A security guard, S. Ganesh, his wife, Parameswari, and three young children are living in their old worn down Proton Saga due to extreme poverty and the inability to rent a home.
Previously, Ganesh was staying at Carnarvon Street which had burnt down to the ground due to a fire incident.
The 34-year-old was granted refuge in a school hall after the fire incident, but that was just a temporary solution. In April, Ganesh applied to the State Housing Department for the Perumahan Rakyat Program (PPR) unit.
As days passed by, he was left penniless due to the harsh effects brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Starving was the only option for him and his wife as they had to put food on the table for their three children. The family has a portable gas stove, so they rely on it to drink boiling water. They do use it occasionally to prepare instant noodles.
After his wife delivered their youngest child, she had to spend her time in confinement to take care of the new baby and their two other children in the car. He used to park his car near to the public toilets throughout the day, such as the one next to Padang Polo, the Esplanade, and Gurney Drive.
Ganesh contacted the Penang Hindu Association (PHA) for assistance and the group arranged a two week lunch supply for the family from Annalakshmi Restaurant situated at the Temple of Fine Arts.
If you are moved to help this family, kindly make a call to Ganesh at 011-36779438 or PHA treasurer Nookaraju at 012-4072846.
