The mother of all carers

The Star Online > Nation
Monday December 8, 2008

The mother of all carers

KUALA LUMPUR: While some mothers may need a maid or two to care for their children, Norlina Alawi cares for 50 “kids” with only the help of a cook and a helper during the day.

“I am a very hands-on mum. I take care of them myself,” Norlina, 37, told reporters.She was among four recipients of the first F&N Out-Do Yourself Award held on Thursday night.

“I want to give kids the chance to have a mother’s love. That is why I adopted them.”

Norlina and her husband Major Roslan Zakaria, 43, have seven kids of their own aged between two and 17.

She started adopting kids since 2001 and their age ranges from a three-week-old baby to a 37 year-old woman who had been abused.

Norlina set up a home in 2004 called Persatuan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Pesakit HIV/AIDS Nurul Iman Malaysia (Pernim) to care for children suffering from HIV or AIDS.

In 2001, she agreed to care for her sister’s mute friend who was HIV positive and pregnant.

“When the baby was born, we found that he was also HIV positive. His mother could not continue to care for him, and so I became pregnant with my sixth child so that I could continue breastfeeding him,” she said.

“Fortunately, with proper care and nutrition, he is now a healthy child.”

Asked what it is like to mother 50 children, she said:

“I didn’t go looking for them. They came to me, and they’re all a blessing. I love them all the same.”

She said it costs about RM50,000 a month to care for her children, and relied on donations from individuals and corporate organisations.

She also receives government aid of RM80,000 yearly while Lembaga Zakat gave them RM25,000 this year.

“I am really grateful for this honour. This is not for me, but for all my children,” she said.

The other award recipients are Siow Lee Chan, the bronze medallist for weightlifting in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games; Seng Woam Guei, who protected her student from an armed attacker; and S. Prakash, who is visually impaired but is pursuing a Masters in Translation in Universiti Malaya.

The award is for achievers in various fields and those who go beyond the call of duty. Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad presented the awards comprising RM3,000 cash, a certificate of recognition, a plaque and F&N products.


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Unnoticed heroes on Mumbai attack: Fire fighters

Unnoticed heroes on Mumbai attack: Fire fighters
Agencies Posted online: Nov 29, 2008 at 1746 hrs

Mumbai : They are neither from the Army, NSG or even the police, but when it came to putting their lives in the line of fire, both fire brigade personnel and the emergency medicos did so without any hesitation while rescuing people from the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels besides Nariman House. While the history of terrorism in the country was being re-written by a group of highly trained and motivated LeT terrorists from Pakistan, the unarmed service personnel moved about with the work, at times even coming under heavy gunfire and grenade attack.

"Our ambulance was asked to move into the lobby by the security personnel to take out some of the injured. As we rushed in, a grenade exploded right in front of our ambulance shattering the windshield. I ducked and hit my accelerator and we zoomed into safety," said Raju, a worker of Western India Automobile Association's ambulance.

"There were some pretty scary moments while we were fighting fires at the Taj Hotel. On Thursday night when we were in a cage trying to rescue guests, we saw one of the terrorists carrying a gun," A V Sawant, Chief Fire Officer said.

"Luckily for us he did not turn in our direction and we managed to continue fighting the fire," Sawant said.

"On Friday morning we were asked to get in and take out the body of a commando. We were given bullet-proof jackets and asked to move to the first floor along with some commandos. We climbed up but while coming back suddenly some shots were fired at us and the commandos retaliated. Luckily we rushed out with the injured officer," Mohammad Yunus Sheikh, an attendant with a private emergency response company, said.
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SA 'heroes' save Mumbai hostages

SA 'heroes' save Mumbai hostages

A team of South African bodyguards have been explaining how they led 120 hostages to safety from a hotel seized by gunmen in the Indian city, Mumbai. The guards, armed only with knives and meat cleavers, helped other hotel guests to safety down a fire escape.

They carried a traumatised old woman in a chair down 25 flights of stairs.

"Everybody was calm and no-one became hysterical," said Bob Nicholls, director of the security company in Mumbai for a cricket tournament.

Mr Nicholls said he and his employees were eating in the restaurant and were planning to get an early night when they heard shooting in another part of the five-star Taj Mahal hotel.

The seven bodyguards were in Mumbai providing protection for cricketers playing in the Indian Premier League tournament.

They barricaded the doors to the conference centre shut with tables and refrigerators and kept guests calm while they worked out what to do.

"Shortly afterwards, we felt explosions rock the building and I became worried about how safe the people were behind those glass doors," Mr Nicholls told South Africa's Beeld newspaper.

'Surprise'

"We put the lights off in the restaurant to give us an element of surprise," bodyguard Faisul Nagel told the AFP news agency.

They watched the lifts to see if the gunmen were coming their way.

When they realised the building was on fire they began to move the other hotel guests out.

"We told the security manager of the hotel to tell the police not to shoot, and then walked everyone down the fire exit at the back of the hotel very quickly," Mr Nagel said.

Mr Nicholls said they had all been trained how to deal with threatening situations.

Bodies

Meanwhile, all the South African nationals who were trapped in the other hotel attacked on Wednesday have now been freed.

South African officials said the Indian security forces had evacuated the remaining seven nationals from the Oberoi hotel, and they were safe.

Another five had been evacuated earlier. All worked for the national airline, SAA.

Indian commandos who managed to enter other parts of the Taj Mahal say they found at least 30 bodies in one hall. It is not clear if that number is included in the reported overall death toll of 130.

Gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades targeted at least seven sites in Mumbai late on Wednesday, opening fire indiscriminately on crowds at a major railway station, the two hotels, the Jewish centre, a hospital and a cafe frequented by foreigners.

The attacks are the worst in India's commercial capital since nearly 200 people were killed in a series of bombings in 2006.

A claim of responsibility has been made by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen.

However, most intelligence officials are keeping an open mind as the attacks have thrown up conflicting clues, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says.

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Story from BBC NEWS:
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Published: 2008/11/28 14:13:37 GMT

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Staff emerge as heroes in Mumbai hotel sieges

Staff emerge as heroes in Mumbai hotel sieges
Fri Nov 28, 2008 4:07am EST

By Krittivas Mukherjee

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Prashant Mangeshikar could be dead, one of more than a hundred victims of militant attacks across Mumbai landmarks, if it had not been for an employee at the Taj Mahal Hotel.Mangeshikar, his wife and daughter were in the foyer of the 105-year-old hotel on Wednesday night when Islamist gunmen opened indiscriminate fire in one of a series of coordinated attacks in India's financial capital.

Recovering from the initial shock and chaos, hotel staff shepherded the guests, including the Mangeshikar family, through the service section upstairs -- only suddenly to come face to face with one of the gunmen.

"He looked young and did not speak to us. He just fired. We were in sort of a single file," Mangeshikar, a 52-year-old gynecologist, told Reuters. "The man in front of my wife shielded us. He was a maintenance section staff. He took the bullets."

