SOOK – Single mother Mila Ambrose, 46, from Kg Seri Menanti here, only earns around RM500 a month from tapping rubber and farming on her small plot of land.
Having lost her husband two years ago, Mila has been facing more difficulties since the pandemic began last year.
Two of her elder children help her on the farm while another two are still in school.
“The current situation has made it even tougher. The income from selling my farm produce, rubber tapping, oil palm fruit and vegetables have been unstable over the past year,” she told The Vibes recently.
Mila is one of the 200 recipients of a food aid initiative by the Women of Will (WoW), Malaysian Red Crescent Society and OCBC Bank.
Her neighbour, Petronella Philip, from Kg Undang Ulu, has also been facing similar difficulties.
Despite selling farming produce from their plot of land, Petronella and her husband, Michael, are never able to earn quite enough for her family that includes five children aged between 11 and 24 years old.
“Our older children also help us on the farm. At times, we are not certain whether their own work will be enough for them to sustain,” the 47-year-old said.
Both Mila and Petronella expressed concern that their children will end up like them, and will not be able to break out from the cycle of hardship because of present limitations.
“I wish I could send my son to further his studies and, maybe, when he graduates, he will be able to help his siblings,” Mila said.
WoW, a non-governmental organisation that aims to transform the lives of disadvantaged women in Malaysia, their families and communities, have to date delivered some 40 tonnes in food aid nationwide.
Since initiating its humanitarian work last year, WoW has gone on to complete its fifth mission here.
Some 282 WoW members who benefited from the programme are mostly from remote villages here, close to Keningau.
The mission covers Kg Kebulu, Kg Bunang, Kg Maatol, Kg Mototou, Kg Tulid, Kg Pinipi, Kg Kilo, Kg Seselungon and Mansiat.
The Sabah chapter of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society has also been involved in numerous food aid missions and medical initiatives across the state.
The society’s Keningau chairman, Marcella Vincent Lin, said she was glad to be able to deliver the aid to poor communities here, adding that police assistance has also helped keep relief efforts running smoothly.
“It is hard for the villagers to travel out and come to Keningau to get aid. Not only do they face problems with inter-district travel, but it is also expensive for them.
“Since the pandemic prevents public transport from operating, villagers are forced to pay around RM40 to RM100 per trip if they opt to charter transport, which only allows two persons in a vehicle,” she said, adding that the farthest village, Kg Mansiat, is about 130km from Keningau town. – The Vibes, July 17, 2021
