Merlimau Archives - juesatta (CJ Photography)

Dec 27

End of year’s visit to Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Centre Melaka

By CJ Juesatta Awakening Foundation, Photography

hand of a resident of the centre

Boy-boy has grown up, got out from his baby crib and walking like a normal child…

It had been a year since I visited Boy-boy. Time seems to pass quickly. Last time I could remember, he was in his baby crib.

After our trip to Pertubuhan Kebajikan Villa Harapan Melaka, we continued our visit to the Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Centre Melaka in Bukit Baru with the children from Merlimau.

Amy the care keeper was there doing some introductory and explaining the daily operation to the children before she brought us around. I could still see familiar faces. The thing that really surprised me was Boy-boy, he was like a healthy and normal child (he had a heart surgery), following us around the centre.

My parents were glad to see the children were mixing happily as they were part of the big family there. After taking some shots, my parents had to leave the centre for our next appointment, leaving the children with the teachers.

Just before we left the centre, a group of students from MMU came to visit the centre. And Amy again, brief to them patiently. It’s glad that the centre is getting more attention from the public as it needed to be, public support is the source of funding to keep the centre’s operation.

May all beings be happy. Sharing shots taken during our visit,

Dec 19

Visiting the homeless at Pertubuhan Kebajikan Villa Harapan Melaka

By CJ Juesatta Awakening Foundation, Photography

listening

It was last Sunday morning after my breakfast with parents. They were to drop me home after our meal and to go somewhere. I wondered where they were going. They said they were going to Pertubuhan Kebajikan Villa Harapan Melaka to meet up with the Buddhist society’s children from Merlimau.

The centre is a charity home in Duyung which accepts homeless, old folks, handicapped, and mentally disabled adults. I was quite busy with work for the past few months and didn’t have time to visit any of the centre like before. Since I was free that morning, I was in for the visit and I could take some photos.

It wasn’t the first time I came to this centre. But for most of the people especially the children, it was. When my parents and I arrived at the centre, the teachers and children had just arrived with a bus, and they were listening to the management’s briefing.

The centre is rather big and the residents sleep in a dormitory. Male and female are seperated. Currently the centre is taking care of 109 residents. Most of them are old folks and others are homeless, handicapped or mentally disabled. Although the centre is partially funded by Government, they still need public support to maintain the centre.

Then we were brought to visit the place by Thomas, the vice chairman of the centre. To spread the joy, the teachers talked and understand the residents’ needs and the children distributed their DIY greeting cards compassionately to the residents. It really made us sad to hear that some of the residents there were actually dumped by their family on the street or the centre, and couldn’t be borthered to visit them. Some shed tears when they told us their story. Anyway, I don’t think they hated their family, instead I felt they are missing them everyday and hoping one day their family would come to visit them or bring them home.

We could really see some of the faces lighted up when they looked at us, because they were bored and lonely. It took us 1 hour staying at the centre spending time with the residents there.

The visit was truly an unforgettable experience for us, and it didn’t end here. The organising committe decided to go to the Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Centre Melaka in Bukit Baru. I will upload some photos of our second visit soon.

Sharing some shots taken at the first centre we went. May all beings be happy.