Lurence (centre) hanging up Christmas ornaments with some of the children and staff of the home. — Photos: ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
Social workers in Penang seek funds to make residents’ Christmas wishes come true
THERE is no festive cheer at St Nicholas Home for the Blind which is now on an austerity drive. They have had to cancel many of their essential activities.
The home helps their residents acquire living and computer skills as well as learn music and handicraft.
But its social workers are struggling to maintain the facility due to lack of funding.
Located along Jalan Bagan Jermal in George Town, Penang, the home was set up as an orphanage in 1926 and has since grown to become a fully residential training centre.
The home is now dipping into its savings to stay afloat while its training programmes remain free.
Its general manager Carmen Chew said: “We are running at a deficit and while we are trying to raise funds, we have been surviving off our savings.
“People are unaware that we need funding as many think we charge for our training.
“Most of our residents are from B40 families and they look to us to help teach their blind children skills that can help them survive on their own.
“Our services are completely free. As our lessons have to be hands-on, we have 52 paid social workers to cater to our 90 residents.
“Each semester, we have 90 residents, which means a new batch to be trained,” she said.
Chew said the home’s residents are aged between two and 87 years, including eight senior citizens who are permanent residents.
Funding woes meant that mobility orientation lessons had to be cut down.
St Nicholas’ Home resident Soon Kok Kei, 37 (left), weaving a basket for a Christmas order as his instructor Sabudin Othman (right) and Chew look on.
“These consist of outings and activities where we take the residents out to teach them sensory touch in public facilities.
“This is to help them adapt to their surroundings when they head out in the future.
“Due to monetary constraints, this is something we cannot do too often,” she said, stressing that the outings were vital.
“The home’s monthly expenses are RM250,000 and this year, our budget is RM3.6mil,” said Chew.
“We are hoping to raise RM500,000 for our year-end expenses. People can come over to speak to us and donate.
“Even rations and material supplies are welcomed.
“With the festive season coming, we have been invited to a few places but have to decline most of them as we do not have the resources.
“I am usually the driver who takes the residents to these events, and we do not have enough transport,” she said.
At the Salvation Army Penang Children’s Home in Logan Road, getting tuition and academic support are their biggest challenges.
Home manager Becky Lurence said the children needed tutors to prepare them for school examinations like the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.
“We would really appreciate it if retired teachers or tuition centres could commit to tutoring our children for up to six months.
“The children are trying their best but more help is needed.
“The home needs groceries such as milk, fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and rice as the children have huge appetites, and we want to promote healthy, balanced meals.
“We do need bedding, in the form of 20 standard single bedsheets for their beds and 20 wardrobes to store their clothing and personal belongings, as their existing ones are no longer in good condition.”
Lurence said that, like many other non-governmental organisations, the home needs financial help.
“It costs on average RM60,000 a month to run the home which has 18 residents aged between five and 18.
“We are heavily dependent on public donations as we do not receive any financial support elsewhere.
“The greatest expenditure is manpower because, as a children’s home, we require personnel onboard 24 hours, seven days a week.
“Other expenses include utility bills, building maintenance, and educational and medical expenses for the children,” she explained.
Lurence said Christmas preparations were underway.
The children have been practising Christmas carols to give their best performance at several hotels and shopping malls where they have been invited to perform.
“It is a busy month for the home but the kids really enjoy putting up a great performance and sharing Christmas cheer,” she said, adding that the youngsters do have wishes which include getting wristwatches, new shoes and other items.
“We hope to be able to fulfil their wishes as they are just kids,” said Lurence.
“Recently, they have been wanting to experience snow at the snow-themed park Antarctic Snow World in Straits Quay, but we can only do so with sponsors.
“We hope that by providing the children with a wide range of experiences, they will learn to be well-rounded individuals who will give back to society when they are older,” she said.
