If you are wondering how you can make the year-end extra meaningful, why not think of the Monfort Youth Centre in Malacca.
The students of the Monfort Youth Centre
Help the Centre give hope to the young: An artist’s impression of the proposed double-storey building – Images courtesy of Monfort Youth Centre
First of all, I want to say thank you for your support this year with this blog. Some of the discussions and debates we have had here have been priceless. We have witnessed many things together in the struggle for justice and freedom – sometimes “live” as news breaks. At other times, we have been aghast at the environmental and human price some of us have paid for unsustainable development. And if we start to talk about corruption, oppression and exploitation, we could be here all day…
The year end is also a time for us to reflect on our lives, our priorities and what our role is in the larger scheme of things. Jesus himself was born in poverty. He constantly identified with the poor and those whom society often shunned. He empowered them and gave them hope.
From what I hear, the Gabrielite Brothers (a religious order within the Catholic Church) have been doing some excellent work in giving hope to the young at the Monfort Youth Centre. Over the years, they have provided all-round human development and training in skills such as motor mechanics for disadvantaged teenagers. Youths who complete courses at this residential-care centre are usually snapped up by prospective employers; not only are the students given quality training, they also display an impressive sense of personal responsibility.
The Brothers are now expanding the centre with a new double-storey building. The ground-floor will have four classrooms for language classes and two rooms for personal counselling. The upper floor will house a multimedia lab and a workshop for the computer maintenance department. Unfortunately, public donations are down by 20-30 per cent this year because of the economic slowdown. The Brothers have raised enough money to complete the building but they don’t have enough funds to equip the departments and the classrooms with computers and furniture.
Help them to give hope to the young. You could write out a cheque payable to Montfort Youth Centre and mail it to Monfort Youth Centre, Kg. Baru, Air Salak, 75250 Melaka, Malaysia.
Or just give them a call during office hours (8.30am to 5.30pm), Monday to Friday (except public holidays), (Tel: 06-3510114 /115 Fax: 06-3510200).
Wishing you peace, love, justice, happiness and everything good now and in the coming year.
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