Sustainability: Chong and Chew showing the various farm activities at PKK Pasir Gudang Village which keeps its centres’ non-senior residents active. — Photos: ZAZALI MUSA/The Star
MANY of us rely on faith to see us through difficult times.
These past couple of years, as the Covid-19 pandemic spread through the globe and upending lives, have certainly tested many people’s resolve.
Charitable and religious groups have faced their share of challenges as the movement control order (MCO) in 2020 and 2021 resulted in a steep drop in donations, which they had relied on to carry out activities.
During the pandemic, one religious group in Johor learned to reduce its dependence on donations by relying on farming activities to sustain its welfare centres.
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Calvary Welfare Centre (Pusat Kebajikan Kalvari or PKK) has 24 centres spread across several locations in Johor Baru, Kulai and Pasir Gudang.
Its chief operations officer Athens Chew Khuan Yan said the centres catered to the needs of mentally challenged individuals, drug addicts, senior citizens, single mothers, hardcore poor and the homeless.
He told StarMetro that PKK needed RM350,000 monthly to run the 24 centres, 70% of which comes from church worshippers and the rest from its farming project at the centre in Pasir Gudang Village (PGV).
The village, set on a 5.5ha land in Taman Tanjung Puteri Resort in Pasir Gudang, began operations in 2012.
“The land for the village was donated by a philanthropist,” Chew said, adding that the group took about a year to clear the land.Reaching the village, which is about 35km from Johor Baru and faces the sea, is a challenge due to the poorly maintained laterite road with its many potholes.
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PGV houses three rehabilitation centres for mentally challenged individuals, drug addicts and the homeless.
It currently has about 130 residents aged between 24 and 60 years old.There are also two old folks homes here, which shifted from Taman Sutera, Johor Baru in 2019.
Chew declined to reveal how much it cost to build all the facilities in the village, only saying that the money was from church members and other well-wishers.
PKK deputy chief operations officer Joshua Chong Lim Shu, 34, said activities at the farm included rearing free-range chickens, ducks and goats, producing honey from stingless bees and growing fruits such as papaya and pineapple.
“We also have about 453 oil palm trees and they gave good returns last year,” he said, adding that the farm took up about half the land area.
All the farming activities, according to Chong, are carried out by the residents at the centre, with the exception of senior citizens.
He said there were regular buyers, with the produce sold at lower prices than those in the market as PKK was not profit-oriented.
He also said that the farming activities benefitted the non-senior residents as it kept them active.
In the pipeline, he revealed, was a similar village set up like the PGV which would be opened in Kota Tinggi by the end of the year.
Chew said the funds raised were used to provide meals for in-house residents as well as pay for transportation, utilities and rental of the centres’ premises.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic was a good lesson for the group, which was committed to serving those in need, especially during difficult periods.
Chong said PKK was fortunate to receive financial support from donors and well-wishers.
“During the MCO, more people donated food items to the centres instead of cash, due to movement restrictions.
“But luckily, the situation is now almost back to normal,” he said, with visitors streaming in and companies holding events and CSR programmes there.
Chong said the group works closely with the National Anti-Drug Agency, hospitals, police and the Welfare Department, which refers drug addicts, the mentally challenged and homeless for placement.
He said family members of drug addicts also referred them to the village, while there were also those who came voluntarily for rehabilitation.
“Our policy is not to take any payment from families who want to send drug addicts, senior citizens and mentally challenged individuals to us,” he added.