The tale of the unnamed staff member has echoed across Mumbai where, time after time, hotel workers have emerged as the people who shielded, hid or evacuated their wealthy guests from militants at the Taj and Trident/Oberoi hotels.

Hotel workers in one case ushered guests into a conference room and then locked the doors to protect them from the militants. The guests were later rescued by the fire brigade.

The staff often proved essential, knowing short cuts to safety and where emergency exits were located.

SPRAYING BULLETS

Within seconds after Mangeshikar's family was saved from the bullets, the guests made a dash for the hotel rooms to hide.

Mangeshikar and a few others dragged the wounded hotel employee identified only as "Mr. Rajan" into one of the rooms.

"His intestine was a lump hanging from a gaping hole in his abdomen," he said. "The bullet had entered him from close to the spine."

For the next 12 hours, Mangeshikar and other guests surrounded the wounded man trying to push back his intestines with bedsheets and stop the bleeding. He was finally evacuated, but it was not known if he survived.

"The hotel staff has been very, very brave," Mangeshikar said. "Hats off to them."

As the gunmen went around spraying bullets, on another floor hotel staff struggled to secure the doors with bedsheets and put tables and beds against the doors.

Televisions had gone off. Power also went out. Some people tried desperately to call their family on cell phones.

Kanda Noriyaki, a chef at the hotel's Japanese restaurant, led guests trembling and screaming with fear to safety.

"We hid in the restaurant," Noriyaki told Reuters. "We could hear the firing somewhere very close. Intermittently, there were blasts."

Many evacuees from the hotel hailed the bravery of the staff. "Just imagine, they even served us food the first few hours," said a hotel guest, who did not wish to be named. "Only when the kitchens became out of bounds did they express regret for not being able to serve us food."

One person recounted how Taj staff stopped panicky guests from rushing into the lobby where militants could have shot them.

"They were brilliant," Bhisham Mansukhani told the Mail Today. "If they hadn't kept their cool, many more lives would have been lost."

The wife and children of the Taj's general manager who lived on the hotel premises were killed in the attacks. Witnesses said many trainee chefs had been killed in the kitchen of the Taj.

Mangeshikar said that, but for the courage of Mr. Rajan, his wife and daughter could have been dead.

"I'm going out today to the hospital to find out what happened to him," he said. "I owe it to that brave man."

(Editing by Alistair Scrutton and John Chalmers)

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Babies are Africa's malaria warriors

Friday November 28, 2008
Babies are Africa's malaria warriors
By Andrew Quinn

KILIFI, Kenya (Reuters) - For a footsoldier on the cutting-edge of a global public health experiment, Michael Kenyali was looking a little wobbly.The bright eyed two-year-old, stumbling towards his mother and wailing to be fed, is part of an army of babies enlisted to test a new vaccine researchers hope will help drive back malaria, one of Africa's biggest killers.

"My firstborn used to have problems with malaria. He would go into seizures," said Michael's mother Mariam, sitting outside her small, neat homestead near the Kenyan coastal town of Kilifi as her other children, aged 11, 6, and 4, looked on.

"The baby was the same before he went into the study," she said, smoothing Michael's forehead. "But since he got into the vaccine study, he hasn't had any problems."

It's still to early to tell if Michael's good health has anything to do with the "RTS,S" malaria vaccine, which will be rolled out early next year in the largest clinical trial ever undertaken in Africa.

Michael, who participated in one of the preliminary studies, received either the malaria vaccine or a similar dose of rabies vaccine, a "placebo" designed to benefit participants even if they were not in the malaria group.

Researchers hope results from the coming trial, involving 16,000 children in seven African countries and funded by groups supported by the Gates Foundation among others, will mirror data from a 2004 study in Mozambique.

That study of more than 2,000 children showed the vaccine reduced all cases of clinical malaria by 35 percent and the worst cases of the disease by almost 50 percent.

Because babies are the chief victims of malaria, they must also be the among the test subjects for any new vaccine. For RTS,S, this means recruiting thousands of mothers across Africa who are willing to volunteer their children for the next phase of the study.

"The rights and ethics issues are very important," said Dr. Omar Juma, field coordinator for RTS,S studies at the Bagamoyo District Hospital north of Tanzania's capital Dar es Salaam.

"There is a tradition of wariness in the community on any foreign issue. They don't want to be guinea pigs. They are very aware of safety issues."

WHAT'S IN IT FOR THEM?

Earlier RTS,S trials around Bagamoyo have given recruiters a sense of what works -- and what doesn't -- in the rural communities where they are seeking volunteers.

"If you want to talk about vaccine, first you have to talk about the disease," Juma said. "What people want to hear is: are you going to care for the kids?"

Fatima Stilihari, 30, is a mother of five and member of the Community Advisory Board for Ifakara charged with overseeing the links between the medical researchers and the community.

"It's advantageous for the community because the kids get treated quickly when they are sick. They get drugs which are not always available at the government hospitals. You get free transportation when the child needs to go to the hospital."

Stilihari said some mothers were unsettled by the issue of drawing blood, sensitive in a culture where blood is regarded as precious. But most came round when they heard of the improved health care their babies would receive in the study.

"Many women around here are jealous if they are not in the study," she said. "So far, everything is going well. We are getting good services."

Mwaganza Mrisho, 34, decided to volunteer her youngest son Chuma for the vaccine study after an older child got sick with malaria despite the family using insecticide-treated bed nets.

"We were still getting sick," Mrisho said, sitting in a small thatched lean-to that served as a local snack bar offering rice, beans and steamed porridge.

"I hoped that if my child got the vaccine, then he wouldn't fall sick. Sometimes he gets a fever, or a cough, like all kids, and then I call Bagamoyo. A car always comes to pick him up to see the paediatrician."

Chuma so far has not come down with malaria, and Mrisho said it seemed all the local children who were enrolled in the preliminary study were doing well: "I'm definitely encouraging other mothers to take part."

Copyright © 2008 Reuters
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A Mother’s Letter to Her Children

By Anne Hines
Contributor

The following letter was sent by Carol Wahl to her children after she was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. Let it be an inspiration to us all. Carol is truly one of our heroes.“What I am Thankful For”
I wanted to tell you something about what I am thankful for.

Yesterday Ron asked me to go to lunch. He picked me up and took me to George`s in La Jolla. We had to wait about 45 min before getting seated. We walked around the shops. I have made up some business cards to have in my purse that say, "Excuse me but I have a speech problem, please be patient with me. Thank you."

While browsing around a store one very young sales girl came to me and asked if she could help. I gave her my card, and then she started to ask questions not caring if she could understand me or not. Come to find out her Father has ALS, she knew all about Motor Neuron Diseases, we spend almost the whole 45 min, connecting. I went to buy some sunglasses and she said NO, keep them and just keep being the nice person you are.

