I would never have imagined that those in charitable organisations are so well paid!
A chance interview with a Blind Institution in Penang led to a stay-in position and a window into the workings of such an organisation which is a Home and Training Centre for the Visually Impaired.
Excited to serve and with such perks, it never occured to me then that the original vision and mission of the Home was long gone.
One of the elderly blind, Lucille (name has been changed), who is now in her 70s, has been a resident there since she was 4 years old, abandoned there by her parents who did not know how to care for a child blinded by some unknown illness.
When Lucille was of working age, she became the launderess of the Home and when she retired she continued to stay on in the laundry quarters, irregardless that there was no bathroom nor toilet, as this room has become so familar to her over the years.
At nights she would go to take her bath at another block to find it locked and she would scream and shout her frustrations. No one visits her, not even those who were supposed to care for her except for a concerned staff from a different department. Sometimes they even forgot to bring her meals to her.
Every night, Lucille talks to herself before going to sleep. She almost lost both feet. They were swollen, infected and the skin on one ankle was gone while that on the other ankle was about to peel off tool. Obviously, without medical attention, they would probably have become gangreneous and have to be amputated at worst.
Initially, Lucille refused to go to the hospital, saying that she has no money to pay for medical expenses, but she forgot about her savings held by the Home which nobody had reminded her of.
After a preliminary investigation at the private clinic, the doctor recommended that Lucille be admitted to a hospital for further treatment. Lucille was admitted to the Penang Adventist Hospital the next day and her ankles were saved.
Another blind resident in his 40s, Alan (not his real name), walks twice daily to a nearby hospital canteen for his vegetarian meals sponsored by an inhouse church there. One day I decided to follow him. It was really so pathetic seeing him stumbling into shallow drains, tripping over uneven roads, tree roots and crossing dangerous roads. At nights, he would just sit on the floor of his small room and cry in despair. Why couldn't the Home have arranged some alternatives for him?
The above are just 2 cases of neglect and sorry state of affairs at the Home. Most of the senior blind residents receive RM200 in monthly aid from the Malaysian Social Welfare Department. With this money the senior blind buy their daily needs. What they did not know and was not informed, was that some of these items sits in the storeroom which has been donated by the generous public.
There is nothing much for the senior blind residents to look forward to. Everyday is the same. Real charity and compassion goes beyond just a roof over their heads and 3 meals daily. The management could have at least organised visits or some activities to brighten their lives, looked into their mental well being as well and not neglect and leave them in a prison of their own dark world.
It is such a despairing situation, theirs is a loveless Home.
Most of the staff just take it a a normal job. After they check out at the end of the day, their work is done. Not even the committee members or the Board of Directors take any interest in the going ons of the Home. One of them even expressed such horrors to be around the B...lind!
The deaf, blind and dumb children are labelled the "3 in 1" as in a packet of instant coffee. A very sick joke indeed! The housemothers scream at them daily, shove them around and the children cannot even defend themselves.
The scenario is so different when visitors come around and praise the staff for their "noble work".
Granted that the work can be very trying at times, but great care should be taken to select only the most suitable candidates for organisation such as these and not just anybody who happened to answer their advertisements.
The management and staff of the deaf/blind unit are a law unto themselves. Overall there is no work discipline and they bring whoever they like to their quarters in the Home after hours.
Clearly something must be done. The relevant authorities should conduct regular checks for abuses, interviewing residents of such organisations and making sure that government grants are properly utilized.
Organising fund-raising, charity dinners and such are praise worthy activities, but the organisers and the public need to investigate further whether these funds reach the right parties.
Vicki Mah, Social Worker
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