KUALA LUMPUR – Arjun, 9, remembers the earlier days when the boys at his orphanage home had to queue to use the toilet.
“Earlier, we only had two bathrooms that the 20 of us had to share. But now the home is renovated, the three additional toilets are welcome as we no longer have to wait too long for our turns,” he said.
Arjun is the youngest resident of the Children’s Welfare Organisation Kepong, Kuala Lumpur Home. The home recently received a donation in the form of much-needed financial support from the Vinod Sekhar Foundation to carry out renovation works to provide better accommodation and facilities to the children who live there.
Besides the toilets, the renovations also included extending the area beside the house and turning it into a common area with tables and chairs for the children to study, eat and watch television.
The home’s caretakers are Datuk A. Vinodth and his wife Datin S. Yanasere, better known as Vani. The couple started the home for underprivileged children and senior citizens 23 years ago.
“We were married in November 1998. After our wedding, my husband told me about his dream to care for abandoned and underprivileged children. It took me some coaxing as I was not sure if it would be a good move since the role would be lifelong. In the end, he convinced me, and a month later we started the home,” Vani said.
While it may have been Vinodth’s dream, Vani is the main caregiver who looks after and cooks for the children while Vinodth works behind the scenes in getting the funds and support needed to keep the organisation running.
As with any other household, a mother’s presence is most clearly felt in their cooking. Vani told The Vibes about how much the children love her cooking, most of which are recipes handed down to her by her mother.
“One of their favourites is ‘puliche keerai’ which is cooked with sardine. They also like nasi lemak, rasam and sambal ikan bilis,” she said, adding that the renovated home gives her more space to cook for large numbers.
“There are many circumstances that bring a child into our care. When a father abandons the family, the mother is forced to manage the household where she takes up more jobs, working long hours and returning home late.
When the mother is unable to take care of her children, they are sent here for us to care for. In other cases, the single mother remarries and her new spouse does not welcome her children into their new lives, so she has no choice but to leave the children here.”
Initially, Vani had her reservations, particularly on how the couple’s personal life would fit into the grand scheme of things.
“I was worried at first and wondered what would happen when we have children of our own later. But my husband told me that our children must grow up together with the other children at the home. And so, that is how I managed to raise all of them,” she said.
Home more comfortable after extension
Vani said the journey has not always been smooth sailing. When the pandemic hit, public donations for the organisation dwindled.
To make ends meet, the couple’s 20-year-old daughter took the initiative to start a business selling homemade baked goods.
Their hard-earned money is used to pay for expenses such as food and rental, thus ensuring the continued well-being of the children at the home.
With the extension of the home compound sponsored by the Vinod Sekhar Foundation, Vani said the home has now become a much more comfortable area for the children.
Another resident, Pritib Kumar, 13, said he feels more comfortable studying and doing his homework now with the extended area that also serves as their eating space.
“Earlier, we had to huddle together in the living room to eat, study, do homework or relax. But now the bigger space and facilities make our lives much easier,” he said.
Pritib, who wants to be a singer when he grows up, said the boys are happy with the improved facilities at the home.
“I like staying here in this home. My mother sent me here some time ago, but she still comes to visit me whenever she can. Vani amma takes good care of me and she is the best cook I know,” he said.
Currently, there are 25 boys and girls under the care of the couple. The home also offers shelter and other basic needs to abandoned and elderly people who are housed at a separate location.
Those interested in supporting or donating to the home can get in touch with Vani at 014-640-9600. – The Vibes, November 16, 2021
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