BERAKAS GARRISON, Friday 8 February 2013 – This week, Dental Services RBAF presented a donation in the form of a wheelchair and walking frame to the family of one of its civilian staff, Dk Artiniwati, on behalf of the United Kingdom Loan Service Charity Shop at a ceremony in Berakas Garison.
Dk Artiniwati’s 13-year old son, Abdul Akmal, developed a physical and mental disability 2 years ago and has since been unable to walk independently, needing the assistance of his family members to move around his home and limited in his ability to venture out of the house as they did not have their own wheelchair. So far, they have been depending on equipment on loan from welfare agencies when available only.
Dk Artiniwati gratefully thanked Dental Services RBAF and the UK Loan Service Charity Shop, saying that the donated items would greatly help her son improve his mobility and the family to be less limited in their daily activities. Dk Artiniwati and her husband have seven children ranging in age from 17 years old to a 1-year old daughter.
Dental Services initially sought to ease the burden on Dk Artiniwati’s family by donating the items through a unit collection but the initiative came to the attention of the UK Loan Service community-run charity shop based in Berakas Garison who gladly offered to purchase and donate the items themselves. In his speech at the presentation ceremony, the Chief Dental Officer of Dental Services, Lt Col Dr Jefri, expressed his sincerest gratitude to the UK Loan Service Charity Shop, in particular Mrs Mary Mumford who had arranged for the donation.
Mrs Karen Martin and Mrs Lizzie Gemmel who attended the ceremony on behalf of the UK Loan Service Charity shop explained that their charity shop at Berakas Garison has been functioning for several years now, collecting unwanted items and selling them to generate money for needy causes. The shop is voluntarily manned part-time by several wives of the UK Loan Service Team who are UK military personnel working with the RBAF. The shop sells mostly second-hand ware such as clothes, toys, household items, jewellery and books. They considered this donation to Dk Artiniwati’s family as another success for this small charity, welcoming donation of items for sale in the shop, as well as customers, to help further boost the charity’s reach into the local community.
BERAKAS GARISON, Jumaat 8 Februari 2013
- Perkhidmatan Pergigian Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei bagi
mewakili ‘Loan Service’ British dalam satu majlis di Berakas Garison
telah menyampaikan sumbangan dalam bentuk kerusi roda dan alat bantu
berjalan kepada keluarga salah seorang kakitangan awamnya iaitu Dk
Artiniwati.
Anak
kepada Dk Artiniwati yang berusia 13-tahun iaitu Abdul Akmal, telah
mengidap kecacatan fizikal dan mental 2 tahun yang lalu dan sejak itu
tidak dapat untuk berjalan dengan sendirinya, yangmana memerlukan
bantuan daripada ahli keluarga untuk beliau bergerak di sekitar rumahnya
serta mengalami keupayaan yang terhad untuk berjalan-jalan diluar rumah
kerana mereka tidak mempunyai kerusi roda sendiri.
Setakat
ini, mereka terpaksa bergantung kepada peralatan yang dipinjamkan oleh
agensi-agensi kebajikan jika ada. Dk Artiniwati merasa berterima kasih
kepada Perkhidmatan Pergigian ABDB dan Kedai Amal ‘Loan Service’ British
yang mengatakan bahawa peralatan yang didermakan dapat membantu anaknya
meningkatkan pergerakan dan aktiviti harian keluarga mereka. Dk
Artiniwati dan suaminya mempunyai tujuh orang anak yang berusia
diantara 17 tahun kepada berusia 1 tahun.
Perkhidmatan
Pergigian mulanya berusaha meringankan beban keluarga Dk Artiniwati ini
dengan menderma barangan tersebut dibawah satu unit koleksi, akan
tetapi inisiatif ini sampai keperhatian Kedai Amal ‘Loan Service’
British di Berakas Garison dengan murah hati menawarkan untuk membelikan
dan mendermakan peralatan itu sendiri.
Dalam
ucapan Ketua Pegawai Pergigian Perkhidmatan Pergigian, Lt Kol Dr Jefri
di majlis penyampaian tersebut, beliau menyatakan penghargaan ikhlas
beliau kepada Kedai Amal ‘Loan Service’ British, khususnya Puan Mary
Mumford yang telah mengatur derma tersebut.
Puan
Karen Martin dan Puan Lizzie Gemmel yang menghadiri majlis bagi pihak
Kedai Amal ‘Loan Service’ British menjelaskan bahawa kedai amal mereka
di Berakas Garison telah berfungsi selama beberapa tahun; mengumpul
barang-barang terpakai dan menjual balik bagi menjana wang khusus untuk
acara-acara amal. Kedai ini secara sukarela dikendalikan dengan sambilan
oleh isteri-isteri dari Pasukan ‘Loan Service’ selaku anggota Tentera
British yang berkhidmat dengan ABDB. Kedai ini kebanyakannya menjual
barang-barang terpakai seperti pakaian, mainan, perisian rumah, barang
kemas dan buku-buku. Mereka menganggap derma kepada keluarga Dk
Artiniwati ini sebagai salah satu kejayaan untuk kerja amal,
mengalu-alukan sumbangan barangan untuk dijual di kedai, serta sokongan
pelanggan untuk meningkatkan capaian usaha amal ini kedalam masyarakat
tempatan.