Some of Covid-19 Family Aid Fund recipients from Sibu.
SARIKEI (July 11): A total of 104 families badly impacted by the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO) received aid courtesy of Robert Goh, a Sarawakian now residing in Sydney, Australia.
The charity programme was one of two initiatives mooted by Goh since the beginning of this year, which he specially dedicated to his alma mater Three Rivers School (TRS) in his hometown of Mukah and Tanjong Lobang College (TLC) in Miri where he pursued his pre-university studies.
According to Goh’s friend David Wong, who coordinated the programme from Melbourne, Australia, a sum of RM30,000 was allocated for the ‘Family Aid Fund’ aid initiative which was aimed at alleviating the hardships of those impacted by the lockdown, particularly families whose bread-winners had been rendered jobless or lost their source of income.
In Sarawak, Goh was assisted by John Lim, another friend of his from Kuching and several of Goh’s former TRS and TLC classmates who had been entrusted as custodians of the fund, Wong said.
“Ten custodians from TRS group had identified a total of 41 deserving families which received aid ranging from RM250 to RM500 while another 10 custodians from TLC group distributed similar aid to 33 needy families.
Some of Covid-19 Family Aid Fund recipients in Bintulu.
Meanwhile, the first aid initiative, the Covid-19 Education Fund launched in January this year, involved an allocation of RM40,000 which benefited students from some 80 needy families from various places in Sarawak.
“Robert Goh initiated the Covid-19 Assistance Initiative in the beginning of 2021, after recognising that a family member had enjoyed the good fortune as a recipient of a New Colombo Plan scholarship to assist with his education. Robert believed that when we give back and support each other, great things can be possible, and really can happen,” Wong wrote as a tribute to Robert.
“The first initiative was launched in January 2021 as a fund in memory of his Kiwi 3 Room & TLC mates and TRS mates to assist in the education of students in his home state, Sarawak, who were impacted by the devastating effects of Covid-19 in 2020.”
“Executed by two groups nicknamed ’ K3 TLC Mates’ and’ TRS Mates’, the first initiative was deemed to be successful. The critical learning was that families of the students were really affected by the Covid-19 pandemic due to loss of jobs, incomes and other dreadful effects including mental health,” Wong said.