Our last day with GIFT Foundation Children
Today is our last day with GIFT Foundation children before heading back to Spokane, Washington in the next couple of days. Shane has established a strong bond with the children and it is hard for him to say goodbye. The children trust and respect him because he is like a father they never had. They enjoy his hugs, encouragements, playfulness and even accept when he has to discipline them.
One child breaks our heart because she says…
Take me with you. My parents don’t care anyway.
Nora, age 10 Champa undocumented child
Nora is one of the many children who can’t go to school and their parents expect them to help with their work. Some of the local village children face similar situation and lack of parental care because both parents work for a living. They are the GIFT Foundation children. It isn’t unusual for a parent to drop a child at the front gate and leave. Sometimes this unidentified child is left for days before he/she gets picked up. Dr. Firdaus has fostered many children and currently three are staying indefinitely with her and her biological children.
GIFT Foundation Children’s future
It is distressing not to know the future of these innocent children because we haven’t found volunteers to maintain the structures we have built. Dr. Firdaus has many things on her sleeves and she teaches in a university so she isn’t around full time to oversee everything. We admit we are concern for the children’s future. Their parents main priority is using GIFT Foundation as a free child care facility.
Latest Update
Below is the latest update for GIFT Foundation since my last post.
- Tesco Stores Malaysia continues to provide GIFT Foundation a weekly shipment of leftover produce including baked goods and vegetables.
- Angel Foundation organizes truck load of vegetables for GIFT Foundation to distribute to the vulnerable communities every few days.
- We have more volunteer teachers to teach English, Science, Mathematics, Mandarin and Quran. Some adult classes are available to.
- One volunteer from China invites some of the children to his apartment’s swimming pool every other week.
- Dr. Firdaus receives a good discount at the Equestrian Park, Putra Jaya for the children to ride horses and play football (soccer).
- Shane invites some UNHCR officials to visit GIFT Foundation and introduces the facilities.
- We attended Aspirasi TN50 Bagan Datuk with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and introduces GIFT Foundation to some prominent supporters of the political party.
- Champa community volunteer their time for extension of a communal kitchen whenever Dr. Firdaus has some extra fund and finds cheap building materials.
- I have set up a Whatsapp Adult Group for Champa community to learn English. Currently 30 adults have signed up. We will start this program in April.
- I continue to update the Facebook page whenever I received photos of GIFT activities.
- Website is still under development. Dr. Firdaus hasn’t been able to collect all the materials I need due to time constraint.
Appeal for volunteers and donations
We appeal for volunteers and donations because more work needs to be done to get GIFT Foundation properly off the ground. Dr. Firdaus needs volunteers for administrative works and teaching children on a regular basis. It’s challenging finding volunteers because GIFT Foundation is too far away from Kuala Lumpur. We need to find volunteers in Klang instead. GIFT also needs monetary donations or materials to complete construction of the bakery and kitchen. We are very grateful for vegetable donations and appreciate if there would be rice and meat too.
Shane and I will continue to work with GIFT and we plan to return to Malaysia by end of this year.
Faces of GIFT Foundation Children
Below are faces of GIFT Foundation children and adults that are here when these photos are taken.
