JULY 18 — Do you generally feel that real kindness might not exist (with all the endless wars and human injustices around us, here and elsewhere )? Or, do you  simply believe human beings to be naturally kind?

Have  you also wondered why there are so many kids without parents and homes in our towns and cities? Furthermore, what are your reflections on this essential yet  eternal and complex question, “How shall one live?”

One of the many places, where you can reflect on the above issues, is at the Agathians Shelter, in Petaling Jaya, a home for the displaced young people.

To ponder,  I invited myself  to share a meal with the 33 kids and staff at their home. They told me that for RM250 I could give all of them a “party.” Their cook would add one or two more special dishes and they would also get fruits (extra RM50) for that evening. Their normal daily meals are simple but adequate.

This eight-year-old orphanage for boys is managed by a small group of volunteers (only three paid staff). Their aim is to provide food and lodging, schooling and teaching, safety and dignity for the homeless street children. Is this not a natural form of human kindness in action?

Madam Manggai, the co-ordinator, said, “This Agathians Shelter is a non- governmental organisation (NGO). Therefore, it is very much dependent on public and corporate contributions. The monthly expenses for running the Home is approximately RM13,000. This include the rent (two double- and a single-storey link houses), food, clothing, schooling, staff pay etc.

Currently, donations received are insufficient to cover the monthly expenses. There are times where, the committee members of the Home will bear the shortfall. This is to ensure the Home operates without any hiccups.

The children are from various backgrounds; some are orphaned, some only have a single parent who can’t afford to feed them and others are either abandoned or neglected.

There isn’t a clear area for dining, they use a multi-purpose space, which is a white tent  built beside the open area  outside their building with a cement floor.  At dinner time (about 7.30pm) all the boys would line up to say their daily prayer of thanks.

Then they all queue up to help themselves to the food in a self-service manner. Some of the  older ones will help the younger ones with their plate of food. Each of them has the choice of what they want to put on their plate.

They then sit with their group of friends and eat the meal with their hands. Lots of quiet chatting and laughter is going on. I joined in to eat with one group.

The eldest at the table is Prem, 13, from Klang and he has been a resident for the last five years. Sarvin, 9, is in the Home with his younger brother, Saswin Raj, 4, and they have been there for three years.  Simon, 10, just joined them a year ago. Poobalan, 6, was admitted two years ago and he has no identification with him. Where he is from and who his parents are is unknown. Buddha, 9, is from Lembang Subang and is one of the longer-staying boys. Eight years ago, he was brought to the Home  just after birth.

Each of them has a story to tell about their life and how they came to live together now.  Listening and exploring their many individual early experiences   reminds me there are no simple answers to perplexing questions.

Are they all angry with their parents for doing or allowing this to happen to them? Do they take a hard view of their plight or will they grow to be more generous  when judging the action of their parents and their circumstances?

How many of them will they grow up with a deep sense of injustice?  Will they also consider what role luck has to do with life? What about the idea that for a more fulfilling life to thrive, it also requires a more amenable social, political and economic environment to be freely  made available?

What ever the futures of the boys may be, they will each have to gather their own understanding and experiences and build their own conception of a life truly worth living. I wish them luck.

As for me, I plan (this is just an attempt, whether I’ll really do so is another matter) to make many more trips to visit the boys; to eat, play, laugh, cry and listen to many more of their thoughts about how they live with themselves and with others around them. One day, perhaps I may eventually find my own way too?

For more information, contact Agathians Shelter, 22, Jln 8/6, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03 7954 1680, Hp +6012 2787484

Email: agthians_siva@yahoo.com, Website : www.agathians.org

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.