“The quality of mercy is not strained. It dropped as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath:
It is twice bless’d; It blessed him that gives, and him that takes. . .”
William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice
When William Shakespeare wrote this comedic play some 450 years ago, he must have already deeply realized the significance of the verse, “It is twice bless’d ; It blessed him that gives, and him that takes. . .” but, little did he knew that there is another dimension to it.
Modern science has discovered that when an act of kindness has been administered three groups of people you feel more vitality and healthy, sickness and viruses seem less likely to invade you. benefited from it- the giver, the receiver, and those who witness the event! And what do they found to be of benefit? Firstly, serotonin- the “happiness hormones” or the feeling pleasant sensation increases in your body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, and is a well known contributor of the feelings of well being. When the brain produces serotonin tension is eased, the body relaxes. “Low level of serotonin is believed to be reason for many cases of mild to moderate depression which can lead to symptoms like anxiety, apathy, fear, feelings of worthlessness, insomnia, and fatigue” according to one medical research. And, the second good benefit the body gets is that your immune system gets a boosting. Whenever the body immune system is strong
An act of kindness can be anything from giving direction to a tourist, helping an elderly alighting from a bus, assist the blind crossing the road, giving some loose coins for a packet of tissue, smiles often, a listening ear, or extending a reverent thought or prayer to someone suffering. An act of kindness is from the heart; it is simple and therapeutic, yet we often do not do it in our modern rushing lifestyle. “To serve is joy, and with joy we serve” should be our daily practicing mantra. And, should you ever want to participate in one of these kind acts, please consider the following:
Friends of Riau (F.O.R.), a volunteer group made up of people from Singapore, are deeply committed to do humanitarian work for the poor and needy in the communities near them. For us, volunteers, it is a good opportunity to extend our “neighborly love” to others who are less well to do than us. And Batam is only 45 minutes by ferry and is very accessible, but a world of differences in terms of economic well being especially amongst the weak and the orphans. The actual crossing to another land and being able to contribute to/for the betterment of another community is itself magical. Often ones returned more “blessed” than the blessing given to. Together with the Lions Club Batam Tourism chapter we are working to build a community learning center and upgrading of a dilapidated orphan home.
The village of Kampung Nelayan (Fishermen Village) in Sekupang, Batam, has a population of around 12,300 residents. The main occupation is fishing. The average per capita income is between S$200-S$700. Within this small district there is a primary and secondary school, a mosque, and a local clinic. Everything here is very basic. Less than half a kilometer from the center, there exist 5 orphanage homes which houses about 175 children. The average age of these orphans ranges from 1 to 15, each home takes in about 18- 35 children, with the exception of Yayasan Yatin Piatu Aini orphanage which has less. Some of the homes received local government aids and local donors, the Yayasan Aini which started only last year has yet to receive any aid from local government; it survives only on private individual contributions.
The existing building is strategically located in the center of the district. There is no play/preschool, enrichment centers or library in the vicinity. The existing building which is only used sometime for local official meetings is under utilize and is currently in a poor state, for example it leaks water when it rains, there is no running water, and the lack of basic utilities. The local authority has given the approval to Lions Club Batam Tourism to fully utilize the building for the betterment of the community.
Our goals for this Center:
To set up a play/pre- school classroom for 20-30 kids. This includes chairs and tables, outdoor swings & slides, and teaching aids. A full time teacher will be employed to run the centre; we are also looking for volunteers to help out. The aim is to inculcate learning habits for the young. The lessons are free for the orphans, while non orphans pay a nominal tuition fee. The center also provides scholarships for deserving families.
To set up a children’s library to serve the 5 orphanages and the children in the district. The library will ideally house some 1,000 children’s books at the initial stage, mainly in the Indonesian language and some in English. A section of the building will be renovated to make a proper library. There will be rows of bookcases, chairs and reading tables for about 30 kids per sitting. Facility for audio and video education will be also included. There is no charge for using the facility. The aim is to inculcate a love for reading and learning at a young age.
To start a computer literacy program mainly for the orphan children and for the children in the community. Another area in the building will be set up for computer learning, these include 10 sets of computers, tables and chairs for students, and a white board for the teacher. The computer learning center will be internet connected. For a start a part time teacher will be hired to operate lessons 3-5 times a week depending on the demands. We are looking for volunteer technicians and trainers to run program. The lessons are given free to the orphans, while there is a nominal fee for outsiders, scholarship is available for deserving families. The aim is to provide current education as most of the residents could not afford to own a computer.
The aim is to teach them life sustaining skills.
The aim is to enrich and aid them to be more productive persons.
Other Social activities which the centre can provide includes:
Monthly Food & Fun 1st Sunday- free pop corns & cotton candy floss for the kids, cheap haircuts (free for orphans), second hand clothes and households items for sale at a very cheap price (proceeds of sales go into the running cost of the center). Karaoke session for the adults, and fun games for the kids.
Awareness programs, such as hygiene and health issues to be taught on a periodic basis.
The aim is to increase lifestyle awareness & social interaction.
This orphanage deserves a better living condition for the children and caretakers as compare to the other 4.
The Yayasan Aini was opened in May of 2010 by Ibu Aini and 2 other volunteer friends. Several children were at that time abandoned by their parents and because of her compassionate nature, she and 2 other friends decided to take care of them, and thus a orphan home was created. Then and even now the home is in bad conditions, for example the walk way to the house is loosely put together with discarded wooden planks in various sizes, there are “pot holes” everywhere, the walls in the house is also no better. The home lacks of mattresses for the children to sleep on. And there are only 3 small bedrooms to serve a supposed population of 18 kids excluding Ibu Aini and her aging husband.
The aim is to provide a better living condition for this impoverished home.
What do us intent to do for this home:
Provided more mattresses and pillow enough for the kids.
Repair some holes on the walk ways and bedrooms .
Improve ventilations in the rooms with fans.
Clean up the kitchen area with newer wooden wall and paint, and provide a dining table & chairs.
Build a study/play room.
The above mentioned projects require various resources to successfully develop and run. We are certainly looking for different kinds of assistance; any forms of help are welcome. The first fund raising event will be held on the 21st May 2011 at the KTM Resort, Sekupang Batam. The highlights of the event are a visit to the CCL to meet the orphans and a visit to their homes. There will be a tree planting session where you can adopt a plant, and a Dinner & Entertainment program-members of Chinese Orchestra from Singapore and Indonesian artists will be performing music and songs during the evening. All proceeds will go into the above mentioned projects.
The mission of Friends of Riau is to create an opportunity for people here to get “in touch” with their inner self. It is pure voluntary work , all expenses are borne personally, and none receive any form of compensations (nor do we expect any). Such involvement is like going on an inward journey of healing and maturing of the soul. We will start with the above two projects, there are villages in Riau where they do not have running water or electricity, the walls and roof are made from recycled discarded wooden boxes, and you can literally smell poverty before seeing it. As you participate in any kind acts, remember what the great Mother Theresa once said, “And it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into the doing (that matters).” If you are interested to contribute your time, talent, effort or materials kindly contacts Friends of Riau at 90611456 for more details. You may also view more information at http:gentleact.blogspot.com.
