*Update: This campaign has been extended until the end of June and the article has been amended to reflect this change in date.
For Shila’s* family who has a monthly income of RM1,500 – RM2,000, the school closures and move to online learning meant having to carve out a new budget for their spending. In order to do that, Shila’s father decided to cut on their food expenses so they could buy data for their children (3 of them who are still schooling) to attend classes and tuition online.
“Ayam dan ikan kita rancang untuk makan hari Sabtu dan Ahad sahaja,” Shila’s mother said when we spoke to her last year.
Their source of extra income in the form of Overtime (OT) hours were reduced as well, so without any extra money or aid, that was the plan for the family to get through this period.
Many of the families we spoke to were faced with similar situations of having figure out their budget for food as their children were now home 24/7 and their expenses for food had increased, while their wages were either the same or lesser than before. Without the basic needs cash aid GG was providing, many would have been surviving on fried rice, eggs and curry, with the occasional chicken and fish throughout a week.
“One mother told us she would wait for us to bank in the money before she would head to the grocery store to do her shopping. That’s how much they value the cash aid given,” shared Charlene, GG’s Youth Services Section Head.
These cash aid transfers GG has been providing to students under our Super Sarapan Program has enabled the family to have extra money to buy their children the food they need in order to eat well and learn. On top of that, this year the funds were also used by parents to purchase items to enable their children to go back to school–such as uniforms, school shoes, socks, face masks and even hand sanitisers.
While we have seen a rise in cases among schools leading to the 2 week school closure, learning never stops. Whether in school or at home, hunger is still one of the roadblocks to learning, and GG wants to raise funds to continue providing Basic Needs for these children the entire month of June, in conjunction with World Hunger Day.
During this time, your monthly giving or one-time donation of RM50 will entitle you to receive a Lilin+Co. candle for free, while stocks last. Each donor may receive up to 5 candles (equivalent to RM250 and above donation).
This is our way of saying “Thank You” for supporting the work we do and ensuring these children have increased access to education.
Follow this link HERE to give. For those who are doing direct bank transfers, do remember to email finance@gengemilang.org with your Name, Contact No., Mailing Address and proof of transfer in order for us to send your candle to you.
*Note: Names have been changed to protect the identity of our beneficiaries.
