COMMUNITY OUTREACH & URBAN SOCIAL RENEWAL – A LASTING & TANGIBLE COMMITMENT
By Dato' Anusha Santhirasthipam
SIPJ which was charted on 19 January 1994 under the distinguished patronage of Y.A.Bhg. Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali (wife of Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad) has become a vital force in urban social renewal and community upliftment programmes in the Petaling Jaya area over the past decade.
In year 2000, SIPJ pioneered a bold Community Outreach programme fondly named “Kampung Ku” whereby the club would ‘adopt’ a specific urban squatter neighborhood and carried out specifically researched programmes that would help address the social welfare, health and educational needs of the less fortunate inhabitants in these urban squatter areas. This project was the brainchild of Dato’ Anusha Santhirasthipam, the President of SIPJ for the term 2000-2002. She spearheaded a team of dedicated, committed, resourceful and multi-skilled team of SIPJ members who formed a task force with several MIC Branch leaders and UMNO Division leaders in the PJ Selatan and PJ Utara areas to carry out door-to-door surveys, means tests and other investigations before embarking on a sustainable long term programme to create awareness, educate and address the social welfare, medical and educational needs of the less fortunate and, often, marginalised residents in Petaling Jaya.
The past 7 years has seen SIPJ being involved with several target neighbourhoods and the activities carried out, including results achieved, are set out as follows:-
A) 2000 / 2001
SIPJ with the assistance of MIC and UMNO PJ Selatan leaders and Rukun Tetangga members of Kampung Medan/Taman Medan carried out the following programmes benefitting more than 300 families :-
i) Medical camp i.e. health screening and health talks.
ii) Small business loans assistance and financial advice (together with Bumiputra Commerce Bank, MPPJ and Credit Guarantee Corporation)
Note: 8 single mothers successfully secured loans (BCB) and licensing (MPPJ) to set up small businesses in Kampung Medan.
iii) ‘Gotong-royong’, health and sanitation advice (with Ministry of Health Officials).
B) 2001 / 2002
SIPJ with the assistance of MIC Kampung Baiduri and UMNO PJ Selatan leaders carried out the following programmes in Kampung Baiduri benefitting more than 500 families:-
i) medical camp i.e. health screening, health and sanitation talks.
ii) educational materials, books and stationery, shoes and school bags donated to over 200 children aged between 5-16 years.
iii) career guidance counselling and motivational talks on weekends to teenagers in Kampung Medan carried out by Dato’ Anusha with several professionals and NGOs.
iv) SIPJ donated more than 1000 books to set up a Library & Resource Centre for children and teenagers in Kampung Medan / KTM Tambahan area.
v) SIPJ took part in a One-Day Open Exhibition at Kpg. Lindungan to provide on-the-spot advice and explanation to visitors from the surrounding villages about SI services and projects.
C) 2003 - 2005
SIPJ moved the programmes to the PJ Utara area since the residents of Kampung Medan and Kampung Baiduri squatter areas were relocated to Lembah Subang and Kota Damansara.
SIPJ also carried out research and identified a few hundred urban poor in PJ Utara, primarily in Kampung Damansara Dalam, Section 17, Kampung Cempaka, Kayu Ara/Sungai Pencala areas that required considerable social welfare aid, health care assistance and education support.
SIPJ has decided on an on-going basis to assist the urban poor in these neighbourhoods (many of whom have temporarily relocated to Kota Damansara) to carry out wholesome programmes and secure welfare support for the under privileged and needy.
Todate, SIPJ has carried out the following projects for PJ Utara-based urban poor benefitting more than 700 families over the span of 3 years.
These activities include:-
i) medical camps i.e. health screening and health talk;
ii) educational welfare aid to more than 300 school going children;
iii) Social Welfare Awareness One-day Seminar and welfare aid for more than 250 families (with cooperation of Petaling District Social Welfare Department)
iv) small business advice, BSN micro-credit loan facilities and financial guidance to more than 50 poor people carried out by Dato’ Anusha personally for people in PJ Utara squatter / low-cost flats neighbourhoods.
SIPJ was awarded the prestigious Soroptimist International Best Practice Award – International Overall Winner – Economic and Social Development for the Biennium period 2000-2002. This was proud recognition of SIPJ’s extensive and sincere commitment to community outreach, welfare, health and education initiatives in the Petaling Jaya district area.
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