Segamat.com

From NST Johor
12th Dec 2011
By Jassmine Shadiqe

IN March I wrote about a humbling experience during an assignment, one that prompted my colleagues and I to pass the hat around to raise some money. We managed to raise RM3,730 after informing friends via Facebook. The collections were used to buy Quran, praying mats, rosaries, and Yassin books that  were distributed to several mosques and surau in the areas that were  affected by the floods. This was the time I met Abdul Ghaffor Saripan, 40, a flood victim from Kampung Batu 29 in Lenga, Pagoh.

I had covered several major floods which hit the state since I was transferred to the Johor Baru bureau in late 2005. My heart went out to the victims, but Ghaffor's  story kept haunting me. The father of five school-going children aged between 7 and 12 was away when the flood water inundated his wooden house on stilts. He had left open the windows, thus allowing flood waters to wash away and  destroy everything the family owned.

Ghaffor sold chicken for a living. A freezer as well as a machine used to remove chicken feathers was also swept away by the currents. The only thing he and his family could salvage were the clothes on their backs. I met Ghaffor at the flood relief shelter where the Media Prima-New Straits Times Press Flood Relief Mission team were distributing  items of necessity. I approached him and we spoke for a while. Then he guided us to the victims who had returned to their homes after the floods subsided. I was amazed that even though he had lost everything, he was eager to help others. Not once during the two-day programme did he ask for help. When basic necessities were given to him, he returned what was not needed such as diapers for babies. I was drawn to him and his family because of his character and sincerity.  He and everyone in his family were humble and sincere.

Ghaffor and his family had moved to Kampung Batu 29 about a year ago. His previous house in Segamat got flooded, often at the slightest rain. Thinking he could build a better life for his children, he started a small business. This flood, however, took away his dream and everything from him. He lost the freezer and the machine to remove chicken feathers. Nothing except for some plastic utensils was saved from his house. That, too, was  later washed away and later found in a pile of rubbish and debris.

On the last day of my assignment, as I bid farewell to his family, his youngest child said: "Kakak, terima kasih kerana datang, maaf kami tidak ada rumah untuk bagi kakak duduk (Thank you for visiting us. Sorry for not having a house to accommodate you). As I turned and looked at Ghaffor, I saw tears streaming down his cheeks.  I could hardly control mine. My colleagues and I managed to raise a small sum of money to help him going and got Econsave Supermarket to donate a RM1,000 cash voucher to his family to buy essential items at the store.

On Nov 26, while I was in my hometown of Kuala Lumpur to celebrate my mother's 63rd birthday, I received a text message from an unknown number. It read: Dengan bantuan anda, anak kami dapat 5A UPSR. Terima kasih atas pertolongan anda. Daripada mangsa banjir Lenga Muar Ghaffor. (With your help, our child scored 5As in the UPSR. Thank you for your kindness. From Lenga Muar flood victim, Ghaffor.) No words could  describe how happy I  was for Ghaffor. I know he is a proud of his daughter's achievement.  He was not obliged to inform me, but he did. This only  confirms my belief that we live only once, but if we do it right, once is enough. So, let us all live our lives to our fullest to have happiness.{jcomments on}