The Malaysian Insight

IN order to protect a group of orphans from being separated after contracting Covid-19, Sharifah Umaisha took it upon herself to crowdfund, to ensure that the kids are able to go through a home quarantine together in their orphanage.

News about the plight of the orphanage went viral after Azaad Mohamed Ummar, a family friend of Sharifah’s, made an appeal on Facebook for funds to buy medicine and food after a Covid-19 outbreak trapped some 35 children in the home, nine of whom tested positive for coronavirus.

The orphanage had been managed and funded by Sharifah’s father and mother, but the death of her father, Tok Ayah, last week to Covid-19 and the admission of her mother, Ummi, in the hospital, have forced Sharifah to turn to the public for help.

The crowdfunding campaign has since raised over RM39,000 for the orphans and is no longer open.  

Sharifah, who runs Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Ummi in Kajang, Selangor, told The Malaysian Insight that she had been approached by the Social Welfare Department who asked her to consider sending several of the orphans back to their custodians.

“I got a call from the Welfare Department yesterday who suggested that I send the non-Covid-positive orphans back to their custodian – that is out of the question for me as that would hurt them emotionally,” she said.

She added that the children were already shaken with the loss of Tok Ayah who had managed the orphanage for about eight years with his wife who also caught the virus.

Sharifah said it all started when her parents were infected a few weeks ago. She had then immediately taken action and gotten all the orphans tested on May 12.

When the results came back on May 16, she was told that nine of the orphans had contracted the virus.

After being told by health authorities that if she did not have the basic necessities to quarantine the children at home and would have to send them to quarantine centres, Sharifah started a crowdfunding campaign for the children in order to keep them together.

The orphanage is divided into two sections, one for males and the other for females. Currently, there are four boys and nine girls undergoing quarantine in their respective dorms.

In order to contain the spread of the virus and not separate the children too far from each other, Sharifah said those who did not contract the virus are currently undergoing quarantine at the home of an acquaintance nearby.

She said two orphans aged 17 who have tested positive for Covid-19 are currently taking care of all the younger children in both the dorms.

“But so far, since all the children are not that young, they have all been able to manage themselves well without needing much help,” she said.

The eight year-old orphanage is registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

Meanwhile, Sharifah is also observing the quarantine with her family after she and several of them were also infected with the deadly virus.

Her mother is currently lodging at a hotel in Kajang until her children and the orphans recover from the infection.

Sharifah said she would be meeting with Kajang assemblyman Hee Loy Sian to discuss how to manage the situation.

Those still interested to help Sharifah with the management of the orphanage may send donation to its official bank account – 8881 0080 69204 (Ambank). – May 20, 2021.