A FATHER of two was moved to donate his children’s favourite toy to cheer up victims of Putra Heights inferno.
Alvin Chen, 43, said that while volunteering to help the gas pipeline fire victims at the temporary relief centre (PPS) at Masjid Putra Heights, he heard a five-year-old boy’s wish to go home.
“He told me he was bored at the centre and wanted to go home,” recalled Chen, co-founder of What A Waste, a non-governmental organisation that finds solutions for surplus food.
This was how he had the idea to bring toys for the children at the centre.
Besides a dollhouse, Chen had also brought board games, a train track set, and building blocks.
The dollhouse belonged to his children, aged 10 and 12.
“It was their favourite plaything. I asked for my kids’ permission to pass it on,” he said.
Chen gathered other toys from his friends and relatives.
He only brought 30 toys and board games after considering the lack of storage space at the relief centre.
He said the toys would keep the children entertained for some time.
He emphasised that while donating to disaster victims was a noble act, donors should consider the recipients’ needs beforehand.
“Before bringing the toys, I made sure to check with the Welfare Department officers who were stationed at the centre,” he said.
“I also found out the evacuees were short of bath products, particularly soap and facial wash,” he added.
Chen was accompanied by another volunteer, Loo Yan Jing, 27, who helped to unload the toys from a van.
“It brings me joy to see the smiles on the children’s faces despite everything they have been through,” Loo said.
