PELITA donates to flood victims
17 July 2024
By AVV
PENAMPANG: The recent flood that inundated numerous districts in the State spurred individuals and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) into action to aid those severely affected, showing the solidarity and unity of the community in confronting adversity.
One of the NGOs that stepped forward was the Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kesejahteraan Wanita dan Keluarga (PELITA), loosely translated as ‘Organization for the Development of Women and Family Welfare’, under the leadership of its chairperson, Datin Juliana Janni.
Accompanied by Felimena Andreas, the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) Woman chief for Penampang, they visited seven families severely affected by the unprecedented flood.
"We visited these families to provide them the support they desperately needed. We empathise with their experiences and deeply sympathise with their circumstances," Juliana remarked, adding "It must have been incredibly challenging for them, especially considering the loss or destruction of most of their household belongings during the floods."
During the event, she generously donated a washing machine to a family in Kg Babagon, represented by Irene Chung, who described the recent flood as the worst they had experienced in years. Irene explained that floods were a recurring issue due to the proximity of her house to the Babagon River and a nearby tributary.
Despite her house being elevated several feet up the hillside, the floodwaters from both rivers inundated her home, resulting in the loss of most of her kitchen utensils, including her washing machine. The donated washing machine was essential to clean the muddy materials in her home.
Saini Limsin in Kg Pagansakan also received a washing machine from PELITA. She expressed shock at the rapid flooding that prevented her from saving any of her belongings on the ground floor. Despite warnings from her parents about the flood-prone nature of the area, she extended the living area to the ground floor, leading to devastating losses when the floodwaters swiftly entered her home, destroying almost everything in its path.
Ritchy Donius in Kg Madsiang shared his shock and devastation as his house was submerged under three feet of water during the flood. Having to evacuate his family to his mother's house, he lost everything, including his fridge and washing machine. He received a washing machine and RM300 cash from Juliana's private company. He expressed sadness at the loss of years' worth of accumulated possessions within hours. He believed that a nearby river was one of the causes of the floods, as it was too narrow. He hoped it could be widened soon.
Riga Lenggean, residing in a village in the Kiranau area, represented three other relatives affected by the flood. She described the near-total loss of her wooden house, with the walls destroyed after being soaked in water for hours. She said she climbed onto a bunk bed to stay above the rising water level with her husband.
She recounted the harrowing experience, where they sat there wet and hungry for several hours before the water subsided. She has since moved in with her brother nearby, whose house was not too badly hit. She was grateful for the RM1000 assistance from PELITA and her relatives, Veronica Victor, Frennie Victor, and Alber Victor, also received monetary aid.
She said she had also received assistance since the flood from several NGOs and individuals. The donation included mattresses and planks for house repair.
“We can’t repay all the kindness and assistance accorded to us, God bless them,” Riga said.
All recipients expressed gratitude to PELITA and UPKO Women for their visit and assistance, as well as the many helping hands and assistance and donations from individuals and groups, emphasising the importance of such support in fostering community bonds and friendship.
Juliana expressed her pleasure in providing aid aligned with her organisation's mission. She expressed a desire to assist more individuals in need and hoped for increased funding to develop programmes benefiting the wider community. Juliana emphasised the importance of funding to create workshops that impart skills, particularly for women interested in entrepreneurship, underscoring the potential for positive impact on the community.
This organisation is a charity and women's welfare organisation that aims to unify women's efforts in all fields with a focus on charitable and welfare activities. It also hoped to enhance knowledge in education, ICT, social, economic, health, life skills, and the environment, through programmes. There are presently 30 PELITA members
Also present during the event were Nazlin Jemandan, PELITA Treasurer, Felimena Andreas UPKO woman chief of Penampang and Patricia Stephen a PELITA member.
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