KUALA LUMPUR: When Harjit Kaur’s husband passed away, her children placed her in a nearby home to ensure her safety and wellbeing. However, she missed her Punjabi community friends, as well as events like birthday parties and the Vaisakhi festival.
Today Harjit can look forward to a community centre as plans are in the pipeline by the Ekta Club of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur which is managed by Punjabi professional women.
The club raised funds for the senior citizens’ centre as well as other welfare projects at Ekta’s 10th anniversary gala dinner recently.
Led by Ekta president Datin Kuldip Kaur, the committee raised RM550,000 from the gala event attended by some 650 guests. The funds raised were not only from table sales but also from raffle tickets, souvenir programme advertisements and donations.
A portion of the money raised at the dinner will be used to fund various development and empowerment activities through Ekta’s legal, medical, welfare and youth initiatives.
“Ekta is a registered NGO comprising Malaysian Punjabi professional women, including doctors, lawyers, professors, teachers, entrepreneurs and retired professionals.
“Over the years, Ekta has become a strong pillar of support, expanding its outreach to include the building of a community centre, which can provide daytime activities for our senior citizens.
“They have contributed immensely to our community and deserve a place for social interaction, wellness, physical activities, suitable exercise sessions, and motivational and educational talks. Most of all, it is to provide them with a place where their dignity and relevance will not only be respected but sincerely valued,” said Kuldip.
As part of the plans for the community centre, health and wellness activities such as physiotherapy, rehabilitation, yoga and monitoring of chronic health conditions would also be included.
For social engagement, the centre will offer arts and crafts classes, gardening, games and puzzles, while fostering a sense of connection for seniors through youth mentoring and also digital literacy classes.
Among the special guests were Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who pledged RM10,000, and High Commissioner of India B.N. Reddy.
Also present were former Federal court judge Tan Sri Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal and Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation CEODatuk Paramjit Singh.
The dinner also featured bhangra dances, cultural performances, fashion shows and songs by well-known vocalist Kamal Chopra which added to the glamour of the evening.
