KUCHING: Befrienders Kuching, a suicide prevention support group, celebrated its first anniversary last Saturday evening by holding a fundraising and awareness dinner themed “Life is Precious, You Are Not Alone” at Imperial Hotel here. More than 250 people including members were present. Befrienders Kuching president Dr Rosliwati Md Yusoff, in her speech, thanked the volunteers for actively providing emotional support and help to those in need.
“Befrienders Kuching have volunteers from all professions, and they have a good heart to serve others,” she said, adding that the group was also active in raising awareness on mental health.
“Let us work together, be friends with one another, be kind, and most importantly, offer emotional support to others,” she stressed. Dr Rosliwati also advised those suffering from mental health issues to seek help instead of suffering in silence. During the dinner, poets and storytellers shared their experiences.
Angelina Bong told a touching story about how important it was for someone to listen and care for someone with depression while Maclean Patrick spoke on how to overcome depression. Both of them are from Wordsmiths of Kuching.
There were also stage performances by Rumah Seni Bakat on how thoughts of suicide could occur while Kuching Dance Collective performed a sketch on battling depression.
One mesmerising performance was a traditional dance by the Sarawak Deaf Youth Association. The audience turned quiet for the duration of the performance, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Also present was National Council of Befrienders Malaysia (NCOBM) president Esther Teo.
