A DEEPAVALI celebration for 70 homeless and child refugees turned out to be a simple yet meaningful event at the Anjung Kembara, Pusat Transit Gelandangan in Kuala Lumpur.
A. Ravichandran, 51, who was homeless for the past one year, is now working as a security guard. He is saving money so he can rent a place.
Despite having a family in Johor, he lives alone at Anjung Kembara.
He was grateful to have been able to have breakfast with other residents on Deepavali morning.
The underprivileged residing at Anjung Kembara along with 15 refugee children were treated to a Deepavali breakfast put together by Institut Onn Jaafar (IOJ).
The vegetarian meal was sponsored by Datuk Seri S. Vell Paari and his wife Datin Seri Shaila Nair.
IOJ chief executive officer Charles Mohan said Deepavali was special this year because everyone was able to celebrate it together.
“The number of homeless increased after the pandemic because some of them lost their jobs but they are being assisted by organisations such as Yayasan Kebajikan Negara for them to re-enter the workforce.
“Ultimately, the homeless are responsible to look for a job themselves,” he said, adding that the non-profit organisation had also distributed food packs to the homeless during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, homeless R. Viruthagiri, 46, said he became homeless during the Covid-19 period because his agent ran away with his salary.
“I was a security guard and when the pandemic hit, I did not get my pay.
Mohan (right) giving Ravichandran some Deepavali sweets during the breakfast event at Anjung Kembara, Pusat Transit Gelandangan in Kuala Lumpur.
“I could not sustain a living. I then became a homeless person.
“Recently, I managed to get a job as a security guard and I want to focus on my personal growth,” said Viruthagiri who grew up in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.
However, P. Muhuntan, 45, from Penang, is still looking for a job after being laid off from his job in production.
Some of the homeless are also interested to cast their votes as the nation gears up for the upcoming general election.
Ravichandran plans to take a bus from Kuala Lumpur to Johor to cast his vote.
He said he had been casting his vote in most of the general elections.
However, Viruthagiri and Muhuntan want to focus on earning a stable income and were not keen to vote in the elections.
Some 20 undergraduates from University of Cyberjaya also volunteered their time and served food at the transit centre.
They took the public holiday break to do good at the centre.
Nurhanis Aqilah Mohamad Irwan, 20, a medical student, is looking forward to the elections.
“I want my leader to be able to provide a conducive environment for doctors in the hospital so that they will be able to serve patients better,” she said.
Psychology undergraduate Nayab Amjad, 21, wants a leader with a clear vision and direction.
“It is okay to make mistakes along the way but candidates must have a clear agenda,” she said.
