In good and unhealthy instances, our ties with household and group bind and strengthen us. This Our Malaysia column celebrates how Malaysians take care of each other and make this nation higher for all. Please share your inspiring Malaysian tales with us. E mail us at [email protected].
One may surprise why Celemie Phang, 37, began a house for the differently-abled through the Covid-19 pandemic when there have been many restrictions and operations can be more difficult.
However the mother-of-two says that Pusat Kebajikan Chen Ai OKU (Chen Ai) was established resulting from a urgent want.
The pandemic had affected many breadwinners’ incomes, together with those that have members of the family with disabilities or youngsters with particular wants, and so they had been unable to pay for daycare for his or her family members. Many particular wants care centres had been additionally closed through the motion management order.
Phang herself has an eight-year-old particular wants youngster, so she understood how these households felt. When her earnings was decreased because of the motion management order, she couldn’t afford to pay daycare charges for her daughter, who has a speech obstacle and studying incapacity.
“I realised that there have been many individuals in the identical boat as me.
“These households wanted a spot the place their family members can be secure and well-looked after,” she says.
Phang (left) serving to to feed a resident on the centre.So, along with six different pals, Phang began Chen Ai, which is positioned in Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya, in June final 12 months.
“We offer a clear and conducive dwelling, balanced meals and actions for our residents, and we don’t cost them or their households a single sen,” says Phang, who’s normally on the centre on a regular basis from 10am to 5pm.
They fastidiously evaluation every individual for eligibility earlier than accepting them.
“That is to make sure that we have now room for many who really want it.”
Chen Ai accepts people with psychological or bodily disabilities.
In accordance with Phang, most individuals discover out about them by word-of-mouth, social media or referrals from non secular organisations.
At present, the centre homes 23 residents – 9 male and 14 feminine – aged between 5 and 77. The vast majority of them have studying disabilities.
“There’s this mom and daughter who each have a gentle studying incapacity. Because the father handed away, there was no person to take care of them and so they had been delivered to the centre. They’re inseparable and each second is spent in one another’s firm,” shares Phang.
Saturday is therapeutic massage remedy day for residents who’re sedentary and wish to enhance their blood circulation.“We even have a five-year-old boy with Down Syndrome whose single mom has to work till midnight to assist them. She will be able to’t afford to rent a helper to take care of him so she despatched him to our centre.”
One other resident is a 21-year-old man who fell down and injured his head when he was a child.
“Attributable to a failed mind surgical procedure, he’s not capable of stroll, speak, eat nor drink by himself, and must be fed and bathed,” says Phang.
“There are additionally two uncles of their 50s who’re bedridden as a result of that they had a stroke.”
Phang provides that group actions are deliberate for residents who’re extra cellular.
“We’ve got group train periods resembling strolling across the centre, biking on stationary bikes, and even Zumba dancing,” she says.
“For residents who’re sedentary resulting from stroke or bodily incapacity, we organize for a therapeutic massage therapist to come back each Saturday to assist enhance their blood circulation and suppleness.
“We even have a particular wants instructor who comes to show a few of the residents the right way to lead a significant and energetic life,” says Phang.
A particular wants instructor giving classes to the youthful ones on the centre.The centre additionally takes residents who want medical care for his or her check-ups.
“Among the residents want medication for hyperactivity, diabetes, hypertension or different circumstances, so we are going to get it for them from the federal government clinic,” she says. “(The drugs) is normally free, however we bear the transportation prices.”
Month-to-month rental for the centre’s premises is RM5,000 whereas utility payments run as much as round RM2,500.
“That is primarily because of the family home equipment. We have to run the washer 5 instances a day to scrub all of the residents’ clothes and mattress linens.
“Some moist their beds and we want to verify the atmosphere is clear and that there isn’t a unhealthy scent,” she explains. “We even have two freezers and fridges to retailer all of the meals for the residents,” she says, including that there are three live-in workers on the centre to assist with the cooking and cleansing.
Doing the precise factor
Though that is the primary time that Phang has began a charity, she is not any stranger to charitable acts.
Blood strain is taken each morning for older residents who’re within the high-risk class.“Earlier than we began the centre, my pals and I might usually go to and ship groceries and provides to different charity organisations,” says Phang, who works part-time remotely for a freight-forwarding firm.
“That’s why when the MCO occurred and households had been impacted, I mentioned with my pals and stated, ‘Why don’t we arrange a centre to take care of the disabled in order that their members of the family can have peace of thoughts?’
“They’ll go to work and earn a dwelling and never want to fret about their family members who’ll be in good palms,” she says.
When guests weren’t allowed throughout sure phases of the motion management order, Phang says they helped members of the family communicate with the residents through video calls, in addition to photographs and movies despatched by WhatsApp.
For residents who’re extra cellular, group train periods resembling dancing are organised on the centre.
Though it’s a aid that motion restrictions have now been lifted, she says they nonetheless must be vigilant, particularly when accepting guests as a result of the residents are within the weak group.
“Guests must be absolutely vaccinated, and naturally, masks, hand sanitising and social distancing are a should,” she says.
Phang, who used to work within the accounting line, says that her background has influenced how she runs Chen Ai.
“I’m somewhat specific about how I handle this centre. We not solely need to be sure that we’ve sufficient for the residents, we additionally need to be certain that there isn’t any extra in order that there’s no wastage from spoilage or expiry of meals or different perishable gadgets,” she says.
“If folks want to donate, we hope that they’ll name first to search out out what the centre wants as a result of we’re accountable for the donations acquired, whether or not in money or provisions, and we need to handle it properly.”
In the event that they obtain additional recent produce or perishable gadgets, Phang believes in paying it ahead and shares them with others in want.
“We’ve despatched greens to different properties for the underprivileged and toiletries to the low-cost flats in Kelana Jaya,” she says.
Phang says there are lots of extra folks in want.
“Lots of people have requested our assist to maintain their family members, however I’ve needed to flip them away as a result of we don’t have any extra room. I have to be sure that our current residents reside comfortably and that the rooms aren’t overcrowded,” she says.
Go to facebook.com/chenaimalaysia/ or chenaimalaysia.org/ for more information.
