PDK Kapit in need of van to ferry special needs children to centre
KAPIT: Community- based Rehabilitation Centre ( PDK) Kapit is in need of a van to ferry children with special needs (who are OKU registered) to and from the centre to undergo training, said its chairman Moonly Tiang Yung Hee.
The transport issue was one of the matters the committee touched on during its first quarterly meeting held recently at its office at Taman Cham Ung Hwa along Jalan Bletih here.
According to her, 45 children with special needs are registered with the centre but only ten are able to turn up daily at the centre for training as they stay nearby.
Among factors that prevent them from going to the centre daily to receive training are very high cost of transportation both by river and road, very minimum allocation from the state Welfare Department for the OKUs to cover travelling cost.
Moonly also pointed out that there are many OKUs in and around Kapit and Bukit Mabong district. However, as most of them are from the longhouses, they are unable to attend the PDK activity.
Thus in this regard, she said if the centre has its own van, then free transport could be provided to pick up OKUs to and from the centre to undergo training.
She said the centre is trying very hard to raise fund to purchase a van so that more OKUs could come to the centre.
In this connection, she thanked Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyat who has contributed some fund to get the ball rolling for this purpose.
She also thanked various associations like Lions Club Kapit, the women wings of Foochow Association, Kwang Tung Association and Chiang Chuan Association and Maybank branch here for supporting PDK.
Moonly added that the centre also organises gatherings in conjunction with festivities like Chinese New Year, Gawai Dayak, Hari Raya Aidifitri and Christmas where we invite parents and the public to visit the centre during open days so that they know how it operates.
Also present at the meeting were officer-in- charge of social development ( Welfare Department Kapit) Jemat Kanchin, vice chairman Evelyn Biju, PDK Kapit supervisor Ting Mee Eng, secretary Stanley Ling Bee Chong, treasurer Sng Geok Yien, members James Ling, Ma Tian Ho, Anthony Jalin, Ngaji Dukit and Dannie Janin.