She was only 18 and struggling to survive in Kelantan. Her mother had died, her father had lost his job and there were two younger sisters. She got help to pay the rent, but then the landlord asked for an extra RM1,000 even though they had previously agreed it would be paid in two weeks. He wanted to buy a cow to slaughter for korban (sacrifice) for the villagers for the upcoming Hari Raya Haji festival on July 31, 2020.
“When she refused to pay, he wanted to kick the family out. I had to find the money in two days, ” says Datuk Dr Hartini Zainuddin, founder of Yayasan Chow Kit, a crisis and drop-in centre for children that provides a range of services, including legal, financial, educational and counselling services.