Izah Azahari
Some 87 orphans and children from underprivileged families received financial aid to help them prepare for 2023 academic year.
The funds were collected by RPN Kampong Panchor Mengkubau Village Consultative Council’s (MPK RPN Panchor Mengkubau) Women’s Bureau and Economic Bureau through collection boxes.
Head of the Women’s Bureau Pengiran Marliza binti Pengiran Haji Omar said the annual project, held since 2019, is in its sixth instalment to help less fortunate children prepare for the school year.
She said the recipients were drawn from a list of registered orphans and children from underprivileged families acquired from RPN Kampong Panchor Mengkubau Acting Village Head Helmi bin Haji Ahmad. The potential recipients were then divided among other village consultative councils (MPK).
Pengiran Marliza said the Women’s Bureau also organises other projects to help less fortunate children, such as ‘Indahnya Berbagi Di Bulan Mulia’ during Ramadhan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
She said 10 single mothers also received donations from a donor during the handover ceremony held at the residence of a member of the Economic Bureau yesterday.
Donations to the children were presented by Acting Penghulu of Mukim Mentiri and Village Head of Kampong Sungai Buloh Pengiran Haji Ismail bin Pengiran Haji Ibrahim.
Recipient Abdul Basir bin Bahrin, 16, expressed his gratitude for the donation as it enabled him to buy essential school items such as a new bag, uniform and stationery.
He said this was his second time receiving financial aid in the form of a coupon from a stationery shop. Abdul Basir, who is starting Year 11 at Berakas Secondary School, added that the coupons would help him and his three siblings in their preparations for the new school term.
Year 10 student Sofea binti Irwan, 15, from Sultan Sharif Ali Secondary School said this was her first time receiving a coupon.
She said she will use it to buy school supplies and looks forward to focussing on her studies this year.
Like Abdul Basir, Sofea and her sister were thankful for the contributions as they would ease their burdens ahead of the school year.
Deputy Chairman of MPK RPN Panchor Mengkubau Haji Md Eddie Hardey bin Haji Ibrahim, who was present at the presentation ceremony, hoped that such an initiative will continue to be carried out.
He said the initiative is aimed at easing the burdens of orphans and children from underprivileged families, and urged the public to continue to support it by donating to help the less fortunate in accordance with the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Haji Md Eddie Hardey said donations were collected from members of MPK RPN Panchor Mengkubau, alumni and their families and friends, Ar-Rizqi Enterprise and private donors.
