We live in a fast-moving world. Speed in communication has resulted in a borderless world and this has brought challenges to many people. The poor remain poor and unwelcome acts like the abandoning of innocent children, incest and murder of family members are emerging in an alarming way. The Church cannot remain silent. Malaysian CARE through the Children and Families Services has been walking alongside individuals as well as communities to help them cope with their problems. At the same time we work with churches who are keen to work among the poor and needy.
We are committed first, to the children, and then to their families. We hope to see each child grow up in a peaceful and happy environment. Our community staff actively visit squatters and needy families. We are sad to note that the number of families that are not able to take care of their young children is increasing. Also increasing is the number of families where women are the heads of the households. The absentee fathers are either victims of alcoholism or drug dependency. Or they have remarried. The children are in dire need of guidance in all areas of their lives.
The Children and Families Services run learning and tuition centres for these needy children. We work with the local churches to achieve our goals. The Learning and Tuition Centres in Brickfields are held in the Tamil Methodist Church and the Lutheran Church. The Bestari Club in Sri Sentosa is an offshoot of the tuition classes run by St Paul’s Church, Petaling Jaya. The club seeks to instill good qualities and leadership skills in the children living in the high-rise flats in Sri Sentosa. The Learning Centre, which is run once a week on Thursday in Pandan Jaya, is a joint project between the First Baptist Ampang outreach centre and CARE. Our services are helping the children now and we trust, will prepare them for their future. Some of these children also attend Sunday School and church services. Where the parents are unable to care for their children., our Rumah Care in Cheras offers them a home. The children are also referred to other Children’s Homes. We have good rapport with the children’s homes as we play an active role in CARNET (Children at Risk Network).
The children who stay in Rumah Care are taken care of by the staff who play the role of parents. But we also make sure that their own parents are being empowered to assume their responsibilities in the future. Parents’ support groups and community meetings are held to encourage the adults to create a safe and happy environment for the children.
We are very much aware that women play an important role as wives and mothers in families. However, there are women who end up in prison and are unable to fulfil their roles. In August 2001 Rumah Kepercayaan opened its doors to offer refuge to women with prison records and addictions. This Home helps women to appreciate the need to approach life with a holistic perspective (spirit, mind, emotions and body) and to adopt a new basis on which to successfully build their lives. We help the women to achieve this through a Christian rehabilitation programme where there are Bible teaching, counselling, devotions, therapy and the learning of skills. Mothers with babies are allowed to keep them as they go through the programme.
Family reconciliation is an important part in all our projects. Our staff support and counsel the children and their families.Our ministry is in obedience to what Jesus said in Luke 14:21–33 (NIV):
"Go out into the streets and alleys, and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame...so that my house will be full." We need the help of the Lord and His strength to accomplish this important mission. Pray for us.
Nesam Ebenezer is the Director, Children & Families’ Services, Malaysian CARE.
Nesam is also a member of the NECF Malaysia Women’s Concerns Commission.
