THE Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll, especially on parents with special needs children. For some, it has reached a point where they no longer have the resources to continue caring for their children.
This is where Simon Tan steps in. He said the impetus for him was when he visited a home for disabled children in Selayang last year.
“I noticed that some of the children were not getting the care they needed,” he told theSun.
He added that the administrators of the home were also facing some problems, which eventually forced them to throw in the towel.
Rather than turn a blind eye to the children’s predicament, Tan, 31, decided to set up a new centre to take them in.
“I realised that if nothing was done for these children, the negative impact would be long lasting and significant,” he said. “The children’s lives could be badly affected.”
Tan said the devastating economic impact of Covid-19 had also made it near impossible for families, who no longer had any income, to care for their special needs children.
With earnings from his hardware and furniture supplies business, and RM20,000 from his savings, Tan set up Pertubuhan Pusat Penjagaan Kanak-kanak Shan Dai, also known as Kindly Orphan and Handicap Welfare Home, for special needs children.
The centre, on Jalan Inang in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, opened its doors in August last year.
Tan agreed that it could not have been a worse time to launch a social impact project, given the scale of the economic devastation caused by Covid-19 by then.
However, he said he was determined to help the children, given that their families may no longer be able to shoulder the responsibility.
He said he chose the name Shan Dai, which translates to “cherish life”, to symbolise the objective of setting up the home.
Tan, who was born in Sarawak, is no stranger to community service.
Even before the Covid-19 crisis hit the nation, he had been distributing dry food and much-needed essentials to the needy.
The three-storey house that serves as the Shan Dai childcare centre is now home to 12 residents, the youngest of whom is a month-old baby and the oldest a 21-year-old.
Four caregivers take turns to care for them, cooking meals tailored to meet their special needs, and accompanying the younger ones when they sit in for online lessons.
Through word of mouth, Tan’s initiative has reached the ears of people who live as far away as Bentong in Pahang, some of whom have also sought his help.
The home is a haven for its occupants. The ground floor and a shaded area within its compound serve as a play area for the children, while the cheerful decorated rooms on the second floor serve as a temporary respite from the humdrum of life.
However, the calm scene belies the financial problems the home now faces.
Tan’s limited financial resources have run out and he is now two months behind in rental.
Expenses, including the RM3,000 rental, utilities and tuition fees, come up to RM14,000 a month. Tan said that he has also not been able to organise a fundraiser given that the enhanced movement control order is in place.
“We have been forced to dip deeper into our savings, but this does not mean we’re giving up. Our volunteers are constantly looking for ways to raise funds and to seek donations,” he added.
Anyone who wishes to help can reach Tan at 017-3630 720.
