KOTA KINABALU: A family of 11 has been living in a cramped dilapidated hut over the past few years after a fire razed their house in rural Pitas in 2016.
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The elders in the family, a blind couple, and their five children, as well as four grandchildren, had to make do with the situation while waiting for assistance from the government to rebuild their house at Kg Pias, Kanibongan Pitas.
Eyam Manizar, 65, and his wife Rosongon Magimbal, 58, told non-governmental workers who visited them recently that they had been approached by different government agencies and representatives after the fire, and were promised help.
“But the promises remain unfulfilled till today,” said Pertubuhan Angkatan Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (Agaras) president Datuk Michael Frederick.
He said Agaras will help them repair their home and give this family a comfortable and safe place to live in.
“We are calling on all kind-hearted folks who can contribute financially to this cause to come forward,” he said.
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Those who wish to help can contact Michael Frederick at his Facebook page for more information. https://www.facebook.com/michael.frederick.7
Apart from the couple, their five children, aged between 19 and 33, and four grandchildren also live in the same hut.
They used to live apart but had to share one hut following the fire.
Out of the couples’ five children, only the eldest still has a job as a hotelier. The second lost his job after the pandemic and is only doing odd jobs to make ends meet, while the third is a housewife.
The youngest two, aged 19 and 22, are still searching for employment.
The family normally searches the nearby forest and creek for food such as vegetables and fish and sometimes hunt for birds for consumption as well.-The Star