Category

Compassion

Dec 20

[News] Aceh gets back on its feet

By Compassion

On Dec 26, 2004, Aceh was struck by a disaster never seen before. Five years after the tsunami, the place and the people have bounced back.

JUARIYAH looks adoringly at her two young children who are playing in the grounds of her new home. Her front yard is small but it looks pretty with carpet grass, plants and flowers in red, white and purple.

Sitting on her favourite teak wood bench out on the veranda, she chuckles at the antics of her two boys Mohd Rafi Rezeki, four, and Mohd Fito Magestra, one. And she poses for photos with them.

She is a picture of happiness and it warms my heart to see her like this.

n_20juariyah

Picking up the pieces: Juariyah has found happiness again with her two sons Mohd Rafi (left) and Mohd Fito.

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Dec 15

For some children, smiles are gifts

By Compassion

The Ronald McDonald House Charities™ Malaysia (RMHC Malaysia) was established as a non-profit organisation in February 1990 as part of the 280 local RMHC chapters worldwide, with a clear vision to create, find and support programmes that directly improve the health and well being of children. Our energies are focused on 3 main areas: health, education and welfare.

McDonald’s® Malaysia bears all administration and management costs, thus enabling RMHC Malaysia to use 100% of all donations received to assist less fortunate children. It is also the means by which McDonald’s® Malaysia contributes to the community.

Gift of Smile

In Malaysia, it is estimated that 1 out of 600 newborn babies born every year are born with cleft lip and palate. Treatment is available for these babies but unfortunately not all families can afford them. As a result, babies with untreated cleft lip and palate will not only develop speech defects and psychological problems later in life, but also form habits which become very hard to eliminate.

Thus, the Gift of Smile programme provides free corrective surgery for children born with this condition. This programme was initiated in 2003, with the objective of aiding Malaysian children born with cleft lip and palate to undergo corrective surgery which will help them lead a normal life.

To recommend a child that needs assistance, please download the application form or contact the RMHC Malaysia Hotline at 012-365 7324.

Priority is given to families with a total household income of RM2,000.00 and below.

This Gift of Smile programme is made possible with Pantai Hospital Sdn. Bhd. and McDonald’s® Malaysia.

s2 s3 s4 s5 s6
Together, let us give them the Gift of Smile.

For more information, please visit Ronald McDonald House Charities Malaysia (http://www.rmhc.org.my/default.asp)

Dec 14

[News] Massive iceberg spotted off Australia

By Compassion
This satellite image shows several icebergs breaking off the Antarctic ice shelf in 2000. The iceberg B17B on the left has been spotted 1,700 kilometres from Australia. (Australian Antarctic Division/Associated Press)

This satellite image shows several icebergs breaking off the Antarctic ice shelf in 2000. The iceberg B17B on the left has been spotted 1,700 kilometres from Australia. (Australian Antarctic Division/Associated Press)

An iceberg twice the size of Manhattan (or twice as Hong Kong) discovered 1,700 kilometres off the coast of Australia has prompted a shipping alert.

This satellite image shows several icebergs breaking off the Antarctic ice shelf in 2000. The iceberg B17B on the left has been spotted 1,700 kilometres from Australia. (Australian Antarctic Division/Associated Press)
The country’s Bureau of Meteorology issued the alert Friday after the iceberg was seen off the country’s southwestern coast.

Glaciologist Neal Young of the Australian Antarctic Division found the iceberg using satellite images. Young described it as 19 kilometres long and eight kilometres wide.

The iceberg is one of several that broke off from ice shelves in Antarctica in 2000.

It is expected to break apart as it moves into warmer waters farther north, but the resulting flotilla of smaller icebergs could pose a hazard to ships.

The Australian Antarctic Division has called the presence of such a large iceberg this far north a once-in-a-lifetime event, but cautioned against attributing it directly to global climate change.

Scientists say that ice shelf calvings such as the one in 2000 happen about once every 30 years.

Last month, New Zealand issued a shipping alert when several icebergs were seen moving toward the country’s South Island. They have since moved east out into the Pacific Ocean.