We went on to lunch and got a great seat overlooking the ocean, watching the Cove, seals, people sailboats, etc. I ordered Mahi Mahi with Mango sauce and Fennel mashed potatoes. I have a heightened sense of taste, smell, touch, hearing now, so when I eat, the food tastes so much better. I cleaned my plate, I even asked Ron if anyone would notice if I licked my plate. It was delicious.

Now if I did not have this Motor Neuron disease I may not have experienced the caring and compassion from Tammy the young sales girl. Or from Francis the caring waitress who spent extra time with me going over the menu choices. Or seeing, smelling experiencing the ocean the way I did. Or having the most delicious meal, plus a taste sensation of a Snicker Doodle Sundae - an unbelievable taste treat.

I see things differently now. I have no negative feelings in me at all. I don`t think of the past, or the future, I only think and feel what is happening at the moment. I have such inner peace, joy, and happiness in me I can not explain it.

So, I just want you all to know since I can not talk very well, I am experiencing MORE, and I am thankful for it. Don`t feel sad for me, feel GLAD for me. Most people do not get this opportunity to feel this way. God Bless you all for caring so much, I am happy and thankful for this Motor Neuron Disease, it has enlightened me so much and brought people into my life who are truly wonderful. It has brought people back into my life that I have not seen or heard from in years. It has shown me that human beings can be such caring, supportive, wonderful creatures.

Now today I am off to the Casino with the girls from my Park. I can`t wait to see and experience the new sensations I will have today. Lately, each new day is like Christmas morning to me. HOW GRAND LIFE IS! Written by Carol Wahl – 10/24/08

ABOUT CAROL WAHL: Carol lived in Rosarito for many years with her late husband Tony, serving the community by working with the local non-profit groups, including Cruz Roja Voluntarios. Carol is best known for her participation in many Rosarito Theatre Guild Productions and as a member of the Rosarito Diamond Chorale. She produced, directed and starred in ‘Always’ Patsy Cline, playing to standing room only crowds at the Olde Vic Theatre. Most recently she has been a part of the Senior Theatre Actors Repertory-Star San Diego and was 1st runner up in the Ms. Senior California Pageant. She now resides in Chula Vista.
© Copyright 2007 Baja Times, Baja California, Mexico
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What a 4-Year-Old Can Teach You About Managing Your Boss

What a 4-Year-Old Can Teach You About Managing Your Boss
By J.T. O'Donnell, author of "CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career"


I had a revelation last week: My 4-year-old daughter is gifted at managing up.

Does she work? No -- but as I see it, right now, I'm the boss and she's an employee in our family firm. And I've noticed that she's become quite adept at getting what she wants from upper management. Please know, I'm no pushover. I stand my ground on the important issues like "No popsicles for breakfast" and "Socks are not optional when it's 2 degrees outside." But on the fuzzier stuff, I must concede that she's mastered the art of persuasion.

So, it occurred to me that we could all learn from her expertise. Consider these three techniques as performed by my pint-sized employee:

1. Learn how to say "no" disarmingly
When my daughter doesn't want to do something, she stares deeply in my eyes and with an "I'm so sorry to disappoint you" smile and calmly says, "No thank you." It throws me off every time.

First, the thank-you is so polite, who can criticize that? Second, her body language and facial expressions are soft and nonconfrontational. It's hard to respond negatively to someone who is displaying no anger or tension of their own.

Translation: Employees who learn to engage in conflict without confrontation are appreciated for their calm communications skills by management.

2. When you want something, be a sweet but squeaky wheel
Once my daughter has decided she wants something, here's what she does: First, she asks for your time and tells you it's serious. She sits right down and holds your attention with her eyes. Then, she explains in detail what she wants and why it is so important that she have it. She is energetic and passionate in her description.

If she doesn't get it, she asks why. And if she doesn't like the answer, she says no more and walks away.

But that's not the end of it.

Shortly thereafter, she returns, having thoughtfully pondered my denial and ready to further explain additional reasons for me to change my mind, as well as reasons why my own argument doesn't hold water. Additionally, if I say "no" yet again, she solemnly walks away, waits awhile, and then comes back again and asks for the same thing in a slightly different way, hoping her willingness to compromise will pay off.

At this point, she watches me intently for signs that I am going to either A) cave in and let her win, or B) start to raise my voice and get angry. If it's the latter, she immediately calls it quits -- for the day.

She knows just how far to rock the boat and has no problem waiting for a better time to try again. She doesn't hold a grudge, she stays happy and upbeat, as if nothing has happened. In her mind, it's a minor setback, as opposed to a crushing loss.

This approach always makes me want to be able to say "yes" to her next request because I'm so impressed that she accepted the "no" without making a scene.

Translation: Employees who patiently promote their cause and can accept an unfavorable decision gracefully are respected and valued by management.

3. Use unexpected recognition as a way to score points
My daughter doesn't butter me up. She doesn't gush with compliments in an effort to get what she wants. But every so often, quite randomly, she will say or do something that makes me feel fabulous.

One day, when I was especially frustrated and feeling overwhelmed by all that I had to do, she looked at me with a compassionate face and simply said, "It must be tough to be a mommy."

Ironically, it's technically not even a compliment. She didn't have to lie and say she thought I was a great mommy. I wouldn't expect her to. I'm the rule enforcer -- who likes that? But, she acknowledged the difficulty of my role and that recognition felt wonderful. So much so, that I canceled an appointment and took her out for ice cream.

Translation: Employees who convey their respect and appreciation for the level of responsibility and efforts of management are seen as good team players.

These are just a few of the ways that my 4-year-old manages her boss. Why not try them? With a little practice, you could be managing up with the finesse of a pre-schooler while reaping the rewards bestowed to wise employees.

JT O'Donnell is a nationally syndicated workplace columnist and author of the book "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career."

Copyright 2008 J.T. O'Donnell. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.
Story Filed Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 5:56 PM
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Veggie drinkers tend less toward crime

Veggie drinkers tend less toward crime

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Nov 16 - There is bad news for drinkers. If a study carried out by the police is to be believed, people who drink often and are non-vegetarians are more likely to engage in criminal activities compared to their more sober, vegetarian counterparts.The survey of 3,924 people arrested on various charges revealed that 3,214 were habituated to drinking alcohol. This means only 18 percent of them stayed away from alcohol. Likewise, out of 3,420 people, only 504 were vegetarians.

According to police, alcohol consumption is a major contributor to crimes in the Valley. It may be recalled that the government is in line to regulate the present

no-controls sale of alcohol in the market.

At the same time, Kathmandu Valley has become a hotbed of criminal activities like kidnapping, armed robbery, bank fraud and theft. If police records are anything to go by, nearly half of all the crimes in the country take place in the capital.

In the last three years, 11,625 criminal cases were reported nationwide while 4,821 cases were registered in the Valley (41.47 percent of the total) alone.

