Donation recipients express gratitude

By AVV

2 August 2024

PENAMPANG: The distribution of assistance for flood victims carried out through the Ehsan@Kuskop programme initiated by the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Corporative (MEDC) recently benefited 19 primary and secondary schools involving 1,659 recipients in this district.

MEDC Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick disbursed a total of RM497,700 of humanitarian aid to the recipients during the event.

Senior Assistant for Student Affairs Jessica Jocelyn James of St Aloysius Limbanak said, “We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation from the Minister, which comes as a significant relief to our students affected by the recent floods. Many of our pupils lost their school books and essential school supplies, with approximately 102 students impacted by the disaster.

“After careful consideration, we selected 8 students who were the hardest hit by the floods to receive the donation. These families experienced total loss, and the support provided will help them rebuild and continue their education without further disruptions,” she shared.

Alice Joannes, Senior Assistant for Student Affairs at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) St. Theresa Inobong, expressed, "This donation not only helps ease the burdens faced by these families but also provides students with the encouragement to return to school and continue their studies. A total of 160 pupils from 90 families were affected, losing essential items such as school books, uniforms, and shoes, among others."

She noted that during the flood, the water levels reached about six feet deep in the school, indicating that the houses of pupils residing in lower-lying areas must have been submerged in even deeper waters.

"We express our gratitude to Datuk Ewon for his assistance with the donation. We are confident that it will alleviate the burden on parents, particularly in providing school books among other necessities.”

Sanditah M Boyon, the Senior Assistant for Student Affairs at SK St Paul Kolopis, also conveyed her appreciation for the donation.

She mentioned that 68 pupils were severely impacted by the floods, resulting in the loss of school books, shoes, uniforms and items in their respective homes.

"This contribution from Datuk Ewon will significantly lighten their load, and we are truly thankful for his generosity," she remarked, adding that her pupils were from the surrounding areas that were also flooded.

Lawrence George, the Headmaster of SK Babagon, extended his heartfelt gratitude to MEDC and its Minister for the generous contribution.

He emphasised that a significant number of his pupils come from economically disadvantaged families falling under the B40 category. He empathised with the challenges faced by parents during the flood, as not only were their homes affected, leading to damage to household items, but also their children's schoolbooks, uniforms, and other essential learning materials were impacted.

"This contribution holds immense importance for us, and we are truly grateful to the Minister for his generosity," he expressed.

The headmistress of SK Bahang, Saadiah Zakaria, expressed her gratitude to the Minister for his generous contribution. She mentioned that 37 of her pupils were significantly affected by the recent floods and emphasised her belief that this contribution will greatly assist the recipients in overcoming their challenges.

For Hamzah Ismail, the headmaster of SK Sugud, the flood was an incident he could never forget. The damage to the school was tremendous, especially where silting was concerned.

"We are truly grateful for the Minister’s generous distribution of donations to us. This contribution significantly alleviates the burden on our pupils' parents. Additionally, we want to acknowledge the Minister's ongoing support in the past, which has greatly benefited our community. We sincerely appreciate all his efforts and assistance."

The distribution of assistance was carried out through the Ehsan@Kuskop Programme where they handed over assistance to flood victims.

During the event, MEDC through its agencies distributed humanitarian aid amounting to RM650,200 to students and traders in the Penampang who were severely affected by the recent floods.

Of the amount, RM497,700 of humanitarian aid was distributed to 19 primary and secondary schools involving 1,659 recipients.

RM152,500 was distributed to 268 traders from the Penampang District Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Association, Donggongon Market Traders Association, and Tekun Nasional Penampang entrepreneurs.

The agencies involved in the Ehsan@Kuskop Programme were SME Corp, SME Bank, Tekun Nasional, Pernas, Bank Rakyat, Coop Bank Pertama, Angkasa, and Yayasan Bank Rakyat.