Charity event to help shelter street children
Charity event to help shelter street children
STREET children in the city’s Chow Kit area may soon have a shelter, thanks to the efforts of several individuals who organised a fund-raising dinner last night.The event at The Wine Room, Asian Heritage Row in Jalan Yap Ah Shak, saw many artistes and generous Malaysians chipping in to help the Chow Kit Children Activity Centre (Pakk).
Pakk is a day-care centre for the homeless and displaced children. It needs a hostel to help the unfortunate children.
At present, Pakk is providing day shelter and activity programmes to the children – mostly offspring of sex workers, drug addicts and the disabled. It operates from 10am to 5pm daily.
Yayasan Salam Malaysia consultant, Dr Hartini Zainudin, who helped in the fund- raising event, said the shelter needs RM80,200 to build the hostel.
“There are 90 children registered with the centre. At least between 16 and 20 of them sleep on the streets nightly. That’s why the centre needs a three-storey shop house to place them,” she said.
She also said some of these children have had to steal to eat.
The centre’s director, Raja Azizan Suhaimi Raja Abd Latiff, said the centre also needs volunteers to help with the children.
About 200 patrons, including VIPs, attended the charity event.
They each donated RM50 as entrance fee and bought RM5 raffle tickets to win prizes sponsored by YTL Hotels and Properties, CoChine Restaurant, Spa Village and others.
Local celebrities like Izlyn Ramli, Ferhad, Nora, Ida Nerina, M. Nasir and The Platters entertained.
Among those who attended the event were Yayasan Salam chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail and wife, Puan Seri Dayang Razali, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi and wife, Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina, and actor/model Hans Isaac."