Rapid growth in population along with unorganised settlements as well as increased financial activities in the capital are responsible for the steep rise in crime rate, said Senior Superintendent of Police Upendra Aryal, outgoing chief of Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD). SSP Aryal was speaking at a programme organized to bid him and SP Devendra Subedi farewell.

Notably, kidnapping is rampant in the Valley. During the last fiscal year, 60 cases of kidnapping were reported here while only 99 such cases were registered outside the Valley. Homicides, armed robberies, counterfeiting, public offences and bank frauds are also flourishing in the Valley.

However, MPCD's effective policing has helped decrease organised crime in the Valley in the last 19 months, claims SSP Aryal. "With the help of a dedicated police team, MPCD has been successful in controlling the number of major crimes," he said.

"The present crime rate won't go down drastically unless strong measures are taken to fight criminal activities," said Superintendent of Police Devendra Subedi.

Interestingly, during the last three months -- after the government started regulating nightlife and improved policing --- the crime rate has decreased slightly. Police have recorded 300 crimes like homicide, armed robbery, theft and rape during the period. In the previous three months, 354 crimes were reported.

Posted on: 2008-11-16 18:16:10 (Server Time)
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Robber foiled by vigilant staff

The Cyprus Weekly Newspaper



Viewing News dated :14/11/2008 12:15:57



Robber foiled by vigilant staff


Attempted robberies foiled by vigilant staff

A discouraged robber was forced to flee the scene of crime yesterday morning when faced with an impenetrable security door.Police Spokesman Andreas Angeligis said the incident took place at around 10pm when the suspect was trying to gain entrance to a department store in Limassol.

An employee who was in the shop at the time noticed the hooded suspect and promptly called the police.

The suspect struggled tying to open the door for some time, but after realising it was a futile task, fled the scene on foot.

Police are currently looking for the suspect who is reported to be of large build, around 1.75m, and was at the time dressed in jeans and a dark coloured top.

Elsewhere on the island another attempted robbery was foiled when employees of a Laiki Bank in Paphos notified the police of two men acting suspiciously outside the premises.

According to Paphos Deputy Police Chief Nikos Sophocleous two men were spotted outside the entrance of the bank at 9 am wearing motorbike helmets, dark clothes and gloves while acting in a suspicious manner.

The bank employees noticed the suspects and were about to raise the alarm when the two men fled the scene in a hurry, leaving behind a bag they were carrying.

Paphos Police speculated that the suspects intended to rob customers of the bank as they departed the building.

The bag that was left at the scene was taken in as evidence and the Police have confirmed that both suspects were Greek Cypriots.
Copyright (C) 2008 Cyprus Weekly
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Infants need funds for surgery

Infants need funds for surgery
By Laviinia Dhanagunan

2008/11/14



KUALA LUMPUR: Two seriously ill infants are depending on the kindness of strangers to help them win their battle to survive. With swollen eyelids and tubes coming out from all over his body, tiny Nik Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad Latiff elicits sympathy from anyone who sees him.The 4-day-old boy, who suffers from "persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn", is the focus of doctors at a hospital here who are struggling to help him breathe.

Since his admission on Monday evening, Nik has been put on respiratory support and nitric oxide in a bid to increase the oxygen supply to his lungs.

His mother, Tengku Aznaini Raja Husin, hovers over her youngest child's hospital bed, watching for positive signs that his lungs are expanding and allowing him to breathe better.

"He was transferred from Selangor Medical Centre as he needed critical care.

"The combination of respiratory support and nitric oxide has so far helped relax his blood vessels and improve the oxygen content in his blood.

"Hopefully, his condition will continue to improve," said the housewife.

However, Nik's father cannot afford the treatment which costs RM35,000 with his monthly salary of RM2,500.

"We hope that the public can help our little boy," said his mother.

Also being treated at the same hospital is 8-month-old Li Mei Yan, from Johor.

The toddler suffers from "pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum" (a condition where the blood vessels to the lungs are completely disconnected from the right side of the heart chamber), and she requires major surgery.

Her parents, a technician and housewife, can only afford RM6,000 of the RM45,000 cost of the operation needed to save their youngest child's life and are appealing to the public for funds.

Li already underwent an operation in April to restore normal blood flow to her heart, but needs to undergo two more procedures.

Those who wish to help Nik and Li can send cheques, made payable to The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, with their names written on the reverse to The Cashier, Finance Department/Charity Unit, The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, Balai Berita, 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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UPSR Results: A special student with a very special result

UPSR Results: A special student with a very special result
By Zainuddin Muhammad

2008/11/14


KUALA TERENGGANU: The odds were stacked against him but when the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) results were announced yesterday, Muhammad Danial Zainuddin became the first special education candidate in the state ever to score all As. The 13-year-old student has come a long way since he was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit disorder at 3. Unable to sleep without medication until he turned 6, and unable to speak until he was 7, Danial started special education classes early at Sekolah Semangat Maju in Taiping, Perak.

In between speech therapy sessions and visits to the psychiatrist, he had little time to improve his social skills, said his mother, Rozina Mohd Ik-ram, 43.

A former business manager who quit her job to care for her eldest son, she said she noticed a little improvement in Danial's behaviour after he had spent two years in the special education class at Padang Hiliran.

"All of a sudden, he was not that hyper-active, and he developed a keen interest in reading.

"I was happy to notice that he could mix with his sister, Nurul Diana, and his brother, Muhammad Dini.

"In his third year there, his teachers thought it was time he joined students in the regular class and after a few glitches in the first few weeks, he has not looked back."

It was in Year Four when Danial began to show his academic prowess and it wasn't long before he emerged the best student in his class, beating the rest of his normal classmates.

Headmaster Md Sidek Besar said he was amazed at Danial's change as the following years saw him leading the pack of high achievers.

"He was not just an excellent student. In later years, he developed other skills, including being the school chess champion and runner-up twice in the state-level Quran recital competition .

"He still finds it hard to mix with other students, but I instilled self-confidence and responsibility in him by appointing him as prefect.

"I noticed he become better at handling responsibilities."

Sidek said the school had performed well in this year's UPSR as 21 out of 110 students, including Danial's sister, Nurul Diana, scored all As.

Nurul Diana said she was happy with her brother's achievement although she was a bit jealous with the attention he was getting.

"But he deserved it. My classmates and I tried hard hard to beat him all year but he was just too smart."

Meanwhile, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said, who visited Danial at home yesterday, said he was proud that a special education UPSR candidate scored all As.



To view more pictures, visit the UPSR 2008 Gallery on this site.
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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Real change begins with you

Real change begins with you
By Marc Lourdes

2008/11/10

KUALA LUMPUR: All that the medical student wanted was a free lunch and the chance to hobnob with celebrities. Little did Dr Teh Wee Min realise that his participation in an AIDS awareness programme in 2005 would end up being a life-changing experience.
"I went thinking I would enjoy a free lunch and meet some celebrities.

"But, as I took part in the event, I was forced to reflect more on the plight of AIDS patients," said Dr Teh.

