NGO comes to aid of former Paralympic athlete
KUCHING: Hope Place Kuching has come to the aid of former Paralympic athlete Ani Nios who has fallen into hard times recently after undergoing a major surgery.
Ani, a 58-year old single mother, is a PwD (person with disability) who stays with her three children at Kampung Bumbok along Batu Kitang Road.
Ani has leg problem since young and is unable to walk properly and when she was young she was a Paralympic swimmer who won several medals for Sarawak.
Ani who used to work as an elevator operator was able to get by single-handedly, taking care of her children as well as earning a living.
The family’s situation changed when Ani had an accident in the bathroom and had a knee surgery recently.
Fortunately, her eldest child is able to work as a helper in a community-based rehabilitation centre (PDK), the school for disabled children and is now the sole breadwinner for the family.
Ani’s two other children are also PwD, her daughter has mental disability and her youngest son has Down’s syndrome.
Furthermore, her youngest son has a hole in the heart condition and had undergone a heart surgery before.
Besides being anxious of her knee recovery, Ani is very stressed with her daughter’s mental state. Her 27-year-old daughter, her second child, has shown signs of violent behaviour.
“One time, she tried to hit me with a metal rod,” lamented Ani.
The Hope Place team also saw signs of violence when they were at her house, with broken furniture and things thrown everywhere.
With problems piling up, Ani’s health deteriorated rapidly until she has low blood sugar level.
Although Ani herself has financial help of RM400 from the Social Welfare Department and her two PwD children also receive RM150 each monthly, her family’s situation has prompted Hope Place to help Ani for the time being.
Hope Place is supplying the family with food aid and special milk powder for Ani herself.
The non-governmental organisation is hoping that Ani could recover soon and resume her stable job.
For more information, Hope Place Kuching can be reached at 082-505987.
Opening hours are from 8am to 5pm from Mondays till Fridays and 8am to 12pm on Saturdays.
All donations are welcome and receipts will be given upon request.
One can donate directly to Hope Place Kuching’s bank account MBB: 511289001160 or go to its Facebook page to get its Sarawak Pay/GLOBAL QR code.