Community outreach programme for Nursing students

Students at Yayasan Sunbeams Home

As the government imposed the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many Malaysians struggled to cope with the new norm, especially the needy such as the homeless, orphanages and old folk shelters.

Given this matter, several students from UTAR Department of Nursing decided to celebrate the Nurses’ Day this year in an unconventional manner by visiting and donating supplies to a children’s orphanage. The students visited Yayasan Sunbeams Home (YSH), a non-governmental foundation shelter for displaced, abused and neglected children. The visit took place on 27 June 2020.

The excursion to the orphanage was overlooked by Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) lecturer Sheela Devi Sukuru. The visit aimed to respond effectively to the needs of the orphanage through social services and also to fulfil the social responsibility of giving back to the community.

Before heading to YSH, the students, with Sheela’s help, prepared a list of daily supplies to donate to the orphanage. The supplies included rice, cooking oil, biscuits and canned food. These items and necessities were bought and gathered by the committee after receiving confirmation from YSH. The supplies were given to help sustain the orphanage during the MCO period.

Supplies donated to the YSH

The home’s caretaker, Dorothy Koh, was kind enough to speak with the students and the committee and share her experiences of looking after the children during the MCO. “Nursing is a noble and meaningful profession. It takes a lot of patience and skills to care for people,” said Dorothy when having a small talk session with the students. Sheela, in response, said, “The job that you are doing, devoting your time and life to the children, is equally noble.”

The visit ended with a photo session.

Dorothy speaking with the students