Berita Minggu 16 November 2003

Pelangi Project brings cheers: Mdm Rasmi felt touched seeing (from left) Mr George Bishop, lecturer in NUS, Rev Yap Kim Hao from IRO and Mr Alan Lau, an Architect, painting her flat.

Volunteers Paint Flats For Raya
By Khalid Khamis

She lives alone and her flat has not been painted in four years especially since her husband passed away three years ago. In fact the situation of Madam Rasmi Sarpini, 56, who sometimes uses a wheelchair because of a spinal injury due to a fall, has caused her to no longer understand the meaning of Hari Raya. She lives all by herself because her two sons have long left. One of them passed away at birth and the other as a result of a heart disease eight years ago. Even though she is a grandmother with two grandchildren, her daily life depends very much on the kindness of her relatives, friends and neigbors.

However, her existence and the two room flat in which she lives at Block 40 Tanglin Halt was made a little brighter for this coming Aidil Fitri. This is because a group of volunteers painted her flat for free under Projek Pelangi (Project Rainbow) yesterday. More than a hundred professionals from all sorts of different backgrounds and races, joined hands to paint about 25 flats of Muslim families in this area. The project which was organized by SPACES Community was to assist the less fortunate and to bring some cheer for this coming Aidilfitri.

“Actually I no longer bother about Hari Raya anymore due to my current circumstances. And now when I see them (the volunteers) come to my home and sweat it out to paint my home, it brings back bittersweet memories of my husband who used to do these works around the house. There are still people like these volunteers who are concerned about me,” said Madam Rasmi.

Madam Rasmi who used to work as a sweeper now receives $190 a month from MUIS and the Residents Committee.

SUKARELAWAN CATKAN FLAT JELANG RAYA
Oleh
Khalid Khamis

HIDUPNYA sepi dan flatnya sudah empat tahun tidak dicat sejak kematian suaminya tiga tahun lalu.

Bahkan, keadaan Cik Rasmi Sarpini, 56 tahun, yang kadang kala berkerusi roda kerana kecederaan tulang belakang akibat terjatuh, membuatnya tidak lagi mengenal erti Hari Raya.

Beliau hidup sebatang kara kerana dua anak lelakinya telah lama pergi.
Seorang daripada mereka meninggal dunia ketika dilahirkan dan seorang lagi akibat sakit jantung lapan tahun lalu.

Walaupun sudah bergelar nenek dengan dua orang cucu, kehidupan seharian Cik Rasmi banyak bergantung kepada belas ihsan saudara-mara, rakan dan jiran.

Tetapi, kehidupan dan flat dua biliknya di Blok 40 Tanglin Halt kini lebih ceria menjelang Aidilfitri.

Ini kerana sekumpulan sukarelawan telah mengecat flatnya dengan percuma di bawah Projek Pelangi semalam.

Lebih 100 karyawan dari pelbagai latar belakang dan bangsa, telah bergotong-royong me ngecat sekitar 25 flat keluarga Islam di kawasan itu.

Projek kendalian Spaces Community itu adalah bagi membantu golongan susah dan membawa cahaya sempena Aidilfitri.

"Saya memang dah tak hiraukan Hari Raya lagi dengan keadaan saya begini. Dan sekarang melihat mereka datang dan bertungkus-lumus me ngecat rumah, saya rasa sedih terkenangkan suami yang melakukan kerja kerja ini.

"Masih ada juga orang yang mengambil berat tentang saya," katanya.

Cik Rasmi, yang pernah bekerja sebagai tukang sapu, kini menerima bantuan kira-kira $190 sebulan daripada Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis) dan Jawatankuasa Penduduk (RC).