Beds and a roof for the homeless sick

Beds and a roof for the homeless sick

Weekend • August 18, 2007

Sheralyn Tay
sheralyn@mediacorp.sg

HE USED to sleep on park benches, under bridges and void decks, tucked up in a sleeping bag and wrapped in blankets. During the day, Mr Amir Hamzah, 48, would carry his worldly possessions in three bags.

Having lost his home after a divorce 10 years ago, Mr Amir became effectively homeless about three years ago when he decided that he did not want to impose on his relatives anymore.

"I used to stay with (my siblings), but my nieces and nephews are still young, so (my siblings) have to save up for their future as well. I did not want to be a burden."

To add to his woes, Mr Amir, who underwent a heart bypass two years ago, also suffers from kidney failure and needs to undergo dialysis. Due to his long-term illness, he cannot find — and keep — a permanent job.

"Because of the stress and sleeping on the cold floor, my kidney failure got worse. I get backaches and am always tired. With kidney failure, it's not easy to lug around more than 5kg of belongings," he said.

But today, Mr Amir has a roof over his head, thanks to an initiative by the Muslim Kidney Action Association (MKAC). He stays with three other homeless men at a shelter for chronically ill homeless people — believed to be the first of its kind in Singapore.

Launched this weekend, the shelter (picture) functions on a different model from that of current homes, said MKAC president Ameerali Abdeali.

"The shelter by MKAC is not regimented. Most kidney patients prefer to be independent, as they have to go for dialysis. So they are given the freedom to come and go as they please," he told Today.

At the shelter, the chronically-ill would be properly managed, able to attend their dialysis sessions and have their day-to-day needs met. The shelter, an airy and bright single storey terraced house located next the MKAC's headquarters at Telok Kurau, can house about 10 adults. It is not known how many homeless people there are in Singapore, but some 1,700 destitute people live in government-funded homes, according to official statistics.

In July, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports set up a temporary shelter for homeless families.

From : http://www.todayonline.com/articles/206235.asp (Link may expire)

This comment is in reference to the article above.

Firstly, I would really like to commend on Muslim Kidney Action Association (MKAC) for their efforts on helping the homeless sick by at least providing them a proper shelter.

I find that in such a realistic city like Singapore where grades, income and education level is always held in some of the highest regard, there are some people who actually reach out to others by providing help they desperately need. On a more personal level, I feel that people in Singapore are more often than not harsh and unfeeling, especially to strangers. People often stare and are unwilling to lend a helping hand to someone in trouble. I see it quite common where people just 'fend' for themselves (perhaps forced by the culture of the society?) and simply 'minds there own business'.

I feel that Singapore, which many regard as a developed country, should start moving it's general direction towards empathy for others. After all, an unfeeling society will not be able to excel, and will perhaps always be limited by their unwillingness to provide help for others.

The government should, in my opinion, lead the way by providing shelter to those in need. Sick or not, people should deserve a shelter over their heads, no matter how crude or simple the shelter is. As the case is above, many people may have made a single mistake in life and spiraled down into a situation where they are unable to be employed where their lack of money doesn't even give them the ability to dress smartly, and their unemployment leads them to the lack of basic necessities, and eventually a home.

As commonly known, the government does support the notion of fending for oneself - nobody owes us a living. However, do these people really have to spend so much wasted time during to stand up after such a bad fall? Most will never be able to, and eventually become a burden to the society. With a shelter and some basic needs fulfilled, they can actively seek work and contribute back to the society.

Perhaps if more organizations (or even the government) can follow their leads and do more promotion of their efforts for a greater reach, we may never see people sleeping overnight on benches again.