Penang Shan Children’s Home

Entrance to Penang Shan Childrens Home

Last Sunday (3 Oct 2010) started just like another weekend for the boys and girls of the Shan Children’s Home in Mount Erskine. They knew someone was coming to visit them, probably 5~6 people like what they usually got. However, little did they know that more than 80 adults and children will be ‘invading’ their home with gifts, foods and loves. They were truly and pleasantly surprised, and that includes the home’s executive administrator, Dr Chandran as well. In fact, Dr Chandran called the next day and let us know that it was a history in Shan Children’s Home to have such a big crowd of visitors.

3 October 2010 was the day when members of PECC organized a gathering at the Shan Children’s Home. It all started when YB Sim Tze Tzin (Pantai Jerejak State Assemblyman) contributed RM3,000 for PECC, as an NGO to organize an event. A committee was immediately formed from volunteers within the PECC members. Planning took about 1.5 months, with numerous visits to the Home to inquire about their needs, requirements and wish list.

Side view of Penang Shan Children's Home

Shan Children’s Home is relatively a new orphanage of about 2 years, not widely known by the public. To continue with its operation, it requires the support from the general public and expenses could sometimes mounted up to more than RM8,000 a month. The home has 17 children, all of them from the Indian ethnicity, aged between 7 to 15. According to Dr Chandran, occasionally the Home has to go without water whenever it could not afford to pay for that month. And whenever the water meter man comes around to lock-up their main water tap, they would request and hope that the meter man would be compassionate enough to allow at least a slight trickle of water for the children to use. This is how financially strapped the Home is.

And because of this, PECC chose to organize this gathering in Shan Children’s Home. With YB Sim’s RM3,000, PECC members pooled together their resources and managed to raise approximately close to another RM4,000. Part of these collections were used to buy school uniforms, school shoes, stationary, educational DVDs, sanitary towels, talcum powder, book rack, foodstuffs, cleaning detergent, and many more items. The remainder of the cash collected was given directly to the Home for them to use as they deem appropriate.

Games prepared by the group from JCI E-Metro for the children

Although the gathering was only for 2 hours from 11 am to 1 pm, we managed to put in quite a lot of activities into it. We have the JCI E-Metro members helping us out with the games for the children of the Home as well as the children of our PECC members. All the children of the Home were declared winners and received a gift each. We could see their very happy faces.

The Shan children also presented a few songs to those who were presents that day. One of the highlight was a short tour and briefing by Dr Chandran for the children of our own PECC members. Part of the objectives of this gathering was also to provide an educational tour for our own children so that they will know how blessed they have been compared to those who have to stay in an orphanage. It was also intended to let them know that life isn’t always fair.

Meanwhile, we also have a guest (Mr Lim Hock Pin) who was kind enough to join us in sharing his skills in making many interesting shapes out of balloons for the children. The gathering ended with McDonald Happy Meals for the children and members. And everyone went home happy knowing that they have made a difference in the lives of those Shan children that day through their donations, time and participation.

In case if you would like to make a donation to the Home, you may send your cheque directly to them at:

Penang Shan Children’s Home Association

679-D, Jalan Mount Erskine, Tanjong Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.

Tel: +604-229 2186 / Email: shanchildrenhomepg@gmail.com

Tan Seng Keat representing YB Sim Tze Tzin in handling the gifts to Dr Chandran

The happy boys and girls from the Shan Children's Home

The Shan's Children presenting songs to the PECC members

Some of the PECC members listening to Dr Chandran sharing about Shans Home

The happy children with their gifts after the games

The winners of the games

The children playing games organized by JCI E-Metro members

Lim Hock Pin teaching how to making shapes from balloons

Seng Keat presenting gifts to some of the winners

Yours truly presenting gift to one of the games winner. Actually everyone was a winner that day

Dr Chandran sharing with PECC members on the vision and goal of the home.

Some of the gifts donated by PECC members

Dr Chandran conducting a short tour of Shan's Home for PECC members and their children.

Dr Chandran briefing in one of the dorms.

The girls enjoying their McDonald Fish Fillet with ribena.

The boys having their meal of fish fillet burger.

Tags: children, dr chandran, mount erskine, ngo, orphanage, pecc, penang, shan, sim tze tzin