WEDNESDAY, 21st June 2017– Great Vision Charity Association (Persatuan Harapan Mulia) was joined by 10 students from INTI College in this month’s Shopping Buddy programme, a monthly charity programme that helps to ease the underprivileged groups’ household burden. The students worked hard to fundraise for this event that would bring 10 low income families to Giant Sri Manja by selling cookies in their college. Before the charity shopping event, a few student volunteers and representatives from Great Vision visited the families’ homes at Pangsapuri Desa Sepakat, Taman Sri Manja to assess their living conditions first hand.
“They were unexpectedly friendly and we were welcomed to interview them” said volunteer Ong Qian Xing. “Most of them are from low income families and have many children. They feel grateful when they were told that they are going to receive funding aid from Rakan Shopping Programme.”
On Wednesday (21st June 2017), the student volunteers met with the participants assigned to them with happy faces. They were chauffeured from the flat to Giant Sri Manja to attend the charity shopping event. The volunteers offered to push the shopping carts for their “family” and helped them to budget their expenses properly. As most of them live a frugal life, they were seen to be very cost savvy during the selection of goods.
One of the participants, Zora binti Diran said that after her husband’s sight got worse, she and her daughter rarely went out to shop so it was a pleasant change. She had a very fun time buying raya cookies which she rarely buys.
The participants were surprised with the generous act of Giant Sri Manja at the end of the event when the manager, Mr Lee Kok Teik gave the participants and volunteers a goodie bag consisting of various snacks and merchandise. The generosity of others during this Ramadhan month is great. This event wouldn’t have been successful without the help from Great Vision donors and volunteers from INTI College. The families were also given baju raya from an altruistic donor at Great Vision.
Team leader of this event, Celeste Lim Ying Hui commented, “This Rakan Shopping programme is really great as we are able to ease the financial burden of the families, especially during this festive month. The volunteers are also able to benefit as they learn about the the living conditions of the underprivileged as well as their family. They foster bonds with them and therefore learn what charity is all about: spreading love to others.”
Great Vision Charity Association would like to wish everyone a Selamat Hari Raya! For more information, kindly visit http://www.persatuanharapanmulia.org.my/
