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"Hotels out to help HIV victims"
The
Star (www.thestar.com.my)
(03/11/05)
Renaissance Melaka Hotel has launched a “Hope Campaign” by putting several
donation boxes in the hotel to raise funds for the Malaysian AIDS Foundation
until Dec 1.
Donations will be channelled to the foundation to benefit programmes for the
people living with HIV/AIDS.
Foundation general manager B. Raj Kumar said there were three schemes run by
the foundation including the Paediatric AIDS Scheme to support infected and
affected children, and the People Living with HIV/AIDS Drug Assistance
scheme.
The third is the People Living with HIV/AIDS Business Assistance Scheme,
where interest-free loans of up to RM1,000 will be given to people living
with HIV/AIDS and their families to start or support a small business, he
said.
Currently, there were more than 60,000 people in Malaysia infected by the
HIV and 6,523 deaths from AIDS over the past 18 years, said Raj Kumar.
“There are many more unrecorded cases compared to recorded ones and the
number of people in Malaysia with HIV/AIDS is climbing,” he said, adding
that more funds were needed to support them.
The hotel’s general manager, George Varughese, said the boxes were placed at
the lobby, club lounge, and cafeteria for the guests and public to donate.
Items such as T-shirts and mugs with reasonable prices would also be sold
for the fund, he said.
“We are doing out bit for people living with HIV/AIDS. We want to give them
hope and to tell them that we care,” he said.
The hotel also encouraged all its associates to involve themselves in
supporting the community through individual and team volunteerism, he added.
Rotary Club of Malacca had pledged a RM1,000 donation as a start and it
would also organise a charity dinner on Nov 18 to raise funds in support of
the event, he said.
Varughese also said the project was held together with Renaissance Kuala
Lumpur Hotel, Renaissance Kota Baru Hotel and Miri Marriot Resort & Spa.
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