Two families receive help from Warisan
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) is helping two families here that are going through difficult times.
Its Kota Kinabalu secretary, Loi Kok Liang, said the division had recently provided assistance to a woman residing near Inanam.
Loi said unable to work, the woman faced financial struggles after losing her husband several years ago while also taking care of a child with intellectual disabilities.
He said he was informed of the matter after the woman had hesitantly sought help to find a way to alleviate her situation when she met a Warisan member in a chance encounter.
Loi said the division, led by him and deputy chairman Terrance Au, then delivered some food and other necessities to assist the woman.
“With the Chinese New Year approaching, we went there dressed in red, offering blessings and aid to bring about a more festive environment to the woman.
“She told us that she was a happy wife before her husband passed away. Now she is an elderly single mother struggling with hunger and helplessness.
“The unexpected warmth brought tears to her eyes,” he told The Borneo Post.
Following the visit, Loi posted about it on social media to encourage more compassionate people to assist those in need who may not know how to seek help.
He said a comment in the said post had caught their attention, claimed to be from a pregnant mother with a three-year-old daughter requesting the party’s assistance as they had not eaten a proper meal for a week.
Loi said such comments are generally seen as a scammer’s tactic and people tend to disregard them but he was concerned that if were true and not addressed, a child might be starving from hunger.
After verification, he said it was confirmed that a young mother named Sheela, who is pregnant, was indeed facing financial struggles due to her husband’s temporary job loss due to specific reasons.
Loi said the family had gone a week without proper meals, and the lady’s three-year-old child was crying for milk.
He said a Warisan Youth team including himself swiftly arranged for the purchase of food and ingredients as well as milk powder and toys, and they went to the lady’s residence the following day.
“Sheela, who is due with another baby in a month, was waiting for us by the roadside, and she led us through hilly terrain to her house.
“That is where we met her daughter Mia, an adorable and active child. Upon seeing us, Mia promptly presented me with her old toys to welcome us into her home.
“When we took out the Lego toys we bought for Mia, her joyful expression melted our hearts, and when she drank the milk that her mother made from the given milk powder, she looked so happy.
“We could see through their words and expressions that Sheela and her husband were very appreciative about our visit,” he said.
Loi said the visit was profoundly meaningful for the Warisan Youth team, and they hope the aid delivered can sustain the family until Sheela gives birth next month and her husband returns to work.
“I have two daughters myself. Caring for children is something that every parent does, and I hope that every child, like Mia, has milk to drink and does not go hungry.
“I also hope that every child in Sabah has access to education because many children in rural areas of the state are born into hardship, and only knowledge can change their futures,” said Loi.