UDA Holdings donates RM10,000 to dilapidated welfare home
KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty underprivileged children from Rumah Penyayang Nur Iman, who have been living in a dilapidated home, can now breathe a sigh of relief after they received RM10,000, courtesy of UDA Holdings Bhd.
The welfare home operator, Sharimah Ali, said the fund came just in time for it to carry out upgrading work on the centre.
“We are in the midst of refurbishment in order for us to get approval from the Welfare Department.
“We had just moved into this semi-detached house, and there is a lot of work that need to be done to this old house. For example, the toilets need a major make-over as the drainage system is clogged.
“The window grilles need to be replaced with the ones suggested by the Fire and Rescue Department for safety purposes,” she said, adding that RM15,000 would be needed for the refurbishment.
The 47-year-old said RM20,000 was needed monthly in order to ensure the smooth operation of the home.
“The amount is needed to pay rent, which amounts to RM3,700 and expenses, such as groceries, medicine, and transportation for the children (to go to school),” she said, adding that the children were aged between 5 and 17.
Established in 2004, the welfare home relies solely on public contributions.
“To make things easier, we will need another vehicle to send the children to school. Currently, we are depending on a van which forces us to make multiple trips to send the children to school,” added Sharimah.
Meanwhile, UDA chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Shafei Abdullah said the contribution was part of its outreach programme, called Enriching Life.
Through the programme, UDA would distribute RM820,000 of zakat funds to the needy.
“The fund would be distributed at locations where there are development projects by the company.
“These locations are Bandar Tun Hussein Onn (Lake Vista housing project), Penang (Scarlet, Evoke Residence and Crescent Dew housing projects), Kuala Terengganu (Coast Kemaman commercial project), Johor (Plumeria Avenue, Neuvo and Angsana Mall), Titiwangsa and Wangsa Maju,” he said after he handed over a mock cheque to Sharimah.
Shafei said UDA aimed to reach out to underprivileged communities and to uplift Muslims.
“We hope this programme will lessen the burden of underprivileged communities,” he added.
Shafei said UDA had contributed RM400,000 of zakat funds during Ramadan this year and another RM60,000 to Islamic learning centres and mosques.