PDKs must help trainees to generate own income, stresses minister
LUNDU: Community-based rehabilitation centres (PDK) must focus on activities that can bring in some money and help trainees generate their own income.
This would teach them valuable life skills that could help them to be independent when they no longer had parents to rely on, said Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah during a gathering at the Pakma Gading PDK here yesterday.
The event served to remind the local community of the role played by the centre in the rehabilitation of children with special needs, in which Fatimah emphasised the involvement of parents and the community.
“How many hours you can spend at PDK is not the same as the time spent at home. That is why we want parents to work together with the trainers.”
She said children also had access to services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy at the centre. There were also exercises covering the basics of literacy – counting, reading and writing.
“This is important for them. Our objective is to make them independent, instead of relying on their parents.”
The focus on ‘One Product for One PDK’ is nothing new. Thirty-one of the 49 PDKs in Sarawak are producing items for sale, including PDK Pakma Gading which produces key chains and blankets as well as cultivates oyster mushrooms.
“At the end of the day, they can work in the community and not be alienated from work because they cannot communicate.”
Fatimah pointed out that thanks to former chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Sarawak would be taking nine therapists to serve at PDKs across Sarawak – a first in the country.
“We are a big state and we always have to depend on the Health Department, when the officers are free. But that is not enough. We are behind those in the peninsula in many ways, but we are more advanced than them in certain aspects like welfare. We want to make sure that the services we give are of quality.”
Later, Fatimah handed over a cheque for RM91,456 to PDK Pakma Gading.
PDK Pakma Gading chairman Ibrahim @ Bentani Suni, state Welfare Department director Abang Shamsudin Abang Seruji, together with Azizah Jasmie Adenan and Azizul Annuar Adenan representing Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Jamilah Anu on the by-election campaign trail, were also present at the event.
Jamilah is patron and advisor of PDK Pakma Gading.