Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bangsar (Integrasi): Visit to Old Folks’ Home

Photography session in front of Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Al Ikhlas

Persatuan Al Hunafa has organized a visit to the Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Al Ikhlas for the students of SMK Bangsar on 18 September 2018. This old folks' home is located at Jalan Besar Batu 9, Kampung Pulau Meranti, Puchong. The purpose of this visit was to educate our students on the value and virtue of filial piety so that they know how to respect and take care of the elderly. 30 students and 2 teacher advisors (Puan Zeti Aida and me, Dr. Tai) participated in this event. Prior to the visit, the students have also participated in the Titian Samara Program organized by Persatuan Al Hunafa.

The Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Al Ikhlas is located in a peaceful environment and is well-maintained. It was a very warm welcoming place with friendly staff who took us around the nursing home and answered our many questions relating to this place. Despite the peace and serenity surrounding this home, it was rather a pathetic sight to see the old folks, who, after working so hard to bring up their children, have to be sent to the old folks’ home because their children do not want to take them home. Some of them are bedridden while others live with medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Deep in their hearts, they were pining for their children and the family they used to have.

Our students chatted happily with the old folks and some even spoon-fed the old folks during lunch time. It seemed that the old folks were very happy and enjoyed every moment of our visit. All too soon, it was time for the students to leave. In sheer reluctance, they bid farewell to their new found friends and boarded the bus in an orderly manner. The residents of the old folks’ home waved sadly to us as they were unhappy to part with us. We were glad that we visited them and cheered them up that day. It was indeed an eye-opening experience for the students. We hope that the public would donate more generously to Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Al Ikhlas in the future so that its residents would be able to lead a better and more comfortable life.

Spending some memorable moments with the residents of Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Al Ikhlas

It has been a very enjoyable and meaningful experience for the students and teacher advisors of SMK Bangsar. What especially made the visit to the old folks’ home meaningful was to see the broad smiles and happy chatter that our students had brought forth to the residents of Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Al Ikhlas that day. Many thanks to my supervisor, Professor Dr. Siti Hajar Abu Bakar, for recommending Persatuan Al Hunafa to me. Persatuan Al Hunafa is one of the programs under her department. In my Ph.D. thesis, I have strongly advocated this program for our Malaysian schools. Also my special thanks to Dr. Izzudin Hamzah, En. Syed Barkat, En. Haji Razman Abu Bakar, En. Mohd Ali Lat, En. Malek Samirin and En. Rezuan Samirin of Persatuan Al Hunafa for conducting the Titian Samara Program (since April 2018) for my students as well as organizing this trip for us.

The series of photos (below) which I took during our visit to Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Al Ikhlas clearly depict this memorable event in chronological order.

Our students were very excited to be there with the old folks

Food items donated by Puan Hajah Noraizan Mohamed (our school principal), Puan Noor Melati bt Ismail (Penolong Kanan Hal Ehwal Murid), Mr. Tan Kim Peng, Puan Wan Mazila, Puan Zeti Aida, and me.