PETALING JAYA: Local welfare homes are increasingly being strained by dwindling funds and resources, exacerbated by the economic downturn and the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
These homes are having difficulty meeting their basic needs and maintaining essential services.
Lighthouse Children’s Welfare Home co-founder Jacinta Steven said the home has been facing a critical shortage of funds and that its five employees and 35 children were surviving on instant noodles and biscuits most of the time.
Instead of essential items, she said they often received second-hand clothes and books.
“We desperately need money to buy proper food, pay for utilities and rent, as well as medical expenses.
Laying foundations: Jacinta (in white shirt) teaching residents the basics of cooking to empower them with practical knowledge and encourage self-sufficiency.
“Before the pandemic, we were funded by foreign expatriates from the oil and gas industry, but this has stopped,” she said.
Jacinta added that the 19-year-old home now relied on donations from locals and carried out fundraising activities like selling biscuits and books.
She also appealed for volunteers to help with the children’s school work and revision.
Sunteck Handicapped Welfare Home secretary Aw Kin Thiam said the number of donors had reduced since the pandemic.
“The economy is tough, there are not many visitors.
“Before the pandemic, we used to receive 10 packs of rice a month, but now we only get one or two,” he said, adding that the home, which was set up in Kuala Lumpur a decade ago, has five workers caring for 30 disabled people.
Currently, the home is hoping to get a new van to ferry its residents, especially those using wheelchairs, after its old vehicle broke down.
“We are now using a car to send them to the hospital and need to make a few trips,” said Aw.
“We cannot borrow money or take loans from the banks. We rely solely on donations, but it’s difficult to raise funds.”
Seri Cahaya Welfare House in Penang has also been running out of funds.
Its president V. Girithren said the home, with nine senior citizens and 27 children including special kids, experienced a steep 40% drop in donations since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
He said it could hardly cover the RM36,000 monthly expenses including the maintenance cost for three buildings and education fees for the children.
He added that the home survived on public donations and the corporate social responsibility initiatives of private firms.
