Leaving behind their past and moving on

THE Welcome Community Home in Batu Arang, Selangor was built on what used to be a chicken farm, but the 50-odd residents are not in the least bit concerned with its past. They are grateful to those who have helped secure funds to refurbish the place.  

The healthierones lend ahelping hand toothers who areweaker.

The residents, most of whom are drug addicts or suffering from HIV/AIDS, have been overlooked by society. All they want is a second chance and place to live respectful lives.  

Several years ago, social worker Alex Arokiam took a major challenge to embrace these “unwanted” people by providing them with shelter at his Welcome Community Home (WCH) in Batu Arang, eight years ago. 

WCH initially started off as a drop-in centre in Bukit Nenas, Kuala Lumpur, in 1997 and moved on to a two-room house in Batu Arang a year later. It then had two patients.  

Within two months, the number of patients swelled to 12.  

“This caused discomfort within the small community in Batu Arang and the next best option was to occupy the dilapidated chicken farm,” said Arokiam. 

And, since 1997, the cluster of village-style huts have housed more than 600 persons, mainly vagrants of all races who suffer from HIV/AIDS and drug addiction. 

The centre has a full-time nurse in Frenchman Marc Rogez, who heads a team of trained and dedicated caregivers. 

Some of the caregivers are also HIV positive, but they are healthy enough to care for the others.  

All residents who die at the home are given a decent funeral in keeping with their own religious and cultural practices. 

On most occasions, their families bear the expenses, but if a next-of-kin cannot be traced,the home will find a benefactor to bear the funeral costs. 

Rogez is a malenurse at thehome’s clinic.

The home has a six-bed “sick bay” for those suffering from AIDS and who have no one to turn to for assistance. 

“We do our best to provide them with a place where they leave this world in dignity, in an environment where they feel wanted and loved,” said Arokiam. 

He added that WCH could sustain itself with the RM30,000 it received as monthly operational costs from well-wishers all these years. However, this was no longer possible as the number of patients had increased tremendously. 

Come December, patients suffering from HIV/AIDS will move to a new building known as the “White House” to local residents. This old bungalow, sitting on a hillock occupying 1.2ha, has better facilities. 

The sick bay iswhere the terminallyill are placed.

“We get about 12 new admissions each month and the new building will allow us to increase our capacity,” said Arokiam. 

The National Office for Human Development of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur has undertaken the project to renovate the Welcome Community Home and Hospice Care Services at the 80-year-old heritage building. The cost to do so is about RM1.2mil. 

Once the renovation had been completed, Arokiam said, more volunteers would be needed to help teach human development programmes such as craftwork and music to the patients. 

Those who want to help, can call him at 03-6035 1463 or 019-228 7750. 

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