.

“Apart from providing the homes with essential necessities and giving everyone a good time today, our volunteers are also here to assist the older folk and the disabled with services like taking them to the bathroom and serving them food. It is what my father always preached; ‘Service to man is service to God’,” he added.

Among the homes that were invited were Anbu Illam, Karunai Illam, Independent Living and Training Centre, and the Malaysian Association for the Blind.

The guest of honour at the event was Senator K. Bathmavathi.

Not Alone in MD Struggle -Anthony Thanasayan

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Created On Thursday, 08 January 2015 07:00

Published Date

Written By Anthony Thanasayan

Category: Columnist

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Muscular Dystrophy or MD is a serious disease.

A person who has the condition experiences his or her muscles becoming weaker over time, until their ability to walk is no longer possible.

Aquila Dass, 18, has MD.

He was born in Kajang, in the state of Selangor.

He has an older brother and sister in their 30s. They don't have the disease.

Aquila's father, however, had muscular dystrophy. He died approximately six months after Aquila was born.

He was also a wheelchair user.

Aquila grew up pretty much as a normal child, until it became obvious that he was different.

Whilst most babies begin to take their first steps within the first year.

Aquila, however, stuck to crawling around for the first few years.

It wasn't until he was four years old, when he took his first step.

Unlike other toddlers, Aquila had to hold on to objects for dear life.

These included stools and chairs to keep from falling down and maintaining his balance - something he kept on doing as a child growing up.

Aquila had to learn to be very careful in his walking. One slight bump into someone (or from someone), would end up with a fall - something he was used to happening over the years.

By 11-years of age, Aquila discovered that his muscles got weaker and weaker. It was difficult to carry his schoolbag, either with his hands or as a backpack on his shoulders.

He had to also start holding on to his classmates and friends in order to remain on his feet.

Three months before his 12th birthday, Aquila's legs finally gave up on him - leaving him unable to walk; and terribly afraid.

"It was like my best friends (my legs) had deserted me," Aquila told me in a telephone interview, last week.

"Being different at home wasn't so bad," he added. "But not being the same like the other kids in school was pretty embarrassing and weird."

Aquila went on to tell me how he was stared at by his schoolmates and treated differently which he didn't like.

He was also depressed, in particular, that he could not take part in athletic sport.

"Just sitting down and watching all the other kids running around and having a good time with each other was no fun at all. I asked God every night to make me like them, that is, to be able to walk again."

Aquila related to me an incident when he got hurt in school one day that put him in a plaster cast for a month.

A fight broke out with a couple of the boys outside the classroom. Aquila who was walking past them was accidentally pushed into a drain.

He sustained a fracture.

Aquila was helped out of the drain by his teacher and schoolmates and made to rest in the canteen, until his brother arrived to take him home.

When his mother returned home after work, she broke down in tears.

It was then, Aquila told me, that he realised how serious his disability was, and that he was not like the rest of the other children.

And he also knew that it wasn't about to go away very soon.

Things then changed very much for the boy from there.

After recuperating at home with his cast, things only became harder and harder for Aquila.

Instead of taking pains to make the school disabled friendly for their handicapped student, the authorities shooed the boy to another school further from his home, saying they couldn't deal with a disabled child.

But transport became more difficult and complicated for Aquila.

Then, the inevitable occurred.

Aquila began losing interest in his studies and motivation in life.

He became glued to the television all day until he was introduced to a local church near his home.

Aquila said he loves going there because he is treated normally by the members. Instead of being stuck at home, he enjoys taking part in the singing and youth activities of the church.

However, things only really started to change for the positive when Aquila enrolled himself in a centre for disabled persons in Rawang, Selangor.

Called the Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia (ILTC), it is run by trainers with disabilities who help other handicapped persons with living skills and confidence building.

Aquila who has been living at the ILTC since March of last year, said he has learnt much by living with more senior persons with disabilities.

"I have now learnt some computer skills, typing and email. I have also made some new friends on Facebook; which I didn't have the opportunity to do so before," he said, beaming from ear to ear.

"Part of my responsibility is to help around in the office answering calls, making appointments and being in charge when our centre's president and secretary - both in wheelchairs - have to attend to outside matters.

"Being here, I've found people who share the same difficulties and pain which I go through but the difference is, I am happy to know that I am not alone in my struggles."

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