KUANTAN: Life has taken a significant turn for three sisters who once occupied a garbage-strewn upper floor shophouse at Batu 6, Jalan Gambang, near here.
The siblings aged nine, 10 and 12, who were moved to the Rapha Children's Home along Jalan Beserah on Monday have adapted well to their new surrounding.
The sisters are now being served with healthy meals on time; have a proper bed to sleep; clean clothes to wear, a volunteer helping with their studies and a lot of new friends.
The environment at the children's home is a far cry from what the sisters had to endure previously where they were forced to sleep on the floor with 13 dogs they were caring for, surrounded by rubbish.
The eldest sister told reporters that she and her siblings were happy with the new "home" as they had made friends and were well cared for.
"There are people making sure we have our meals, wear clean clothing, spend time doing revisions and we like the clean premises. We do miss our dogs at home but our uncle has promised to look after them," she said.
Today, the siblings had an unexpected visitor when former Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob dropped by to see them at the home and sponsored lunch for everyone.
Adnan, who was accompanied by Teruntum assemblyman Sim Chon Siang, spent about an hour chatting with the children and joined them for lunch.
He told the sisters not to worry and advised them to study hard saying he was touched by their plight.
"I was saddened when I read about the siblings. Thank you YB Sim for taking care of the children (sisters).... they should not worry anymore as there are a lot of people taking care of them here.
"One of the sisters has a swollen back perhaps from a fall and I have instructed the home to take the girl to a private hospital and I will support the medical expenses," he told reporters when met at the home.
Meanwhile, the children's home supervisor Grace Chan said the eldest girl loved music and played the guitar yesterday while a volunteer dropped by to help them with their studies.
She said the girls would start their lessons at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Semambu near here, starting tomorrow.
On Monday, it was reported that Sim "rescued" the sisters from their rented house which was riddled with rubbish and canine waste.
The siblings lived with their uncle, who works as a welder, while their father worked in Rompin. Their mother, believed to be working in Singapore, has not visited them in three years.
Sim bought the children meals, new school uniforms and took them to the hair saloon for a neat hair cut before sending them to the children's home.