Philanthropist continues to support Montfort Youth Training Centre
KOTA KINABALU: Local philanthropist Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen is continuing her support for the Montfort Youth Training Centre through their annual charity event, the Open House Carnival, which will be held on September 10 from 8am to 2.30pm at their Kinarut campus.
As in past years, the managing director of WSG Development Sdn Bhd and Mega Sunwise Sdn Bhd has been supporting Montfort generously with cash donations and a large quantity of KK Cool drinking water plus assorted soft drinks.
Susan said her continuous and unwavering support for Montfort was based on her belief that Montfort is doing its part to help groom needy and neglected youths for the workplace.
During the press conference held at her office yesterday, Susan presented her donation to Datuk Margaret Fung, who is the organising chairperson for the Montfort Open House Carnival as well as a member on the Board of Governors, in the presence of Willie Wong and Julia Jock, members of the Board of Governors of Montfort.
Also present were Montfort Youth Training Centre management representatives.
Margaret expressed Montfort’s heartfelt gratitude to Susan for her continuous support and generosity for this annual carnival, where Montfort hopes to raise RM230,000 this year.
She said Susan’s support was very encouraging to the Brothers, management and staff, especially during these challenging times.
This year’s carnival will be accommodating more than 50 stalls offering a wide range of food and drinks prepared personally by friends and staff of Montfort. The Montfort carpentry and welding departments will also be showcasing their products made by the trainees.
There will also be game stalls to create a fun atmosphere for the visitors, including the Adventure Walk which was a hit among the youths. Younger patrons also have a chance to meet and feed Cotton, a rabbit donated by a neighbour, while adults patrons can enjoy a trip down the memory lane with old favourites like Elvis Presley with Chris Gomez and his band D’ Once Again.
Gerard Obon, a popular local emcee, and Richard Jomiji & Friends, a local band, will also be featured this year.
The objective of the annual open house is to invite the public, donors and benefactors to visit the centre and to see what Montfort is doing to help underprivileged youths in the Montfort Training Programme.
At the same time, the funds raised through the sales at the bazaar will go towards the upkeep and sustenance of 240 needy youths in the residential care.
“The Montfort Youth Training Centre is a welfare non-governmental organisation catering to underprivileged youths who are unable to continue their education due to poverty and other adverse factors.
“Montfort provides technical skills training with character formation to equip them with moral values, working ethics, discipline and leadership for sustainable employment and good citizenship,” Margaret said.
In addition, Montfort also emphasises strongly on the usage of English daily by the trainees.
Currently, there are 140 youths aged between 16 and 20 years undergoing a two-year technical skill course in motor mechanics, welding, furniture making, and refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics.
Montfort also has two other outreach programmes for rural school-going youths in the San Damiano Boys’ Hostel, Kiulu and in St Mary’s Youth Hostel, Sandakan. The hostels provide the same residential care programme to 100 boarders attending Form 1 to Form 6 at secondary schools near the hostels.
Most of the boarders come from remote villages as far as Ranau, Kota Marudu, Telupid, Paitan, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Lahad Datu.
Hence, Margaret thanked the donors, benefactors and general public for their tremendous support for the Montfort Open House & Carnival throughout the years. Without their support, she said, Montfort would not be able to continue educating and training youths to be men of character and for gainful employment in the future.
She also called on all of them to come and visit Montfort in Kinarut on September 10 and to participate personally in this worthy cause for the needy youths of Sabah.