This Orphanage Run By A Widow Has Lost Everything In A Fire. Here's How You Can Help!
The Selangor orphanage takes care of 26 children and 25 seniors.
By Sadho Ram — 01 Jul 2017, 07:02 PM
In 2001, an old folks home was started at Semenyih Kajang, Selangor by Dr R. Thomas Manoharan and his wife Sarah
They named it Malaysia Lotus Charity Care Centre Association.
Over the years, the old folks home that was started with seven elderly people grew to become a home which now looks after a total of 51 underprivileged people.
Of which, 26 are children ranging from 11 months old to 17 years old.
Malaysia Lotus Charity Care Centre Association has eight permanent staffs and one volunteer to look after all these children and seniors.
Last year in February, though, in an untoward incident the home was burnt to the ground. They lost all essential items.
In the fire, most of the donated food and daily necessities that were kept were destroyed and inhabitants of charity home were forced to move into a rented house.
To add to their problems, the centre's founding director Dr Rev. Thomas Manoharan passed away in April 2016
Following which, the late reverend's wife, Sarah, has been taking care of the children and seniors. She is assisted by her son Michael, who is a Pastor at a Church.
They are struggling to make ends meet, relying on donations to put food on the table, buy medicine for the kids and old folks, and are scraping by month to month.
They are currently living in a simple 3-bedroom home
They used to house some of the kids in a donated construction container outside the home as a desperate measure, but it got way too hot inside.
A kind offer was made for an A/C to be fitted in, but the centre declined it as they can't afford the additional cost on their electricity bill.
At night, their living room becomes a bedroom for eight children where a one-year-old girl sleeps on a pink bouncer. After outgrowing it, she would join her friends on the floor.
So when Diani, a mother of two, who is based in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, heard about a donation drive for Lotus Charity Centre after their house was burnt down, she realised that what they really need is their own home
According to her, Lotus Charity Centre has a small piece of corner terrace house land to build their new home on. But the centre does not have the money to start building it.
They need RM450,000 to make their new home happen, and that is the target Diani has set out to be fulfilled through an online campaign on SimplyGiving.
Diani has raised a total of RM200,000 so far from donations from kind Malaysians.
The Seri Kembangan-based mother has gotten a professional architect and a project manager on board to support her on this project on a pro-bono basis
After learning about the project this Hari Raya, SAYS.com Founder and Managing Partner at 500 Startups, Khailee Ng with his wife, Elisa Khong, has contributed RM20,000
Khailee and his wife shared about their contribution on Facebook, with the hope that others in Malaysia will come forward to contribute towards the project for the centre.
"To friends in Malaysia, in this time of celebration with family and friends, we hope that you can extend a hand and give 'duit raya' to the centre. To friends abroad, let's take advantage of the exchange rate in a positive way: USD50 is now RM200!"
Here's how you can donate:
Go to SimplyGiving website using this link and click on the Donate Now box.
For those in Malaysia who would like to do a direct transfer, below is the info:
Lotus Charity Care Centre
Hong Leong Bank
A/C No: 039-00-30334-7
Lotus Charity Care Centre contact details:
016-9462081 (Sarah Thomas)
No 41, Jalan 3A Taman Hiew Piaw
43500 Semnyih Selangor