Hope Place provides aid to needy family in Serian
Hope Place was recently informed of a needy family living in a bamboo house with no electricity or water supply in the Serian Division.
The non- governmental organisation ( NGO) in a statement yesterday said the family of four was staying in the small and cramped dwelling which has no bedroom and toilet.
“The small bamboo house included a kitchen without any partition and is shared by four people in the same room. During the day, they will keep their mattresses and by night, they will roll out the mattress to sleep on,” said Hope Place founder Kelvin Wan.
He was met by the family’s only son Harryson Ros many during his visit there and was informed that his parents and sister had headed out to Serian town, leaving him to take care of their house.
“Harryson, who is 14, informed me that he hails from Sabah and was currently studying at an outstation government school here. Each time he goes to school, he has to walk around four km to the main road to catch the public bus to go to school.
“He also said that he has an elder sister currently in Form 4 but she was staying at the school’s hostel and only comes back home during the long school holidays,” said Wan.
Wan said the family would use a generator set to light up the house at night albeit for only two to three hours due to costly petrol prices.
During the visit, Wan and his staff Tiong Yong Tieng handed over one-off food items comprising rice, cooking oil, Milo, biscuit, noodle, sugar and salt to Harryson.
He also brought the teenager to purchase an extra pair of school shoes and socks for both him and his sister after noticing that he only owned a pair of shoes and socks.
Hope Place currently supports more than 170 families and carries out its aid deliveries once every two months.
For more information on how to help, it can be reached via its hotline at 0135672775 or office at 082- 683378 between 8.30am and 12pm and from 2pm to 5pm ( Monday to Friday) and on Saturdays between 9am and 12pm.