theSun Cares Fund aids flood victims

theSun managing editor Freddie Ng, Distribution Channels senior manager Gurunatham Gopal, and human resource manager Muhammad Radzi Ahmat Suhaimi led three teams of volunteers on a aid distribution mission in the flood ravaged towns of Perak and Pahang during two weekends of January 2015.

The first mission was held on January 5, 2015. Two teams distributed aid to the evacuation centres in Mentakab, Termerloh, and Kuala Krau in Pahang, while another team visited the shelters in central Perak. The aid came in the form of Singer Lifestraw water purifier sets, blankets, milk powder, food items, clothing, and diapers. The aid supplies totaled up to RM120,000 and were purchased through theSun Cares Fund. The team was greeted with the heartbreaking sight of people in mismatched clothes, with hopeful looks painted on their faces as the convoy of theSun distribution trucks approached. Many of the families were delighted to receive boxes of Milo and canned soups, and children rushed for steaming cups of Milo, having been deprived of the Malaysian favourite for many weeks. The families were grateful for the milk powder as well, because they finally had food for their babies who had suffered bouts of diarrhea due to being fed solid food.

The following weekend, Ng led another team of volunteers to distribute RM35,000 worth of aid to the flood victims in five villages located in Pekan, Pahang. This time, the aid supplies consisted of necessities such as blankets, diapers, sanitary pads, while food items consisted of instant noodles, milk powder, rice, and mineral bottles.

In all, theSun managed to distribute RM150,000 worth of aid supplies through theSun Cares Fund. Volunteers that participated in the aid distribution weekend throughout both weekends were able to experience just a fraction of the tough life that the victims had to deal with in the aftermath of Malaysia’s worst flooding in 10 years. In one instance, the volunteers had to take a boat ride to reach one evacuation centre in Pekan, while another team faced the possibility of getting stuck in a deluge while staying a night in Teluk Intan.