He said the "It Begins With You" programme helped shape his personality, especially when it came to dealing with HIV-positive patients.

"The exposure to AIDS patients was good and helped in my profession. It helped shape my personality, especially in dealing with AIDS patients.

"I now try not to be as judgemental as I used to be when I would question why some patients bothered to seek treatment after choosing to take drugs in the first place.

"I now discard that notion and try not to be too judgemental. I have even formed close friendships with some of them."

Dr Teh is just one of the many success stories of the programme -- a collaborative effort between the government, civil society and the corporate sector aimed at increasing awareness about AIDS and reducing victims' social stigma, especially among the medical fraternity.

A collaboration between the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), Malaysian Society of HIV Medicine (MaSHM) and pharmaceutical giant Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD), the programme was introduced in 2005 to update on the HIV and AIDS scenario in Malaysia as well as to inspire medical students by highlighting the challenges faced by AIDS patients in the country.

At first, only about 100 students from the International Medical University (IMU) and Universiti Putra Malaysia took part.

The programme was soon a hit and attendance rose to more than 300 students from four universities.

At a panel discussion recently between MAC executive director Bakhtiar Talhah, MaSHM president Dr Christopher Lee, MSD corporate affairs director Abby Tan, Dr Teh and participant Yeo Kee Kiat, it was concluded that AIDS patients were still being discriminated against by society and, worrying still, by the medical community.

Bakhtiar said: "MAC and its partner organisations have experienced many cases of stigmatisation in the medical community.

"Sometimes doctors and nurses refused to even touch patients without gloves. There's a lot of judgment involved."

However, Dr Lee said, the stigma now was not as bad as it used to be.

"It has gradually lessened. The medical fraternity has changed and the Health Ministry has helped with that.

"I remember one houseman about 15 years ago who brought his mother to see me. She said she didn't want her son to handle HIV patients. That has since changed."



Dr Lee said discrimination prevented many AIDS victims from seeking treatment until they were critical. By then, it's too late as their condition worsens quickly.

"Stigma and discrimination also make work much harder. If doctors and nurses cannot accept it, you can forget about the pakcik and makcik doing so.

"We have to win this small battle to win the bigger war out there."

The idea, he said, was not only to get more doctors trained in handling infectious diseases but also to ensure that the doctors played their role.

The argument that some medical practitioners stigmatised AIDS patients was borne out by the initial reaction when Yeo came in contact with AIDS patients.

"I was scared and worried."

However, his perception changed after talking to the doctors and nurses.

"I was touched and wanted to do something for the patients because they were feeling isolated."

Meanwhile, Dr Lee said that the best way for medical students to learn about AIDS was by interacting with patients.

"Medical students aim to become doctors. What better way to achieve that than to see real patients? There is no better teacher than the patients themselves."

So, what can be done to improve the plight of HIV-positive patients and shield them from the negative perceptions of society?

Tan said universities and organisations needed to carry out more awareness programmes.

"We can only do so much and we need to work together on this."

She added that plans were in the pipeline to include nurses in future "It Begins With You" programmes.

Bakhtiar said everybody should realise that they had a role to play in combating the stigma against AIDS. "It's not a passing issue but a growing problem."

Yeo added to this saying that more programmes should target the community.

"Targeting colleges would a good start because that would bring change in 10 or 20 years."

Dr Lee feels private hospitals can do more.

"The response is mainly from the public sector. There are a couple of infectious disease specialists in the private sector, but the average doctor at a private hospital, unfortunately, is still uncomfortable when it comes to handling AIDS patients.

"There have been cases where a patient is diagnosed with AIDS at 4pm, and by 8pm, is discharged and sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital."

Ultimately, Dr Lee said, patients should be free to go anywhere and provide a true medical history. The reality is that they now have to mask their condition.
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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'Now, I'm more positive after getting HIV'

'Now, I'm more positive after getting HIV'

2008/11/10

With his stubbly head, pierced ear, tinted glasses and blue jeans, Benedict Montero looks like a gracefully ageing rock star -- an illusion reinforced by the 52-year-old's gravelly voice and megawatt smile. But Montero's calling is one which is far more noble than making rock music. Diagnosed HIV-positive in 1992, Montero has made it his life's mission to guide others who have been afflicted with the illness.
Montero was candid about his life prior to contracting the sickness.

"I was taking drugs and basically drifting when I got the illness. I spent the early years in denial and isolation," he said, adding that his family told him to leave the house when they found out about his condition.

"There was little awareness of HIV back then."

In 1998, he discovered Positive Living, a programme where people with HIV guided others in the same boat.

"My life changed when I began to work with other HIV-positive people."

Montero broadened his knowledge by working with non-governmental organisations and the international community, besides attending leadership courses.

His advocacy paid off as he became one of the voices instrumental in getting free first-line medication for AIDS patients in Malaysia.

"It's odd but I became more positive after getting HIV.

"If I hadn't got the illness, I would have probably died earlier. But, now, my life has changed and I think it's a blessing in disguise," he mused.

Even his personal life has changed. Montero, a divorcee before his illness, has been in a steady relationship for the past decade.

And Montero, who aims to live till the ripe old age of 80, has pledged to continue fighting for his cause.

"I want to improve the lives of people with AIDS and give them hope, especially single mothers and children.

"At the end of the day, it's about living, and not about dying."
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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Stay positive vital in AIDS fight: HIV carrier

Stay positive vital in AIDS fight: HIV carrier
By PATRICK TALU
A PERSON living with HIV for 14 years said collaborative effort and partnership by all stakeholders was the way forward in containing the deadly endemic. Thomas Keleya said this at the Fourth National Symposium for Tingim Laip project in Port Moresby last week.
To the surprise of the participants, Mr Keleya candidly revealed that he was living with the virus for 14 years in which 12 years had been without any anti-HIV drugs but on positive living, care and counselling before the introduction of antiretroviral treatment (ART).
He took the opportunity to commend the work of Anglicare StopAIDS and Tingim Laip HIV response groups in providing the most needed care and counselling to those living with the virus who would have otherwise felt hopeless and doomed to death due to stigma and discrimination.
Mr Keleya also revealed that there were 147 HIV-positive people living in Mt Hagen of which 83 were females.
He said they wanted to “come out of their shells” and join the “warrior” groups but fear of discrimination and stigma was an impediment.
Similar sentiment was shared by fellow sufferer Winifred Lowai from Mt Hagen.
He said HIV was manageable but the important thing was the attitude towards the disease.
“If only we can change our attitude to sexual conduct, it is possible for us to minimise the spread of the diseases,” he added.
Mr Lowai also appealed to all concerned individuals and HIV/AIDS advocates to work in partnership to combat the spread of the virus before PNG was branded as another country plagued by the diesease.Copyright © 2008 Pacific Star Limited - The NATIONAL. All rights reserved.
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81-year-old finds love online

www.chinadaily.com.cn

81-year-old finds love online
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-28 08:06

An 81-year-old Chinese man has proved age need not be a barrier to Internet love, marrying a 58-year-old bride he met online, a local newspaper reported.

