Almost everyday we come across cases after cases of people and families suffering due to the stark effects brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and how they strive hard to survive despite the immense struggles they are currently facing.
A mother and son had lost their respective jobs recently. Selvarani, a dishwasher at a well-known food court in Penang lost her only source of income when it was suspected that she had contracted Covid-19 after fainting at her job.
Her burdens got even more heavier when her son, 28-year-old Emmanuel Joseph John, became Partially Blind at the same time also suffers from several episodes of fits due to a road accident Years ago.
He worked in a block of flats as a security guard, but quit his job last month, after repeatedly being paid late each month only for a small income of RM1,000.
Now, mother, son, and Robbie, their eight-year-old dog, live in a very small, sectioned room at the rear of a barber shop in Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim, Jelutong.
Their rented room stinks of cockroaches and rats, while they survive on just plain bread and tea to sustain themselves in order to keep going amidst all the hardships they are currently dealth with.
Recently, Vimalan Chandrasegaran, a tuition tutor who learned about their hardship, donated a mattress and comforter and a week’s worth of food to this family. They had been sleeping on the floor for the past month, since their mattress was ruined by rain.
Their plight and hardship were brought to light by Vimalan Chandrasegaran whom has offered help to them quite deligently by checking up on the family often, providing them with basic necessities and cash as when needed and by sharing their struggles on his official instagram handle.
The family whom are deprived from basic necessities, are living on a diet of only bread and teh-o and if ever Selvarani’s friends willingly gives them a cash amount of RM10, they then treat themselves to a luxury meal of black coffee and roti tawar.
They have got no stove, gas tank or any sort of electrical appliances to cook food.
Selvarani whom had been earning just RM25 a day, working on a 7pm to 1am shift lost her job after being suspected of contracting the deadly virus. However, a medical check up showed that she fainted due to vertigo and not because of the deadly virus.
According to Emmanuel,
“About once, every two weeks, we will have enough (money) to have nasi kandar with fried fish. When we have money, of course, I am okay being a guard or doing anything, but nobody is hiring now. And with my eye problem, where am I going to work?”
Despite the pandemic, both mother and son have been on a hunt, looking for jobs high and low to source an income to sustain themselves.
Emmanuel and mother Selvarani are ready to take up any job offered, Emmanuel has also further expressed that he is willing to take up any electronics classes or mobile phone repair jobs to earn a decent living.
Let’s spread the word around and hopefully the mother and son are employed soon enough, in order for them to live a comfortable life. We wish them well, but do your part to help.
To those that are keen on giving them a helping hand, do get in touch with Emmanuel Joseph John at the contact details below:
Emmanuel Joseph John’s Handphone Number – 018-943 7763
Bank Account Details-1551 3520 9036 (Emmanuel Joseph John, Maybank)
Picture Credits: Free Malaysia Today (FMT)
