BY JAMES WONG & GABRIEL LIHAN
KUCHING: The Kuching Autism Association’s (KAA) Sponsor-A-Child programme has received RM10,000 from Sarawak Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Michael Tiang.
“To make therapy accessible to more children, the KAA has kept its training fees low at around RM200 to RM400 per child per month, significantly lower than the actual cost of RM900.
“Unfortunately, even with the low fees, some students from lower income families are unable to afford therapy.
“The programme aims to provide financial assistance for needy students, and I am glad to announce that I will be contributing RM10,000 to help four students,” he said on Friday (May 5).
The programme, launched in 2016, is currently financing seven students aged between three and 18.
Meanwhile, Tiang also launched the adoption of KAA’s Sunshine Hub Garden Farm Project by Sarawak Energy Berhad’s (SEB) Corporate Social Responsibility Department.
In addition, SEB contributed RM17,500 to support the future expansion of the project’s production as well as to upskill the teachers and trainees in modern and sustainable farming systems.
KAA president Dr Catherine Chen stated that SEB sponsored the project in 2022, during which both organisations’ staff built eight new vegetable beds and started a small mushroom cultivation project, generating RM4,876 in income last year.
She said the partnership on the garden project would enable adults with autism to make meaningful contributions to society.
Also present at the press conference were SEB Corporate Social Responsibility Department general manager Jiwari Abdullah and SEB Corporate Communication general manager Dr Asleena Helmi.