[source:  http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/12/11/tech-iceberg-australia.html]
Dec 11

[News] Polar Bears Eating Young

By Compassion

polarbear

There are increasing reports coming from the north of hungry male polar bears eating bear cubs. The rise in polar bear cannibalism is being attributed to changing climate and difficulty accessing traditional food sources.

Polar bears primarily feed on seals that they hunt from the sea ice. However, the late ice formation and early ice melting is making hunting much more difficult, forcing the starving bears to remain on land and find alternative food sources. 

More than eight incidents of male polar bears eating cubs have already been reported this year in Churchill, Manitoba, according to scientists. Although polar bear cannibalism is not unheard of, the increasing frequency has scientists worried. Incidents of polar bears drowning while searching for food is also becoming more commonplace.

[source: http://www.greenmuze.com/animals/wild/1950-polar-bear-eating-young-.html]
Dec 10

[新闻] 心赠外心妇·肾捐2少年·凯旋救3命

By Compassion
吴凯旋车祸脑死，下葬前家人替他捐出2个肾臟和一颗心臟，成功救了3个人，遗爱人间。（图：光明日报）

吴凯旋车祸脑死，下葬前家人替他捐出2个肾臟和一颗心臟，成功救了3个人，遗爱人间。（图：光明日报）

（吉隆坡、怡保）遇车祸脑死的17岁少年吴凯旋，一连2天捐出2个肾臟和一颗心臟，並成功移植在3名器官衰竭的病患身上，其中16岁华裔少女和14岁性別不详的巫裔同胞週2分別获得肾臟，来自雪州沙亚南的41岁“外心妇女”陈颐袀週三（12月9日）也获捐一颗心臟，相信这颗心臟来自吴凯旋。

陈颐袀是继换心女孩郑慧仪之后，第二个成功换心的女病患。求心若渴的她苦等了1年多，最终盼到奇蹟降临，得以卸下笨重的机器，重获新生。如今她不但可以继续履行妻子的义务，还能继续尽作母亲的责任，亲手照顾4名孩子，並看著他们长大成人。

至於16岁华裔少女及14岁巫裔同胞受捐者也成功移植了吴凯旋的肾臟，得以延续生命，目前两人的情况稳定。

同意捐赠儿子吴凯旋器官的吴志忠（52岁）今日（週四，12月10日）接受《光明日报》访问时说，家人早上为儿子举殯时，这名华裔少女受捐者的兄弟姐妹共4人也从吉隆坡赶到丧府向儿子致敬，並向他及家人道谢。

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[source: Guang Ming Daily http://www.guangming.com.my/node/63334?tid=3]
Dec 02

Jamie the animal lover

By Compassion, Juesatta art, Photography

After my grandpa passed away early September this year, his pet a soft-shell turtle was left alone at grandpa’s old house. We decided to give it away to someone who is kind.

By asking around, I got to know Jamie through a friend of mine. He was very interested in adopting this creature when he heard from his sister.

However, I will skip this part of the story.

The soft-shell turtle was transferred to Jamie’s house which seemed like a zoo to me. Jamie loves animals and adopting many animals including iguana, dog, geese, many kinds of turtle, fishes, and so on. He is full of compassion for these creatures. That was the reason we wanted Jamie to have the soft-shell.

Jamie's family and neighbours with the soft-shell turtleJamie’s family and neighbours with the soft-shell turtle

Explaination of the iguana's nature by JamieExplaination of the iguana’s nature by Jamie

Surprisingly, I got to know Jamie is an art teacher. I had the chance to see some of Jamie’s artworks and was very impressed with them. One of those artwork, Jamie showed me the iguana  modelling he made from clay. It was looking so real that I was reluctant to touch it when I saw it. It took Jamie 3 months to complete this iguana.

The next thing Jamie showed me was the Spiderman wall painting which was about 1.5×1.5m in size on the wall. He did this because most of his students love Spiderman so much.There were some photos of the creative artworks shown by Jamie, and they were placed in Jamie’s art gallery. One day, I shall pay him a visit to his gallery and see more of his work and snap some photos.

I have to thank Jamie for sharing his artwork and also his kindness of adopting the soft-shell turtle.

Clay craft by Jamie - IguanaClay craft by Jamie – Iguana

Wall painting by Jamie - SpidermanWall painting by Jamie – Spiderman