Monday 12 October 2009

Petronita Outreach Programme : Part 3

When we distributed all that we've got, the villagers invited us to their homes. I didn't follow because Amir was cranky and I stayed with him in the hot van. While waiting for the others, two ladies came with a jug of water and a cup. I declined, showing them that I had a bottle of mineral water with me less I offend them.

Here in Sudan, the concept of sharing's very prominent. Everyone shares everything. A cup would be used again and again in a group, it doesn't matter whether you know each other or not...hehehe. In street corners, there'll be a container of water for anyone to drink. It's a very communal society, actually.

Well, back to the 'report', some families are staying in a one room shack. One family got 9 children to the horror of Kak Adik. The others laughed at this because the irony was that she had 8 kids under her belt herself...hehehe. To this, she said that at least she had more than one room...hehehe

Anyway, we saw some of them busy building up their homes. They tried to salvage most of their homes buy keeping the window frames, door frames and such. The ladies kept their prized possessions like pots and pans and cups and saucers in a corner of their homes. We were offered drinks in the best cups that they've got, in one case we were chased by a lady who had in her hand a tray of brass with a matching glasses and jug...hehehe. We were touched by the gesture.

When we were about to leave, a man came to talk to us and telling us of their needs. He asked for common things like food stuff and clothes and also water pumps. The water pumps would help them get clean water for the community. It costs only about sdg 250 which is equavalent to about rm400 if I'm not mistaken. I'm planning to use some of the money from my brother's insurance claim to buy them at least one water pump. I'll sedekah that on behalf of my brother and my parents and may the pahala will last as long as the water flows, insyaallah. 

It's still in the planning stage but we do believe that giving them food is just a temporary measure. The better thing to do is actually giving them water pumps for clean water and also decent sanitary out house/ toilets for the benefit of the whole community. Well, it does sound a bit of a tall order but we're working towards it, insyaallah. I truly believe in the motto that we should always 'give back to the community'. Petronas do have a slogan, "Energy received, energy returned".

One of the houses...

This is when Kak Adik discovered that the family got 9 kids...hehehe

What's left of their kitchen...

Infront one of the shacks...

Just a curtain as the door...

Making their own blocks...

Quite a distance to walk under the hot sun...

More houses...

A boy relaxing...

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