Wu Jieqin, a retired Beijing art professor who has spent time in an aged-care home, married Jiang Xiaohui, 23 years younger, in a ceremony on the weekend, the Beijing News reported.

"The Internet doesn't belong to the young alone," he told the paper. He said he had been using the Internet since 1998.

"There are no rules against old people seeking love online."

But to reach the altar, Wu had to overcome the opposition of Jiang's parents, aged 85 and 86, who feared he was too old.

But she won them over.

"His voice is very youthful. Not like an 80-year-old," Jiang told the paper. "He's very romantic."

The couple met after Wu, lonely since his divorce a decade ago, put a lonely hearts notice on a Chinese website last year with the help of a student.

Not that the feisty retiree with thin gray hair was not picky.

"As internet mates of his own age did not suit him, he set his sights on a woman in her forties or fifties," the report said.

Wu said over 50 women responded positively to his ad, including prospects from the United States, Australia and the Ukraine. Wu met several but things clicked only when with Jiang, a retired railway worker from southwest China's Sichuan province.

Wu plans to move to Sichuan to be with his new bride.

He likened their love to two well-meshed gears.

"As long they up to scratch, they can keep turning forever, and you don't have to care whether they're old or new," he said.

Copyright 1995 - 2008 . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC).
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Instructor with heart takes prize

The Aucklander



Instructor with heart takes prize


Improving people's lives is what Shirley McKain has strived for since changing careers more than a dozen years ago.And make a difference she has. Ms McKain decided to leave her job as a production engineer to become a fitness instructor after watching her grandmother's physical condition deteriorate over many years.

Since then, she has set up a movement therapy and heart class for seniors at the YMCA North Shore fitness centre.

The class caters for elderly people who have limited movement or live with chronic conditions.

"I think what makes me a great gym instructor is my ability to sit with someone and have them feel completely comfortable when they tell their story about what brought them into the gym," McKain says.

"The true meaning of changing someone's quality of life is seen on the faces of these people and heard through their heartwarming tales."

The classes are among the gym's most popular and have led to McKain being named the AUT Gym Instructor of the Year.

She is also the first New Zealander to pass the Cardiac Club Leadership Award qualification from the Heart Foundation.

McKain is known among clients as a gentle spirit who has a habit of making people happy. One client who has been with her for more than five years is another Shirley, Shirley Slaven.

"I can't speak highly enough of Shirley, she is what motivates me to keep attending the classes . . ." says Mrs Slaven. "My favourite aspects of the class include meeting new people and Shirley puts on music from our era so I enjoy the sing-along as well.

What makes Shirley different is she connects with you on a personal level and never lets you quit."

Another member of Shirley's class is Cushla Parekowhai, who says she feels safe with with Shirley.

"She keeps it real," says Mrs Parekowhai.

Copyright © 2008, APN Holdings NZ Ltd

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Baby penguin defies all the odds

nzherald.co.nz



National
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Baby penguin defies all the odds
4:00AM Wednesday Oct 22, 2008
By Jarrod Booker

With an old, fat, lazy father and a mother who everyone thought was a male, the odds had to be against this new arrival.

The birth of a 16-day-old, as yet un-named, little blue penguin is causing plenty of excitement at the Penguin Encounter at Christchurch's International Antarctic Centre.The smallest species of penguin does not tend to breed easily in captivity and incubating the eggs in the past had failed.

So this time, staff left it up to nature and were rewarded with the centre's first successful hatching since opening two years ago.

"At the moment it's just an eating machine," said penguin ranger Sally Rogers.

"It's a third the size of its parents already. It's like a giant butt with a head ... and some big feet."

The baby penguin, whose sex is so far unknown, was born to father Fats - described as the centre's "fattest and laziest" penguin, and mother Zane - who keepers thought was a male until she "hooked up with Fats and laid an egg".

Because the reproductive organs of the penguins are all internal, DNA is normally used to identify the gender.

"They are both pretty old as well, so it's quite an unusual combination."

Fats is 16 years old and Zane is 12. Most penguins in the wild live to about 7 or 8.

The pair created a nest out of cabbage tree leaves and took turns sitting on two eggs for 36 days.

The centre has had six more eggs laid, and expects it could have up to four more births in the coming weeks.

It is hoped the new arrival will remain at the centre, but because its parents are originally from the North Island, it will require a permit from the Department of Conservation.

The little blue penguin lives in the wild throughout New Zealand, and thrives in areas that are predator-free.




Copyright ©2008, APN Holdings NZ Limited
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A haven for homeless boys

Skilled: One of the boys cooking lunch.

The Star Online > Central
Tuesday October 14, 2008

A haven for homeless boys

By CHRISTINA LOW

NGO@WORK

GROWING up to be knowledgeable and independent is what Agathians Shelter hopes for its orphans.

It was started in 2003 by a group of young adults who took over an abandoned children’s home after its owners could no longer manage it.

“The home was not taken care of and this prompted the caregivers and donors to find a solution.

“That is how we set up our very own children’s home,” said Agathians Shelter council member M. Sivabalan.

Sivabalan said the home had mostly boys back then and hence the group continued taking in only boys through the years.

He said the boys were mostly picked up from the streets, or from single-parent homes which could no longer provide care to the children. Some of them were victims of abuse.

“It is a pity to see how much these children have to suffer at a very young age and are just left on the streets to fend for themselves,” said Sivabalan.
Helping each other: The boys at the home doing their homework in their bedroom.

The single-storey home in Petaling Jaya may be a dream house for the boys but they have a daily routine to stick to.

The boys begin their day at 6am when they need to wash up before walking to school together with their caretaker.

When school is over a caretaker would be there to walk them back to the home.

“It is the caretaker’s daily duty to ensure the boys do not run about and to make sure all the boys are safe back home,” said Sivabalan.

Watching television is something that the boys do only on weekends as homework and studying remains a top priority at the shelter.

However, one can spot the boys in action at a nearby field playing soccer in the evenings or practising the Bahasa Malaysia or English language with a volunteer.

To date, the home is proud that several of its residents have completed their SPM examinations as well as have obtained jobs or are pursuing vocational courses.

The home currently has about 30 occupants of different races and religions and aged between three to 17 years.

“We don’t practice religion within the home but the boys are encouraged to visit their places of worship during the weekends,” said Sivabalan.

The moderate-sized home has two rooms which the boys share and Sivabalan said each of them has a mattress to sleep on.

Besides being able to help children, the home is also sometimes used to house old folks with no place to call home.

Like most orphanages, Agathians Shelter also has many bills to pay and many fund raising activities are held together with the children yearly.

