Flood Relief Updates: Orang Asli at Endau Rompin

Dear readers/friends,

Thank you so much for your contributions be it donations or plug in your blogs. The team managed to send the goods safely to the Orang Asli. I've received the email on the team's account dated 12 Jan 2007 and I'm gonna post here to share with you what they have done with your contributions.

The latest news as of last night, the Orang Asli in Endau Rompin got hit too by the second wave of the flood. Their current need is medical volunteers instead. Will try to get more details on this if I could.

Read on and do click on the link to check out the photos... your contributions could be somewhere there in the photos.

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03.01.07 :

9pm. Cheque presentation ceremony at KH (Kechara House).

04.01.07 :

Went shopping to Giant Kelana Jaya with Katherine Pan, new KH member. Purchased items not donated like tooth paste & brushes, bathing soap, bath towels, condensed milk, tea, 3 sets of cooking utensils (kuali ,pot, kettle, frying spoon, ladles, knifes, cutting boards, veg. peelers, tin openers, plastic collanders, etc) , including single-burner gas cookers, 3 tanks of gas. Another team went shopping for extra rice, cooking oil, salt, candles and matches.

9pm. at Kiwanis centre: was told the tragic news that our lorry driver's son was killed in an accident. Even though he offered to continue helping us, we couldn't accept his offer. At the same time, owners of 2 4WD called to say their vehicles have broken down and could not help transport the volunteers even though we offered to subsidize their petrol. Hence the frantic search for a lorry and transport started but thank our Protector, at 11pm. we confirmed a lorry for RM1,500 and soon after that 2 gentlemen came to our rescue. Refer to pic labeled GdSamaritans, these are the 2 guys who helped us. Mr.Chong and Mr. Chu, both from Jinjang. Together with Dennis, from M'sian Nature Society and Randal Tay, an agri consultant, they formed the convoy into Endau Rompin.

05-01-07:

6.30am Mr.Gopal arrived with his lorry with 2 workers, and together with our volunteers stacked all heavy items into his lorry, while the 4WD carried passengers and lighter items.
Stopped over in Kluang to collect more items from the Lion Clubs of Kluang & Sg. Rengam. Bought all the frozen chickens we could find there before entering the jungle at 3pm. The journey was rough and tough as expected but much easier than expected as many parts were already dried up. Arrived at the park's HQ at 6.30pm and unloaded immediately. Dennis and the lorry returned to KL immediately.

Had the orang asli BBQ the chickens for as many people as they could round up and ate with them at their community hall. After dinner we went back to the park HQ to sort out all the donated items and arranged them by categories. Before retiring, team leader gave briefing and assigned individual duties.

06-01-07 :

Set up our own temp "kitchen" underneath our dormitory. It was then we were informed that the volunteer cooks cannot cook rice without rice cookers! Well immediately I was appointed chief cook or rather the only cook! I made sure the team had their 3 proper meals for all the days. For most of us we were on veg. diet. Chong and Chu went back to Kahang in the morning, they had to send an asli lady to the clinic as she had very high fever. At the same time they bought petrol for 3 boat trips to the next village which was still cut off by road. The 2 bridges leading into their village has been washed away.

Spent the morning arranging and sorting out items, while waiting for the S'pore team to arrive. 6 of them came with another lorry load of donated items. Together, we had more than $14,000 of items purchased with donated cash. Sorting continued, while Theresa registered the names of the head of each family, totaling to 64.

After lunch, the guys came back with the petrol, immediately we loaded as much food as we could into 1 boat. Together with 2 asli guides, Michael and Peter left for Kg. Punan in a motor boat. The journey by boat took 1 hour each way and returned after unloading the items to the village headman.

After dinner, all of us headed back to the park HQ where the distribution started by a gesture by Michael handing over a pack of rice to Tok Batin, the headman.

Theresa was stationed at the entrance, where she controlled the traffic, we only allowed a rep from each family to collect the goodies. Volunteer asli were at hand to help the old folks to carry their items back to their homes.

We stood in a line and handed out the packed items as they pass us. We had too much of donated clothings that we allowed the women to select what they wanted. Other than clothings, these were the items each family received:

Rice (min. 10kg, larger families 20kg.)
Cooking Oil (min. 5 kg, larger families 10kg.)
Bee Hoon (2 pkts.) / salt (2 pkts) /
Sugar (1pkt) / Salt fish (1pkt) / soap powder/bathing soap (1pkt)
Bisquits (1 tin / 2 tins for larger families)
Condensed Milk/Tea/Milo (1pkt each)
Sardines/Baked Beans (1tin each)
Blanket (1 each) / sarong for older men
Tooth paste & brushes for family
1 bundle (Candles & matches)

For the women only:
1 sarong / 1 pkt. sanitary towels
Milk Powder
Diapers

For children:
1 school bag filled with goodies
1 towel
Books

When all the 64 families have collected their items and clothes, we packed the remainder into big bags.


07-01-07 :

Some members of the team left in 2 boats for Kg. Punan, bringing them the excess clothings and food items. Helped to clean up some of the mess in the village. Was treated to a lunch by the village headman. After lunch the S'pore team headed home.

At night we had a great time getting to know each volunteer better, this was truly a great effort from individuals from different walks of life, our ages ranged from 20 to 62. The youngest was Jon, 20 who's just out from college and he prays to Kuan Yin. Then there's Yoges and Azmi from Help University's maintenance dept. Peter came with his wife and daughter Theresa, who works in UOB and they brought Mdm. Ngiam their neighbor. Chong and Chu, 4WD hobbyists from Jinjang, Dennis from MNS, Randal the agri consultant, Su Jin, who got us the Kiwanis Centre, Michael and myself.

We spent the evening discussing community work and it was truly a very enriching trip. Not only we managed to bring cheer to more than 800 orang asli in the 2 kampongs, I've met a group of caring people with big hearts who are willing to help out in any disaster. They will help Kechara House's future aid missions whenever there's a need to. We lived without electricity throughout our stay, making use of a few oil lamps and plenty of candles at night. Most of the team had experienced being bitten by leeches, met a few snakes, a huge wild boar, a dead civet cat! but everyone is healthy and happy.

08-01-07 :

I handed a box of medication to Tok Batin, Michael taught his grown-up children how to use it. The medication is mainly for children, consisting of cough syrups, fever tabs, and panadols for the adults. Tok Batin will keep the medication to control proper usage. We donated all our kitchen equipment to the village community centre and left Kg. Peta, after saying goodbye to Tok Batin and his family. We have been invited to back to Endau Rompin anytime, especially in August. The team has decided that we bring more cheer to them during their new year, which falls on 8 August.

For the time being, there's no need to bring them more food as there's another team going in, in 2 weeks' time. The Govt. has stepped in to aid the children's education. I have requested the next team to source for school shoes and uniforms for the children. If they are unable to, then we'll have to get into action again.

Attached are some pics ... more to follow.

For more pic please click HERE


Paulyne