KUCHING: Hope Place is honouring 70 single underserved mothers this year for their sacrifices and unconditional love, with one of them being Sharifah Masnita Wan Bet, a 43-year-old widow caring for a 15-year-old son and a one-year-old baby.
Sharifah’s husband passed away last December due to a heart attack and since then, she has been the sole provider for her children.
“Recently, Sharifah’s misfortune increased when her baby boy, Wan Mohammad Sharif, began to have seizures at home.
“Sharif was quickly admitted to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and stayed there for a week.
“According to doctors, Sharif has complex febrile seizure and is allergic to baby formulas.
“So for now, Sharifah is breast-feeding her baby. However, Sharifah’s milk is always not enough and so if Sharif does not have enough milk to drink, his mother will have no choice but just feed him with water,” Hope Place said in a press release.
Sharifah currently works as an assistant in a kindergarten in Matang and with no transport, she and her baby have to stay at the kindergarten on weekdays.
“Her son, Mohd Shazzuwan, on the other hand, stays by himself at their rented room and Sharifah and baby will only go back to be with Shazzuwan on the weekends.”
Sharifah tries to earn extra money for her family by engaging in online business and religious teachings.
“With Sharif’s uncertain health conditions, Sharifah is saving as much as possible for a rainy day.
“She has just applied for social welfare aid and is thankful for Baitulmal’s children’s aid.
“We are supporting the family with food aid on a regular basis,” Hope Place said.
For more information, Hope Place can be reached at 082-505987.
Opening hours are from 8am to 5pm from Mondays till Fridays and 8am to 12pm on Saturdays.
All donations are welcome and receipts will be given upon request.