“We do not have enough funds to hold big and grand dinners in hotels so we make do with food carnivals, raffle draws, family day, car wash programmes and mini musical nites to pay for our hefty RM170,000 annual expenses,” said Sivabalan.

December is nearing and it is the boys’ favourite time of the year as the public take time to visit them as well as take them out on trips.

Agathians Shelter (Pusat Kebajikan Agathians, Malaysia) is at No 17, Jalan Tengas 8/8, Section 8 , 46050, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. For details call 03-7954 1680 or log on to www.agathians.org. All donations to Agathians Shelter are tax exempted.


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Book to help kids cope with cancer

Book to help kids cope with cancer

2008/09/12

KUALA LUMPUR: Mahilah (not her real name) was having a hard time explaining to her 9-year-old son why his hair dropped after his chemotherapy treatment for cancer. She also had problems answering his questions about death, especially when the boy in the hospital bed next to his died. In desperation, Mahilah and the hospital staff had lied and told her son that the boy had gone home to his family.However, her son later found out the truth and scolded his mother for lying to him. The news of his friend's death had also frightened him.

Mahilah is one of the many adults who find it difficult to talk to children about cancer, and more often than not, would give vague answers or tell a lie when posed with such questions.

It is precisely this problem which the What Book of Cancer hopes to address. Produced by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), it is an illustrated book for children aged 9 to 12 who are exposed to cancer.

NCSM executive director Dr Saunthari Somasundaram said talking to children about cancer was better than keeping the information from them.

"If you keep things from them, children think that things are worse than they sometimes are and they also get frightened," she said at the book launch yesterday.

Dr Saunthari said that when cancer struck, children would be able to sense that something was wrong even if they did not know what it was.



The What Book of Cancer, which is distributed free, covers topics like "What will life with cancer be like", and "What will happen to my studies and school?"

NCSM is distributing 5,000 copies of the book to hospitals nationwide. The English-language book will also be translated into Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese by year-end. It is produced with the support of Blackmores (M) Sdn Bhd.
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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Disney motto saved dad, son in sea

MSNBC.com
Disney motto saved dad, son in sea
‘To infinity ... and beyond’ is one of the few phrases 12-year-old responds to
By Michael Inbar
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 10:40 a.m. ET Sept. 10, 2008



Lost at sea with nothing to hold onto amid a dreadful darkness, Florida resident Walter Marino continually called out some of the few words his 12-year-old autistic son Christopher responds to. The pair, swept out in a late-afternoon current near Daytona Beach, had been treading water in shark- and jellyfish-infested waters throughout the night, slowly floating apart.“I’d be screaming, ‘To infinity ... and beyond!’ ” Marino said, referring to the Disney character Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase in “Toy Story,” one of Christopher’s favorite movies. “Then I would hear him and it would be more and more and more distant, until finally I couldn’t hear anything.”

Happily — perhaps miraculously — both father and son survived the night, thanks to good Samaritans and the U.S. Coast Guard. Walter and Christopher Marino, along with Walter’s daughter Angela and the children’s mother, Robin Bishop, beamed their way through a joyous interview with Matt Lauer on TODAY Wednesday.

Walter, Christopher and Angela were enjoying a family day at the beach at the Ponce Inlet south of Daytona Sept. 6. Late in the afternoon, Christopher was swimming near his father when he got caught in a current, and his dad paddled rapidly to retrieve him.

“We were both just sucked out,” Marino told Lauer. “The forces just took us out so quickly, it totally took me by surprise.”

Darkness falls
On the beach, Angela could no longer see her father and brother and quickly called 911. The Coast Guard and the Volusia County Beach Patrol launched a search-and-rescue effort, but were unable to locate the pair and called off the search when darkness set in.

Meanwhile, Walter and Christopher treaded water while looking at each other face to face. Christopher, who is largely nonverbal, “watches a lot of Disney movies,” explained his father, and Walter kept calling out Christopher’s favorite Disney lines, including the “Infinity” phrase.

But as the hours ticked off in the dark night, Walter could no longer hear his son. He tried to reconcile himself to the worst.

“I knew in my mind he was gone,” Marino told Lauer. “The only thing that got me through was I could not lose my daughter. I could not let my daughter lose her brother and her father on the same day.”

Around 7:30 a.m. the next morning, fishermen spotted a glint in the water from Walter’s necklace and rescued him. With the fate of Christopher still unknown at the time, Walter had little hope of finding his son alive.

Three long steps
“The Coast Guard asked me if I wanted to be evacuated to a helicopter to go to the hospital, or stay on the boat and continue the search,” he said. “I stayed on the search. They asked me if I wanted to be above or below — I chose to be below, because I knew in my mind that Christopher was gone and I didn’t want to see my son floating facedown.”

After nearly two hours, the Coast Guard asked Marino to come on deck. “That was my Green Mile,” he told Lauer. “I thought they wanted me to come up and identify the body. Those three steps, I just needed help to get to the top.

“I got up there and they pointed to the helicopter and said, ‘See that helicopter over there? That has your son, and he’s fine.’

“I never kissed so many Coast Guard men in my life!”

Christopher was picked up some 3 miles from where his father was found, and some 8 miles from shore.

While an animated Marino showered his rescuers with thanks, appreciation — and yes, kisses — he also cited plucky Christopher as a hero, saying the boy actually helped his father get through the nightmare ordeal.

“His lack of fear was calming to me,” Marino said. “He was on an adventure — I mean, he was laughing. It was just a day in the ocean to him. It wasn’t until the jellyfish started stinging that he started to freak out a little bit.”

Marino also offered a shout-out to the animated superhero who helped him communicate with his son. “Buzz Lightyear got us through,” he said.

Rescue team member David Birky said he was awed at Christopher’s resolve. “That kid is an amazing kid,” Birky said. “To tread water for almost 14 hours — I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I could do that. They have amazing willpower to be able to do it.”

© 2008 MSNBC Interactive

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26639098?GT1=43001
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Leukaemia girl needs help

Leukaemia girl needs help
By Laviinia Dhanagunan

2008/09/10

KUALA LUMPUR: Nurul Atikah Salleh is battling for her life. The 15-year-old from Alor Star was diagnosed with acute leukaemia and needs RM160,000 to ensure her survival.The money will be used to buy a cord blood unit from a cord blood bank overseas as well as for the operation scheduled at University Malaya Medical Centre in November.

"We didn't suspect anything when she had a fever in November last year.

"However, when the fever went on for more than a month, we admitted her to Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah and eight days later, the doctors did a bone marrow test and confirmed that she had leukaemia," said her mother, Jamilah Saad.

Unfortunately, Atikah's sibling did not have her B-positive blood type for a bone marrow transplant. Doctors had also advised her against going to school due to her weak immune system. The family survives on RM450 monthly.

"We are getting RM300 a month from the National Cancer Council (Makna)."

She said last April, the Alor Star Welfare Department stopped the RM80 monthly aid for the family because the department felt the assistance from Makna was sufficient.

