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"Restoring dignity"
The
Star (www.thestar.com.my)
(13/12/06)
THE purpose of Welcome is to restore the dignity and joy of living in people
with HIV/AIDS,” said Alex Arokiam, programme coordinator of Welcome
Community Home for People with HIV/AIDS.
Initially set up as a drop-in centre in 1995 in Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur,
Welcome’s purpose was to provide support, counselling and referral services
for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Response to the centre was very good and with the increasing number of
cases, the Welcome Community Home was established in 1998 in Batu Arang,
Selangor.
The Welcome Community Home is open to men of all races and religions. In its
eight years of operation it has provided shelter and care to 350 people for
addiction rehabilitation and 300 people for HIV/AIDS. So far 90 people in
advanced stages of AIDS have been given palliative care, helping them to die
with dignity and in peace.
The Home is now getting about 12 new admissions each month and because of
this, it needs to move to a new building.
The National Office for Human Development of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur
has undertaken to renovate an old bungalow in Batu Arang at a cost of
RM1.9mil. There is already RM668,000 in contributions received.
“The stories (from today’s play) are from the residents of Welcome. One of
them might have written it and another acted it out.
“The hardest part in doing this was that they were weak in expressing
themselves because of the language and that’s why we did two of the stories
in Bahasa Malaysia and two in English. Some of them also had to deal with
their illnesses at the same time and yet they fought through it and did it,”
said Arokiam in an interview prior to the play.
Stage manager Balamurali, who was also scriptwriter and performer, has been
staying at Welcome for nine months now.
He said: “The hardest part (of doing Fallen Leaves) was the time we had to
spend doing it and the long hours. It was tiring. In a way it has helped us.
It gave us some confidence to interact with people. Normally, people are
scared to interact with people who have HIV/AIDS.”
Ridzuan Gomu agreed. Ridzuan has been staying at Welcome for seven months.
He helped write the script and he was the main character in Scene Two.
“We were practising for about two months. We were having full-day
rehearsals, too. But after tonight it was worth it. We had very good
response to the play. My initial intention was to get the public to be more
aware of what’s happening to us.
“We have been discriminated, ostracised and finally our productive life
becomes non-productive because of the discrimination, so hopefully this play
will open some minds. That is our intention,” said Ridzuan. – By Brigitte
Rozario
n For more information on Welcome Community Home, call 03-6035 1463, fax
03-6035 1009, or e-mail welcomehospice@gmail.com.
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