Group goes the distance to help Rohingya
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| Care packages: A MyCare representative handing over food packs to Rohingya refugees during the Ramadan mission to Rakhine. |
June 7, 2017
PETALING JAYA: Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCare) recently organised a mission to Myanmar to distribute RM110,000 worth of Ramadan aid to the country’s Rohingya population.
Organised for the third year running, the aid would benefit some 720 families in the Sittwe area, a province in the nation’s Rakhine state that is home to more than 150,000 Rohingya Muslims.
MyCare senior project manager Abdul Hafidz Hashim said two types of aid were handed out: food packs and aqiqah (sacrificial) meat.
“Each food pack contains 20kg of rice, sugar, condensed milk, cooking oil, noodles, potatoes, onions, chickpeas and lentils that were distributed to 150 families in Kampung Umay 6 in Sittwe and 250 families in Thae Chaung.
“Fourteen goats were slaughtered for aqiqah and distributed to 95 poor families in Bohar Fara, while MyCare also provided food baskets to 95 poor families in the village of Ohn Rey Paw,” Abdul Hafidz said in a statement.
The MyCare team represented by Abdul Hafidz and three others were in Myanmar from May 26 to June 1, where they also spent time carrying out activities with the Rohingya.
“While distributing the food baskets, we also held football games with the teenagers here.
“The winners received a soccer ball and the girls were given a skipping rope and a hairbrush. They had big smiles on their faces when they received the gifts,” he said.
Abdul Hafidz reiterated that the Rohingya were facing a dire situation and desperately needed humanitarian assistance, especially in the form of food and education.
“They do not have adequate access to healthcare or clean water as well. They only use water pumps and wells. Normally, a water pump is shared by four to five houses.
“The construction cost of this water pump stands at around RM900,” he added.
MyCare is calling for donations from the public as part of its annual MyRamadan campaign. The funds will be used to assist the Rohingyas.
Those interested in donating can make a deposit to “Humanitarian Care Malaysia” (CIMB account 8602 135 592) or visit www.billplz.com/myramadan.
