Care programme

Product Details

You'll volunteer at a publicly funded residential home near Kota Kinabalu offering care for the underprivileged and helpless community. It serves as a shelter to abused women and children, victims of rape and children with mental and physical disabilities. Some of the children have multiple disabilities and need close attention most of the time. There is a varied range of disabilities including; Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Attention Deficit Disorder, Learning difficulties, Paralysis and Deafness. The children are given the necessary care and love (some on a one-to-one basis) according to their physical and emotional needs - bathing/washing them, feeding and general care (e.g washing of clothes, room cleaning and sweeping, cooking and playing). The home is constantly alive with the caregivers tending to the needs of the 48 residents, 33 of which are either orphaned, abandoned or have no proper home.

It has always been the goal of the home to aid the helpless so that they may find confidence in life again, see the reason to stay alive, stand on their own feet and forgive those who have hurt them, giving them the chance to look forward to the future.

Each child is given an Individual Education Plan (IEP) according to his or her needs. They then follow a special educational programme that is modified or particularized for those students with special needs, such as learning differences, mental health problems, or specific disabilities (physical or developmental). Modifications can consist of changes in curriculum, supplementary aides or equipment, and the provision of specialized facilities that allow students to participate in the educational environment to the fullest extent possible. Students may need this help to access subject matter, to physically gain access to the school, or to meet their emotional needs. Support is targeted to the needs of the individual student and can be short or long term.

The home is also engaged in some outreach work to remote communities and a Rural Youth programme to help support individuals in the area and provide them with the skills required to care for those with disabilities.

The home relies heavily on public and private support to run as it supports 48 residents and 16 full-time and live-in staff, who do not have any fixed days off. The home is grateful that many individuals from middle to high-income brackets have been giving their support in the form of donating food essentials and other necessities to run the home. These are anonymous philanthropists who only wish to see the welfare of the home’s residents taken care of. However, the home is constantly in need of donors either in cash or kind to ensure the health and well being of its’ residents.

To sustain the livelihood of the home a nursery project has recently been initiated with the hope that sales from the plants and orchids will assist in the smooth operation of the home. An orchid mist house has been built with a herb garden in the pipeline. It is also part of the homes ‘green’ effort to rejuvenate the environment.

What Is Expected Of You:
Only 5 of the 48 residents go to normal schools so one of your main responsibilities will be to provide additional support and care for the children during the day. You’ll help by talking, playing and reading with them. You will also assist with mealtimes and some times cleaning up after them. The main mode of communication is Bahasa Malaysia but English is widely spoken and used amongst the staff.This is a live in volunteer programme, so you’ll be accommodated on site and will live, eat and sleep at the home. In this way you’ll get to know the staff and children quickly and will become part of the community at the home. You’ll be encouraged to join in with all activities and will be fully immersed into Malaysian culture in a very unique environment. This is a challenging but incredibly rewarding placement to take part in.