Nigel's Birthday Celebration

Tuesday afternoon at 5 o'clock, I was invited to Grace's son Nigel's birthday celebration. After work, the mother quickly went home to start cooking. Komathy gave her a helping hand.

While the adults were busy in the house, the children were still happily playing outside with their friends. They had just discovered a few newly-born kittens.

I asked the siblings to go home to wait for the guests.

Very soon, children from the neighbourhood arrived.

Many of the Seri Siantian flat residents got to know Grace's family because of Harap Learning Centre (HLC) where she was teaching.

Grace had prepared fried kuehteow, fried meehoon, hotdogs, nuggets and chicken wings. Mrs Ee who could not come had given agar-agar.

Nigel's grandfather had sponsored a 2-kilo cake with a design of an aeroplane, knowing that the grandson's ambition is to become a pilote when he grows up.

This 8-year-old boy also received a toy car from the parents, a pencil box from me and other stationery from his peers.

After the birthday star blew the candles, his mother cut a small piece of cake to feed him as the tradition. The father who was still at work had missed these scenes. Since I was there with my camera, Grace could show her husband the photographs later.

Sis Aidah came with her three lovely children. Every time I saw their big round eyes, I would unconsciously try to make my eyes wide open.

Theresa, a former HLC teacher, also appeared with her two sons.

Though more than a dozen children were present there, all of them were very well behaved when serving or eating the food. None was making the place noisy or messy. I was impressed.

Nigel requested that I took a picture of him. He did not want to open his mouth to smile because of some flaws of his teeth.

His best friend Fikri also followed his example and finally both of them posed with a serious look.

One day, they will realise that women's eyes zoom in to men's character, not appearance.

Children Are Like Sprouts

Last week, Mrs Ee told me she had passed some long bean seeds to the teachers of Harap Learning Centre Bukit Baru to plant so that the children learn how the seeds grow into plants. Yesterday morning I was quite free. So I went to the centre to have a look.

The small pots were at a corner of the toy and book library. Some of the seeds were already germinating.

Ten out of twelve children were present. They were playing with puzzles or other toys.

Farhan happily approached me and posed while urging his personal photographer, "Teacher, ambil gambar saya (take my pictures)!"

Very soon, his buddy Cinu joined him to act cool in front of my camera. This boy's younger brother Casevan was also my model last January.

Lunch was going to be served soon. Recently, we have a helper Sis Christine who is a former nurse. She asked the children to line up,

poured liquid soap into their hands, asked them to massage their hands before they rinsed well with water.

The lunch menu was porridge. It was accompanied by plain water unless the children's parents had specially prepared packet drinks for them.

I had first noticed this boy Rony during the special programme early this month. Though he was not feeling well and had no appetite in the beginning,

with Sis Grace's spoon feeding, his bowl was the first to be emptied.

Other younger children also needed the teachers' help to finish their food.

This girl Shanty was one of the older children who were able to eat on their own. She looked very different from last time in her traditional costume.

After the meal, it was colouring time.

At the age of five, Rony's elder sister Fidah already knew how an avocado looks like. I had first heard about this fruit only when I was in the secondary school when the television advertised for a brand of facial cleanser with avocado.

The next activity was watching an educational programme on DVD. The children stayed in the room until their parents came to take them home.

In the afternoon, the pots were placed outside to be exposed under the sun. Each child had to take care of a pot by watering the soil every morning. Rony showed me the one he was in charge of.

I suddenly realised that these children were exactly like plants in the stage of germination. May we adults continue to help them grow with the love of God.

Harap Learning Centre June Special Programme

Yesterday afternoon, there was a special programme at Harap Learning Centre (HLC) Bukit Baru, Melaka from 3.30pm onwards. When I arrived at around 3 o'clock, the children, dressed in traditional or modern costumes, were already sitting there as a group.

Though recently I had not been there often, I immediately recognised most of these cute,

sweet,

adorable,

or funny faces.

Sis Grace's daughter was also invited to join the other children. She was beautifully dressed up like her mother.

As the HLC administrator, Mrs Ee was no doubt the busiest person in charge of the preparations of this event. Dr Peggy Wong from Living Hope and her friend had come all the way from Kuala Lumpur with their driver to bring packets of seaweed crackers to bless the needy, HLC staff as well as volunteers.
Sis Theresa had resigned to focus on her family. Besides Sis Grace, now we had another teacher Sis Khadijah and a new cook Sis Komathy.

The children were waiting patiently and quietly until the teachers gave them the instruction to stand up and sing songs in English together.

The audience was of course their supportive neighbours from Seri Siantan flat.

Next, it was the fashion show. Some looked gorgeous,

some were shy to walk in front of the crowd,

some made us think of a certain late artist,

and some learned very fast to pose for photographs.

During the following session, the children put on funny animal masks

and sang with actions. Their wonderful performances were rewarded by the clapping from the audience

and snacks.

Dr Wong, the coordinator of HLC Bukit Baru, turned up just on time for the cutting cake ceremony to celebrate the 4th anniversary of Living Hope.

Everybody who was present there either inside or outside the centre was given a share of the moist cake.

To dismiss the HLC children, gift packs

which contained groceries

were given away to their families first.

Ps Joanne from City Community Church had kindly sent volunteers to help with the registration so that other needy families received the packs according to their numbers. The three little cuties from the Sajar family had never missed to appear at any special events of HLC.

I believe that when they grow up, they will in return be blessings to other people in need.