Thank you, everyone
Shane and I like to thank everyone who follow and support our humanitarian efforts at GIFT Foundation. Every day is a challenge, sometimes insanely frustrating but the GIFT children are God’s children. We feel compel to make an impact however small into their lives so there is a brighter future for them.
Merry Christmas from GIFT Children
Here’s a Merry Christmas video from GIFT Children to all of you!
Our English classes work and many of them are eager to learn the language so they can communicate with Shane.
Update on Rohingya Teenagers
It has been more than a month since the arrival of Rohingya teenagers. Shane and I make every efforts we could to help them. I personally find it very challenging especially dealing with the girls. I wear my heart on the sleeve and they know how to manipulate me. After a few incidents, I decide to let Shane tells me what to do so I can set boundaries with them. Here is update on Rohingya teenagers:
- Shane provides counseling with a Rohingya interpreter for the 5 Rohingya teenagers. The interpreter is brought in by UNHCR. At least two of the teenagers believed Shane is going to kidnap and sell them in the United States. Apparently, their smugglers told everyone this is going to happen if they meet any Caucasian.
- Security measures are still in place but the girls are free to roam about the compound with watchful eyes from at least an adult. There was one incident when one of the girls tries to communicate with a Rohingya adult at a dental clinic. The man was threatening Dr. Firdaus so Shane and I had to pick the girl up and leave separately in case he follows Dr. Firdaus home. All handphones are off limit for this reason and GIFT children are discourage to bring one because the Rohingya teenagers ask for them. There are evidences that the girls are going to be married off to adult Rohingya men, some as old as 70 years old.
- The Rohingya teenagers get to cook their ethnic meals regularly as long as they follow rules of the house. They also have to be taught proper hygiene and to use detergent and shampoo sparingly.
- I am glad Shane has worked with at risk children and knows how to handle situations like hysteric crying, threatened suicides, hunger strikes, and other manipulative behaviors.
- We try to teach the Rohingya teenagers basic English. They are quite adamant about not learning anything until Shane told them learning English and Malay allow them to communicate with other people when they leave GIFT Foundation. This makes them open up a little until the next melt down. We also teach them simple sentences to use in case of an emergency.
- Dr. Firdaus teaches them Quran and she finds out the girls’ Islamic knowledge are inaccurate especially when it comes to women’s right in the community.
Update on other GIFT children and Champa adults
There are no other volunteers at GIFT Foundation besides the two of us. Dr. Firdaus is busy working on a political case and she is often away from the house. Taking care of GIFT children become our full responsibilities. A lived in Champa man cooks for the family and manage the farm as best as he could. Below is a list of update on GIFT children and Champa adults that visit the home on a regular basis:
- I tutor Yasmin, a Somali refugee girl one on one for English and Science subjects.
- Shane and I teach basic English, Mathematics and Science to the rest of the local children. We also include social and life skills. These children still hang around in the house even when we are not there except for the supervisions of the Champa man and Yasmin.
- Shane gives special attention to Dr. Firdaus’ son who is ADHD and oppositional defiant. He beats children older than him and they retaliate. It’s too bad there is no good understanding of this mental disorder in the Malaysian school system. Due to their ignorance, they treat the children like they did Shane who has ADHD when he was a child. They beat and labelled him as a trouble maker.
- Counseling and health care for the Champa adults. They also help clean the compound in GIFT Foundation.
Fun activities
We try to provide fun activities for GIFT children . Yasmin loves dancing so we encourage her to give dancing lessons to the children. Shane buys fidget spinners, tops (gasing) and water guns with the children’s promise not to destroy them. So far they are adhering to the rules. He also makes cleaning fun for them.
Sungai Buloh Prison
Aside from our busy schedules at GIFT Foundation, we meet with the director and deputy director of Sungai Buloh Prison to discuss potential collaboration with GIFT Foundation and Shane’s Choices Counseling. This is the largest prison facility in Malaysia with over 4,000 inmates. The only social service programs offered are religious education on weekends. Shane explains behavioral modification and skills training and they were very receptive.
It’s Christmas eve
It’s Christmas eve today and we miss our family back home in the United States. We are going to have a simple dinner and then visit my sister and family in Subang Jaya. My aunt and her husband are flying to visit from Singapore and we look forward to some family time.
On behalf of GIFT children, Merry Christmas and thank you so much for your supports.
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