NGO spreads Christmas joy to B40 families through donations
14 Dec 2021
By Wartawan Nabalu News
KOTA KINABALU: For the second year running, the Society of Hope Sabah brought festive cheer to needy children, especially those from B40 income families, in various parts of the state in conjunction with the Christmas season.
For a noteworthy cause, the Society's President Josephine Hadikusumo led a team of eight volunteers to distribute 2,000 milk powder packs for 1,000 children, 1,100 packets of soy milk drink, 2,675 pieces of kid's face mask and 134 pencil cases to school-going children, at 20 locations over a five-day period.
She thanked the F&N Company for its generous contributions of soy milk beverage and pencil cases.
According to Hadikusumo, the food aid distribution exercise covered mainly rural churches, villages and a primary school.
The team, she said, travelled as far as Bundu Tuhan in Ranau and Tulid which is located in the sub-district of Sook in Keningau. Tucked away in the interior, Kg Sodomon is more than 200km from the state capital.
At SK Sinulihan, Tamparuli, its headmaster Mohamad Rozzali Rambangan received 22 boxes of face masks (totalling 1,100 pieces) and pencil cases for the school's enrolment of 22 pupils from Primary One to Five classes.
Meanwhile, Sister Clarice, who was present, expressed her gratitude to the Society's President for her personal donation to St Pius Church in Bundu Tuhan, in addition to the milk aid.
Kg Sodomon village chief Megasin Radius said the residents were thankful to the Society for making a special effort to reach out to them, adding that the milk powder contribution provided relief for poor families who find it difficult to make ends meet.
"Tough for the visitors as it is a tedious journey from KK to Tulid. The distance is 126km from KK to Keningau. From here, it is another 39km to proceed to Sook, followed by a 36-km stretch to get to Tulid," he said.
Other rural churches visited included St Theresa Church (Kolopis, Penampang), Assumption Church (Sugud, Penampang), St Benedict Chapel (Timpangoh Laut Sugud, Penampang), Basel Church (Kg Giling, Telipok), SDA Church (Kg Daingin, Ulu Kimanis in Papar), SDA Church (Kg Kapa, Tamparuli), St Valentine Church (Kg Himbaan, Bundu Tuhan) and St Bruno Chapel (Kg Toboh Lama, Bundu Tuhan).
"It's been grueling but we did complete the mission in the safest way possible in compliance with existing health standard operating procedures (SOPs).
"Our priority is always to balance our mission of giving with strict compliance with health SOPs. We are not out of the woods yet with this pandemic, so it is critical that we adhere to these practices even as we seek to distribute aid to the needy," Hadikusumo said after the team's final milk powder distribution at Kg Sembulan Baru here, last Sunday.
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