Grateful for food baskets

Wong (middle) with his entourage commemorate the event.

9 November 2023

By AVV

KOTA KINABALU: The lush countryside invites long stays and leisurely walks along the village paths. Quaint and rustic houses cluster around fertile terrain.

They are homes to people who thrive in nature's beauty throughout their lives and they hardly notice the environment unless it is for their vegetable patches and landscape flowering plants.

There are some sorrows within some of these homes however where the sick lay on their beds or sit around fighting to get well from their illness. Their caretakers take the weight of responsibilities upon their shoulders whether they are the children, the spouse, or the sister.

In Kg Pangasaan Inanam, Thomas Galis, 58, is one such person who is taken care of by his wife. He is a tuberculosis sufferer who cannot work due to his condition. He stays at home most of the time. He takes medication to treat his condition.

His neighbour Paula Jiapun, a woman in her late 70s had been bedridden for a long time. She is taken care of by her relative Patricia Lajawap, 59. According to Patricia, she takes care of Paula, ensuring she eats and drinks. She also ensures that her cleanliness is well taken care of.

Both of these ailing individuals are recipients of food baskets distributed by the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) Sepanggar Division led by its Chief Datuk Wong Thien Fook, in their outreach programme, recently.

In Kg Bantayan Inanam, there are four recipients, most of whom live on the hills, overlooking beautiful natural panorama.

Hairus Utoi, 54, is bedridden due to paralysis from the waist down and as such he cannot move around. He also cannot sit by himself and has to be taken care of by his older sister Lozinis Utoi, 70. She shares that she has to take care of her brother as his brother’s wife is also ill and has returned to her home village in Tuaran.

The other individual who received food baskets is Yoyong Monsuit who is 70 years old and has problems with knee and back pain, so walking around is a problem, due to extreme pain.

This patient has just been to the hospital and is resting and recuperating. Ziunin Sikulam, 80, is an elderly patient with the ailments of old age as well as the side effects of an operation. While Anis Boidis suffers from Cancer and is going through chemotherapy. Anie Bistian is another recipient who is a cancer fighter.

They all express their appreciation for Wong and his team’s visit as it is a source of encouragement for them.

In Kg Sukang/Mabpai, there are two recipients. One is Lojimit Mosinol who is a stroke survivor. She is not quite cognitive due to the illness but is well taken care of by her 28-year-old daughter. She is also taking care of her brother Jeffery Hermis who is suffering from colon cancer. They thanked Wong and his entourage who donated the food baskets and took the time to give them words of comfort and reassurance.

In Kg Nountun Inanam, there were three recipients of the food basket. They are Juis Kimin, the former village chief who is bedridden and taken care of by his daughter, Benjie Binios who suffered a stroke, and Romeo Motogil who suffers from mental health issues.

They expressed their appreciation to Datuk Wong and his entourage for visiting and giving them food basket donations.

Wong said he is thankful that he is able to meet the sick, even if it is only briefly due to time constraints. He is committed to continuing his visits to the sick and needy, offering support whenever possible.