KUALA LUMPUR: A welfare home that depends heavily on public funds has been forced to spend frugally to cope with rising prices of goods and cost of living as donations have started to dwindle.
Ti-Ratana Welfare Society's homes for orphans, old folks and single mothers are among the many welfare homes in the country that find themselves struggling to survive amid financial difficulties following the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation.
Reverend Hemaloka Thero, who manages Ti-Ratana Welfare Society's homes, said the situation was a real challenge as they continued to provide for the wellbeing of some 500 residents while tightening their belt.
Their cost-cutting measures to manage inflation, among others, saw them halving monthly expenses, which came from slashing 36 staff members' salary and reducing the use of electricity.
"The prices of essential items are rising every day. Food items, especially vegetables, are getting more expensive.
"As we strive to provide nutritious and balanced meals to our residents, we find the situation very challenging.
"At the moment, we have no choice but to cut down on chicken and fish dishes to once every two days.
"To overcome vegetable dependency, we get the children to plant leafy greens in a small patch in our compound.
"We hope to secure a piece of land in Bentong, Pahang, to be used for agriculture purposes.
"We hope we can harvest our own produce and become more self-sufficient soon. This is our long-term plan," he told the New Straits Times.
Hemaloka said vegetable traders at the Sungai Besi and Salak South Garden wet markets had been donating their edible surplus produce to the homes, an initiative that started following the travel ban under the first Movement Control Order to curb Covid-19 transmissions.
To store the produce, a cold room was installed inside the homes. Apart from the donated produce, it also stores essential raw food items, such as chicken, fish and frozen food packages donated by the public.
Now that food had to be rationed, he said the next difficult thing he had to do was explaining the situation to the residents.
Hemaloka said he was thankful that the residents, especially
the children, told him that they understood why certain things had to happen amid escalating food prices.
The challenge had also brought them closer, he said.
"I wouldn't say we are in a good position, but we are surviving and will remain hopeful of the future although we are about to collapse financially.
"Malaysians are very generous and they are still helping even though they themselves have little to share.
"We have kind people who used to donate to us in the thousands, but now they have no choice but to reduce it to hundreds.
"Everyone is facing tough and painful times. What can we do? It is during these challenging times that we teach the children the value of being grateful and showing patience. Maybe what we are experiencing is a blessing in disguise.
"The children now put so much value and appreciate whatever we have and we pray that things will get better."
The residents in the homes include infants and youths in their 20s, senior citizens, with the oldest at 96, as well as six single mothers.
Due to financial constraints, the homes now undergo a strict selection process to admit new people, with priority given to those who have no one else to care for them and people who need medical help from time to time.
Hemaloka said the homes planned to kick off a fundraising campaign soon and hoped Malaysians would support it.
For the Rumah Saffiyah welfare home for children in Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, funding has dropped 40 per cent as contributors could no longer help.
Even the number of people who drop off groceries at the home had reduced significantly, said its manager, Amirul Syahid Yaakob.
"We have to soldier on despite the hardship for the sake of the 41 children between 6 and 18 at our home," he said.
The residents are mainly displaced children or those who from underprivileged families. There are also those who were sent here on court orders.
"People can no longer donate as much as they used to. We can no longer inform them how much money we need or what items the children require. We are thankful for what we get. At the same time, zakat contributions from the Selangor Islamic Religious Council have been helpful.
"We now go on social media to seek funds. We also engage contributors for help. The communities around us have also been generous in terms of food, from chicken and fish to canned food."
He said the children now eat five meals a day, instead of six.
"For lunch, they will have a portion of chicken, fish or meat.
"We often get contributions of keropok lekor or pisang goreng for tea. As for dinner, it is usually fried noodles or sardine with rice.
"We used to serve hot drinks and biscuits before bedtime, but we have stopped this to save money. But those who are hungry and want snacks can have it."
The children sometimes request for fruits like durians.
"We try to give it to them, depending on whether we can afford it, or if there are contributors."
Amirul said the home required adequate supply of medications and funds for school supplies.
"Recently, 90 per cent of the children and staff members were down with fever, cough and flu. It was during these times that we realise the importance of an adequate supply of medications.
"Then there are unexpected expenses. There are those who come to us to ask for school text books. Sometimes, a child will come home from school with a shoe missing and we have to buy a new pair immediately."
If the funds continue to deplete, he said, the home would have to look at other options to survive.