Kindness begets kindness

Her family is a beneficiary under Project Awareness but she can't wait to reciprocate. Tonight, secondary school student, Liani, joined me to visit a Malay resident in Tampines with Jacky.

Mdm Rohaini is in her early 60s' and live in a one room flat with her younger sister, a divorcee who works10 hours a day to earn $50 as a kitchen helper. Mdm Rohaini used to work as a cleaner earning $1,020 until this year when she had to stop working. She had a heart by-pass surgery 10 years ago and has to undergo another bypass. She has already gone through two heart surgeries and is due to be operated again soon.

Her monthly rent and utilities come up to about $300 and she is waiting for the outcome of her application to Comcare for financial support. On advice, she will be seeing her MP to help her reduce the rent as her sister is the only one working and she is incapacitated.

Mdm Rohaini needs a wheelchair to go out and has one on loan from her brother. However, she has to return it soon as her brother's mother-in-law,who suffered a stroke, needs it again. When we visited her, her mentally-challenged younger brother was there. He has come to help take care of Mdm Rohaini and was sitting by her bedside.

We left the flat but returned later from a nearby supermarket. Liani had helped us to pick some items for Mdm Rohaini. Besides rice and biscuits, there was also fresh ration as Mdm Rohaini and her sister still cook at home. This was the second time that Liani has turned volunteer. When I asked her about the visit tonight, she said she was willing to help out more often. 

Liani has set an example of how people who receive help can help others as well. Kindness begets kindness and that really keeps everything going in the right direction.