The Star Online: Metro: Central
The Star Online: Metro: Central |
| Rocky road ahead, but Jacinta and Steven bent on helping needy children Posted: 11 Oct 2012 07:39 AM PDT JACINTA Steven, 56, had never dreamed of running a welfare home for children. But after 'inadvertently' starting one with her husband more than seven years ago, she has not looked back since. "The thought of what life would be if my husband and I had not done this crosses my mind occasionally. A life without the children just seems so boring. This is my passion and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else," she said, adding that there was always something new happening in the house every day. The Lighthouse Children Welfare Home Association Kuala Lumpur and Selangor's official story started in 2005 but Jacinta and her husband, Steven Silvaraju, 59, had been helping out children from troubled homes way before that. It started off when their church recommended a few children to their care. As they were deciding on the matter, they asked their children for their input. "We asked if it was all right with them to share their home and parents with some less fortunate children. They said yes and that gave us the encouragement we needed to accept the children," she said. Jacinta said currently they have 35 children between the age of three to 17 years old living with them. "They are from abusive or impoverished homes. Many come with their own baggage and harbour feelings of rejection. The first two to three weeks were the hardest as they were getting used to us and likewise," she said. Some of the children have never been to school and in some cases, they have not even been taught how to properly use a toilet. However, along with help from family members and a few full-time staff, they learnt how to live normal lives. "The most important thing they will learn here is how to function as a family. Here, we encourage the children to think of us as a big family. When they grow up and start families of their own, they will not be lost and end up starting another broken home," she said. Education is also very important within the household with most of the children going to school close to the home. Some however, are home-schooled, as they are unable to cope at an ordinary school. "These children are those who have education levels much lower than others their age. Putting them directly into a classroom would not be beneficial to them so we arrange home-schooling for them under an American programme," Jacinta said. She said that those who come are encouraged to stay on until they are able to lead stable lives of their own. "For instance, we had two children who grew up here, went to work in Singapore and became successful. They then returned to take their four younger siblings, who were still living here, and their mother under their care," she said. The home requires between RM20,000 and RM25,000 a month to operate which can go up to RM30,000 during December and January when they need to purchase new schooling necessities. "Sometimes, we incur unusual expenses, for instance when some of the children contracted chicken pox, recently. As it is a contagious disease, the children caught it in batches and it lasted for four months. We had high medical bills during that time," Jacinta said. Lately, a dark pall has descended upon the home as they are facing eviction by the end of the year due to mounting complaints against them by neighbours. "We have been very careful so far to make sure whatever we do does not inconvenience others. When my daughter had her wedding here within the house compound, we ended our celebrations by 10pm even though it was allowed to go on until later. Any visits, even by the children's parents, are done by appointment and they are able to park their cars inside," she said. Jacinta hoped the authorities could help them find a place within the same area to move to. "The children are settled in the schools here. Many are doing very well and scoring straight As in their exams. We do not want to uproot them if necessary," Jacinta explained. For those who want to lend a helping hand, visit lighthousewelfare.org or call 016-310 8518 (Steven) or 016-314 1789 (Jacinta). |
| True gastronomic appreciation rooted in sound cooking know-how Posted: 11 Oct 2012 05:43 AM PDT IN CONJUNCTION with Malaysia's first Week of Taste, Flavours magazine is organising a series of cooking workshops to acquaint Malaysians with the art of cooking and pleasures of dining. The Week of Taste began in France 22 years ago, and has since spread around the world. This year marks the first official Malaysian celebration of the Week of Taste, held from Oct 15 to 21. It is under the patronage of the Embassy of France, the Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce (MFCCI), French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCE), Alliance Française and the Lycee Francais de Kuala Lumpur. "We should know what we eat, and eat as well as we can afford," said KL-based French Culinary School in Asia principal Jean Michel Fraisse. "It all starts with preparing food yourself and falling in love with it," said Fraisse, who has developed a wide range of cooking classes over the two weekends spanning the Week of Taste. The classes will be conducted by chefs at The French Culinary School in Asia as well as the Jaya Grocer outlet in Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya. At Jaya Grocer, the workshops will take participants to three of Europe's foremost culinary capitals — Spain, Italy and France. Spanish chef Pedro Avila of El Rincon will be demonstrating four dishes, including a classic paella, Spanish omelette and peach custard. Chef Alexandre Beaulieu of fine food provider Gourmandines, will revisit Italian kitchens with lessons on how to make pasta from scratch and sauces like aglio olio with grilled artichokes or mushrooms and truffle sauce, while chef Mickael Cornutrait of La Vie En Rose restaurant will take participants through the intricacies of baking baguettes and sandwich loaves, and making sweet and savoury French crepes. Jaya Grocer will also be hosting two free cooking classes on quick and easy Asian cooking on Oct 15. The main cooking action will take place at The French Culinary School in Asia, where Fraisse will dish out cooking techniques and fun, at the Steak and Sauces class (Oct 13, 10am-1pm), or a hearty, homely Sunday Family Roast. The Sunday Family Roast (Oct 14, 10am) class features classic colonial offering of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, Moroccan spiced lamb, and roast chicken with a honey mustard crust, devil sauce and roasted vegetables. Other options include pizza-making (Oct 21, 2.30pm), Italian breads (Oct 14, 2.30pm), classic soups (Oct 20, 2.30pm), and fresh pasta (Oct 21, 10am), with sauces like Carbonara, Pesto and Marinara. One of the chef's best classes will be the special duck class (Oct 19, 2.30pm), where every part of the duck will be used to make delicious dishes — from slow-cooked rillettes to pate, tea-smoked duck and duck confit. There will be a class that pursues the dark pleasures of chocolate (Oct 19, 10am-1pm), and also sweet and savoury French cakes (Oct 20, 10am-1pm). The organisers will reward participants — sign up for any workshop (RM200) to receive a six-month subscription to Flavours magazine and either a RM100 voucher to spend at Gourmandines (for classes at The French Culinary School in Asia) or a Jaya Grocer gourmet hamper worth RM150 (for classes at Jaya Grocer, Empire Shopping Gallery). For the list of classes and information about the Week of Taste, visit http://professional.htcinasia.com, www.theweekoftaste.com.my and the official Facebook page for The Week of Taste Malaysia 2012. To book a class, call 03-2078 7969, 03-2026 9188 or 012-290 5342 (Vicki) or email info@gourmandines.com. The French Culinary School in Asia is on the 8th floor, Annexed Block, Menara IMC, No. 8, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Jaya Grocer, Empire Shopping Gallery is at Ground Floor, Jalan SS16/1, Subang Jaya, Selangor. |
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