Breaking of Ramadan fast with orphans and destitute children
Inner Wheel Club of Ipoh East
1 May 2021
With the much awaited Hari Raya Aidilfitri barely a fortnight away, Inner Wheel Club of Ipoh East Treasurer and Organising Chairman Norizan Shaari organised a “Majlis Berbuka Puasa”, an event to observe the breaking of fast during the fasting month of Ramadan for the children of Yayasan Amanah An-Nur Maisarah. This home located in the small town of Chemor, about half an hour's drive from Ipoh city, is home to 50 orphaned or destitute children aged between 18 months to 18 years.
On the evening of 1st May, IWCIE chartered a bus to ferry the 50 children and 10 caretakers from Chemor to Hotel Excelsior, Ipoh. It was indeed a heart-warming sight to see all the children dressed in their best traditional attire and their cheerful faces. Like any close-knit family, the older children were seen tending to the younger ones.
The evening started with OC Norizan’s welcome address followed by President Jaya Ranjitham. The President of the home, Dr Fazillah Nordin gave a speech thanking the club members for their kindness in giving the children a memorable evening. A major donor, En. Nasir, who is a banker by profession, was the guest of honour.
The evening opened with three prayers. A prayer of blessing for everyone (doa selamat), a prayer of thanksgiving in breaking fast (doa buka puasa) and the sunset prayer (doa maghrib). The children were fêted with a beautiful spread prepared by the hotel chefs. Although members had to mingle by keeping a distance and masks were mandatory, everyone had an enjoyable time with the children. The last item of the event drew eager anticipation on the faces of the children. They were each given a gift bag, a prayer mat (sejadah) and some pocket money to spend for Aidilfitri (duit raya) packaged in artistically printed packets. The night ended with a photo session and more fellowship as the magic of the night continued to shine.
~ Gomathy Ramachandran, Club Correspondent