JOHOR BAHRU: In life, nothing can satisfy and please your soul as much as helping others. Not only helping the needy will make a difference in their life, it would have a lot of benefits for you as well.

You must never look for a reason to help those who yearn for support. Extending a helping hand not only vanishes tears off their face, but also acts as a cure for oneself.

Self-satisfaction makes life worth living. We live in a world that encompasses a major share of the poor and downtrodden. Each person may have a different need in his/her life.

While some yearn for success, some don’t have the most basic amenities such as a shelter or enough food to eat. But that’s not all, some people may be in need of mere affection, those who are longing to see smiles.

We are lucky to be living a comfortable life. How good it will be if we try to bring smiles to those sad faces?

For the past 30 years Persatuan Kebajikan Annamalai Manikam (AMF) based in Chaah, Johor has sparked a ray of hope in the heart of the hopeless and appear as help to the helpless.

The welfare association believes that helping others is a blessing in disguise. The association gives greater meaning to generosity as they help others to grow, they grow in the process too. And this adds greater meaning.

AMF chairman Sivaanandan Manikam said, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”

A number of single mothers, needy families from the B40, broken homes and wheelchair bound people were given assistance by the association.

Never has the association neglected any needy families as they believe great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround them every day.

By helping the poor, they are able to remove their poverty. “At least we can shoulder some of their burden and there could be some beams on their faces.”

There are many famous personalities who have encouraged such a noble attempt and have done their bit for the poor and needy.

Recently a dinner reception was held at Dewan Serbaguna in Chaah to provide contributions to needy families, single mothers and the penurious.

The event was graced by Labis Member of Parliament, Pang Hok Liong. Also present were AMF advisor M. Kuppusamy and other AMF committee members.

According to Sivaanandan, AMF will be providing support to children who are unable to attend kindergarten as they can’t afford the cost.

The association ensures that the children are provided with knowledge of some reading, writing and simple arithmetic.

He also mentioned that they will be providing free breakfast for underprivileged students going to school without having their morning meals.

“These are the B40 communities and when they don’t take their breakfast they may not have good concentration while in class,” he stressed.

Many families are poverty-stricken and can’t afford, hence the AMF ensures these families are taken care.

Also, in the pipeline is the vision screening of Year One pupils from the underprivileged families.

“We want to detect if these children have any vision difficulty at an early stage,” he stressed.

He went on to say that all events to the public like blood donation, free medical checkups and welfare during disasters such as flood and Covid-19 was successfully organized and conducted with success with kind hearted individuals and NGOs.

In his address, Pang Hok Liong conveyed his deepest gratitude to AMF for its outstanding achievements and unwavering commitment to the community.

“Since your establishment in 1994, AMF has been a dedicated pillar of service and compassion with the community,” adding that, they have been consistent in their efforts to address the needs of the Chaah residents through various programmes are genuinely admirable.

AMF advisor M Kuppusamy in his message said it is a tremendous accomplishment that after these last thirty years of amazing adventure, the society has grown stronger and learned a lot.

“I’m happy to take this chance to express my gratitude to everyone of my close friends who have contributed to the smooth operation of our organization,” he stated.

In 1994, the organization was founded with just ten members of the immediate family. Numerous occasions, including family get-togethers, Mother’s Day celebrations, Father’s Day celebrations, and family tours, have been skillfully planned by it.

It was ideal to plan family events—weddings in particular—after conferring with every member of the nearest sibling’s family. The organization’s goal is to promote togetherness and the empowerment of the future generation.

The movement, which had initially only focused on family development, soon realized that many members of the public needed assistance and began to assist those in need.

The organization’s mission is to assist those who are economically disadvantaged and those who are having difficulty pursuing an education.

The movement has collaborated with political parties and other public movements to offer the public numerous services.