Bakinem Wagimin has been living alone in her house in Kampung Maju Jaya for the past 10 years after her two children moved out when they got married.

She said her 47-year-old daughter and 45-year-old son, who are both married with children, would occasionally drop by for a visit for a few hours.

But at other times, being helpless and lonely, Bakinem, 68, has to depend on neighbours for favours, especially when buying groceries or going for her medical check-ups.

She has a pacemaker and has had one of her right toes amputated due to diabetes.

She also needs to go for dialysis three times every week. She gets assistance for dialysis from the state Islamic affairs department and her younger brother provides her an allowance of RM1,000 a month

Bakinen has good neighbours who treat her like their own family.

“My neighbours always include me in their celebrations, as it can get very lonely living in the house,” she said when met here on Saturday.

“It is especially difficult during Ramadan. Some days, I break fast alone. But on other days, I am blessed to be able to break fast with my neighbours.”

Her neighbour Pooisah Karsan, 52, who is a single mother with nine children, has been helping Bakinem by cooking or sometimes taking her for dialysis treatment.

“I pity her as she is cooped up in her house all alone, so my children would go over and check on her often. She was an active person until she fell ill,” she said.

Bakinem and Pooisah were among 500 aid recipients during the “Ziarah Ramadan” programme organised by Tebrau Umno Youth along with Gerakan Belia 4B, Yayasan Perda­na Ummah and a few non-governmental organisations.

The recipients are from the lower-income group and the underprivileged, such as single mothers, orphans and poor families.

They were given various form of aid, including rice, flour, sugar and other basic necessities that could last for a month, said the division youth chief Datuk Syahrin Md Jamaluddin.

Special officer to the Prime Minister’s wife, Datuk Rizal Mansor, who is also the chairman of Yayasan Perdana Ummah, launched the event at Kampung Maju Jaya here on Saturday.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by THE STAR ONLINE

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