Home alone, without electricity or water supply

KUCHING: Hope Place, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation, recently, reached out to a man living in squalid condition at Mile 7.

Chee Ah Fah, 59, is all alone, has never married and lives in a squatter area without electricity or water supply.

In its statement, the NGO said, “Although he is past his prime, Chee still works as a construction labourer. However, because of his advanced years, he only works if he is called, which is seldom nowadays.” 

Unable to depend on this line of work, Chee actively uses his free time collecting empty cans for recycling. 

According to Hope Place, everyday, Chee will ride his old rusty bicycle around the neighbourhood in search of empty cans. 

“His meagre earning of about RM200 monthly enables Chee to barely get by. Moreover, he has been living in a small dilapidated wooden house for more than 30 years by himself. 

“Over the years, he will use discarded planks or other materials to repair sections of his rundown home,” said the NGO in its statement.

Chee will also repair his leaking roof with cheap materials bought at hardware stores. 

With no electricity or water supply, he uses car batteries sparingly as his electricity source and collects rainwater. His only toilet is an outhouse at the back of his home, a small area covered with just discarded canvas and banners, draped like curtains.

Chee shared with the NGO that his parents died a long time ago and he is estranged from his other siblings. With no one else close in his life, he is grateful that he is still healthy and strong.

Chee is also illiterate and most probably that is why he has never thought of requesting support from the government.

Hope Place is supporting Chee with continuous basic food aid.

For more information, Hope Place or Persatuan Kebajikan Harapan Kuching (PKHK) can be
reached at 082-505987 or 013-5672775. 

All donations are welcome and receipts will be given upon request. You can donate directly to the NGO’s bank account MBB: 511289001160 or go to its Facebook page to get its Sarawak Pay / S PAY GLOBAL QR code.