As much as we like to believe that every child is loved, fed, clothed and cared for, that is unfortunately not the case. Not in many parts of the world, and most definitely not here in Malaysia.
There are many impoverished, disabled, and hungry children. Children who did not ask to be born but are nonetheless thrust into a world that is too unkind.
If you wish to give them a better childhood, here are some children’s charities that you can donate to. There are ones for education, food, healthcare and abuse protection.
Education
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Over 1 million children from low-income families in Malaysia cannot afford to go to school. Moreover, hundreds of schools across the country are underfunded, understaffed and in neglected conditions.
Every child deserves a chance to have a better life through good education, but not many of them have access to this privilege due to poverty. These are the organisations that are helping guide children to a better life through better learning opportunities.
Dignity for Children Foundation
Founded in 1998, the Dignity for Children Foundation is an non-governmental organisation (NGO) focused on providing broad-spectrum care and education for the poor children of Kuala Lumpur.
They are currently helping more than 1,700 children between the ages of 1 to 18 years old through various education programmes in the Sentul area.
Besides this, they also provide support to community schools in South East Asia who cater to poor children. This is done through community school start-up and teachers’ training programmes.
You can make your donations here.
SUKA Society
SUKA Society or Persatuan Kebajikan Suara Kanak-kanak Malaysia (SUKA) is a registered non-governmental organisation (NGO) set up to protect and to preserve the best interests of children.
They have made a life-changing difference in the lives of indigenous children through their ‘Empowered 2 Teach’ programmes held in various states around Malaysia.
SUKA is currently supporting six indigenous pre-school classes with a total of 150 students between the ages of 4 to 6 years old.
You can make your donations here.
Child Protection Services
Over 3,875 cases of child abuse were reported between January and September of 2020. And those are just the reported cases. Who knows how many are going on behind closed doors.
Whether that’s physical, emotional or sexual abuse, many children across the country are being subjected violence and trauma that they do not deserve.
Here are some organisations that help protect these neglected children.
Protect and Save the Children
A voice for the voiceless, Protect and Save the Children (PSC) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the prevention, intervention and treatment of child sex abuse (CSA).
Their education and advocacy programmes are organised to spread awareness of CSA, help victims report violations, and train facilitators to provide real, accurate information to those who need it the most.
No child should have to experience the terror and trauma of sexual violence and you can help by doing your part.
You can make your donations here.
The Children’s Protection Society
Established in 1991, the Children’s Protection Society (CPS) is a Penang-based organisation that helps neglected, abandoned and abused children coming from poor and dysfunctional families.
They currently have 30 to 40 children under their care, all between the ages 5 to 18 years old while their outreach programmes cater to some 30 children in Butterworth, Penang.
CPS is open to donations, sponsorships and even volunteering services. You can make your donations here.
Food
52% of low-income families in Kuala Lumpur don’t have enough money for food and around 12% of children living the country have less than three meals a day.
If they come from impoverished families, they may even have more limited access to nutritious food that is so important for their physical and mental development.
No child should have to go to bed hungry and here are some charities that help make sure they never do.
Rise Against Hunger Malaysia
Since their founding in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Rise Against Hunger has since grown into an international anti-hunger organisation with locations all over the world including Italy, South Africa, India and the Philippines.
Through their hunger relief efforts, they have provided nutritious meals across the globe to vulnerable communities.
Their initiatives include child nourishment efforts as part of a safety net programme to ensure no child goes hungry so they can focus on school and their education.
You can make your donations here.
Charity Right Malaysia
Another international hunger relief organisation, Charity Right Malaysia provides global food aid to marginalised communities and not just in Malaysia.
They’ve provided food for children and adults as far as Rohingya, Sudan, Pakistan and Turkey. Eliminating hunger gives a chance for impoverished kids to focus on their education, allowing them a better future.
As of 2019, Charity Right has distributed over 5.5 million meals globally as well as over 1,500 meals to refugees and children in Malaysia.
You can make your donations here.
Healthcare
Just like adults, many impoverished children who live in rural areas don’t have access to healthcare. Those who are illiterate and uneducated don’t even know they need medical attention.
Children go unvaccinated and unprotected and any chronic ailments are treated using ineffective and often dangerous traditional cures. Any serious childhood health conditions can often sadly lead to disability, and even death.
Here are some organisations that help bring medical aid to children in need.
HOPE Worldwide Malaysia
HOPE Worldwide Malaysia is an international, non-profit, non-governmental charity organisation dedicated to helping the poor and needy. Their services focus on health, food, children education and volunteer.
The Sentul Free Clinic of HOPE Worldwide is one of their first community program devoted to providing free-of-charge and high-quality health care services to the urban poor community.
With their free clinic initiative, at-risk children from low-income families can receive the medical attention they need without worrying about the cost.
You can make your donations here.
The Ronald McDonald House
With various facilities across the country, The Ronald McDonald House is dedicated to providing cheap housing for families with children currently undergoing medical treatment.
Their accommodations are within walking distance to hospitals and are fully equipped with all the essentials.
This ‘home-away-from-home’ concept is to relieve the families so they can focus on their child’s treatment. You can make your donations here.
Lend a Hand, Save a Life
If you have a few ringgits to spare, do consider donating some to these important charities. Children deserve to live in a safe world where they have everything that they need to grow up happy and healthy.
Unfortunately, not many get to experience this. Many families cannot afford the basic necessities of life and may need some help with giving their kids food, education and healthcare.
So, let us do our part as Malaysians so that we can spread some much-needed hope during these dark times.
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