Club hoping to expand meal programme for pupils
Kiwanis Club of Johor Baru aims to continue sponsoring food for more than 100 children.

The association’s charity run organising chairman and past president Vincent Ho said sponsoring food for pupils from six primary schools, in the city, for this year’s academic session required an estimated RM85,000.

“For the 2023-2024 academic year, we partnered with four other Kiwanis Clubs to feed 148 pupils at an estimated cost of RM68,500.

“Prior to that, we sponsored 115 pupils with a total disbursement of RM57,439 in 2022 for the 2022-2023 academic session.

“We aim to assist more pupils in need and hope to extend the programme to more pupils if we can raise the funds,” he said.

Ho said the school meal sponsorship programme was part of the club’s Young Children Priority One community service project.

“One of our long-term projects, the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation-Johor Baru Centre in Taman Majidee, cares for 53 children with special needs.

A club member handing out food to villagers at Kampung Sungai Tenom, Johor Bahru.

“The centre has been running early intervention programmes for infants, toddlers and preschoolers with Down Syndrome since 1991 and our annual operating cost is about RM300,000.”

The club also rolled out a free eye examination programme in July 2022, which benefited over 700 children and adults.

He said 234 pairs of spectacles were donated to children and 25 pairs of reading and bi-focal lenses were given to adults, amounting to RM14,665.

Ho said the club had also treated disadvantaged students from low-income families to their favourite food and given back-to-school aid, provided health services to the Orang Asli community as well as conducted annual engagements with old folks homes throughout the year.

Ho said the club would be collaborating with Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) for a fundraising 5km run on May 11.

“This will be our second collaboration with MBJB during its car-free day event,” he said.

“We are targeting 1,500 participants for the Run to Give charity event to raise about RM300,000 to fund our programmes.”

Those interested to participate can call 019-715 2905 (Ace).
Kiwanis Club of Johor Baru,Charity,Less Privileged,Down Syndrome,Free Meals
Kiwanis Club of Johor Baru aims to continue sponsoring food for more than 100 children.