Those who wish to help Nurul Atikah can send cheques, made payable to The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, with her name written on the reverse, to: The Cashier, Finance Department/Charity Unit, The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, Balai Berita, 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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Special attention on autistic top scorer

Special attention on autistic top scorer

2008/09/10

KUALA TERENGGANU: All eyes were on Muhammad Danial Zainuddin on the first day of the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination yesterday. Sitting alone in a room answering his examination papers, away from the other UPSR candidates, the 12-year-old autistic student of Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Hiliran was on the verge of setting a new record for the state by being the first ever student-with-special-needs to score all A's in the UPSR examination.But it was probably just another day for Muhammad Danial who seemed oblivious to the attention he was getting from the visit of several representatives from the state Education Department, including head of special education sector Ngah Bidin who observed him from afar.

"Okay-lah," said the shy and soft spoken Muhammad Danial who started his schooling in a special education class six years ago, summing up his first day's performance.

School headmaster Md Sidek Besar, however, said it should be more than just "okay" as the boy had constantly scored high marks in his school examinations over the past few years.

"As a matter of fact, he has been the school's best student for a while now and judging by his trial examination results.

"He will not just be the best special education candidate but I have a feeling, even among normal candidates, he will be up there hovering near the top," he said.

Meanwhile, state Education Department director Ariffin Embong said a total of 24,337 candidates, including 29 from special education classes, sat for the UPSR examination in the state.

"Aside from looking forward to Muhammad Danial becoming the first special needs candidate in the state to score five As, we are also anticipating a better overall performance from the rest of our candidates this year.

"The state has done well in the past and going by the figures derived from the trial examinations, we can look forward to another good UPSR year."

In Negri Sembilan, state education director Datuk Abdullah Mohamad said a total of 19,844 candidates from the state sat for the UPSR at 334 examination centres throughout the state.
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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At the service of humanity

At the service of humanity
8 Sep 2008, 0417 hrs IST, Sanjeev Kumar Verma,TNN


PATNA: It is seven in the evening and a house in city's Sri Krishna Nagar locality is humming with activities. A casual glance may give you an impression that those present there are busy making arrangements for somefamily function.

A closer look, however, will leave you surprised. For, the work going on there is not personal rather these people are busy making food packets forthe people who lost almost every thing in the Kosi flood this year. A group of some 20 women and a few schoolchildren, in fact, are working here for the last four days. The packaging work starts around 8 in the morning and is carried out well past nine in the evening. Till Sunday, over 2,000 food packets and over 500 packets of other essentials like clothes and items of daily use had been prepared.

A beginning was made by a group of residents who thought of collecting relief materials. "We were initially hesitant knowing nothing about the type of response we would get. The outcome, however, has left us completely surprised as people have contributed more than our expectations," said Javed who is part of the group that came up with the idea.

He said first they were expecting relief materials which could be sent in a tempo, but the way people responded the materials would now need at least two trucks for being sent to the flood-hit areas. "So far around 10 tonnes of edibles and five tonnes of other daily use items, including clothes, have been collected and contributions are still pouring in," he said and added that help was coming from almost all the localities of the city.

Overwhelmed with the response, women of the locality volunteered to make packets of food items and other materials and they gather here since 8 in the morning and stay for well over 12 hours. Food and tea for these women come from neighbourhood. Even some schoolchildren have joined them in this noble work and the house wears the look of a workshop where everyone is busy with some work.

"Helping the marooned ones is something every Bihari should think of. I have the satisfaction of having contributed something for those who lost everything," said Jaishree, a resident of Sri Krishna Nagar.

Aditi, a Class XII student of Mount Carmel School, echoed Jaishree when she said, "Helping people who have lost everything gives a satisfaction of a different kind," she said.

Copyright © 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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Big Brother is still walking tall

Big Brother is still walking tall
By Joniston Bangkuai

2008/09/03

KOTA MARUDU: When former students of St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur received a call from their former director, they knew what the conversation was going to be about. Some had been fielding calls from the well-loved educationist for the last 12 years since he "discovered" the needs of the children in the interiors of Sabah. Brother Lawrence Spitzig invariably asked for financial assistance to help educate the children, and was usually rewarded by money or items.

His latest target group of children were in Paitan, a two-hour boat ride from here.

Spitzig had just secured sponsorship of 1,000 writing books as well as clothing for them.

It was easy getting Bata Malaysia to sponsor 200 pairs of shoes as company regional manager Datuk James Selvaraj was a former student.

At 90, Spitzig was undeterred by age and used a walking stick to move his frail frame into the boat taking him to Paitan.

He did not mind the exhausting journey as he was eager to meet more than 100 children from poor families attending classes in six kindergartens he had helped set up.

"I have heard so much about the predicament of the children there. I wanted to meet them so much and am glad I made it there," said Spitzig, who was twice director of St John's Institution, first between 1955 and 1961, and later between 1979 and 1983.

Spitzig became involved in supporting young people in impoverished regions in Sabah after a visit to poverty-stricken remote Kampung Sungai Magandai and Kampung Sosogon Magandai, about three hours by logging road from here, 12 years ago.

Among the many community projects that Spitzig hadbeen involved in was the construction of a hostel for rural students here.

He came to know about the plight of the children in Paitan who were being taught how to read and write by Loreto Convent sisters -- Sister Dorothy and Sister Hilary Laudi.

Sister Dorothy, who was posted to Kampung Dalamas in Paitan in 2005, saw the need for pre-school education in the village and started a kindergarten in a small chapel there.

With assistance in the form of cash and in kind secured through concerned individuals like Spitzig, Sister Dorothy was soon able to open up five new kindergartens in the area.

The other kindergartens are at Kg Lubang Buaya (18 pupils), Kg Suli (28 pupils), Kg Vatangon Darat (15 pupils), Kg Lakan (15 pupils) and Kg Tawanan (22 pupils).

"I was told that plans are afoot to build eight more kindergartens in eight villages in Paitan but this is only possible with more funds," said Spitzig, who came to Malaysia in 1938 and is a Malaysian citizen

Those wishing to donate can contact Sister Dorothy at 013-5477525 or the Loreto Convent in Kota Kinabalu at 088-711991.
© Copyright 2008 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.
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Disposable diaper breaks fall, saves child's life

As tot fell from third-floor apartment window, diaper snagged on a spike


updated 6:51 p.m. ET Aug. 28, 2008
SAO PAULO, Brazil - A disposable diaper has saved the life of an 18-month-old boy, breaking his fall from a third-floor apartment window, officials said Thursday.
Caua Felipe Massaneiro survived a 30-foot fall because his diaper snagged on a security spike embedded in the concrete wall around his apartment building in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife.

The boy dangled from the spike for a moment, then "the diaper opened and the baby fell to the ground, but at a much slower speed," a police officer said. "The diaper obviously lessened the impact of the fall and saved the baby's life."

"It was a miracle," said the officer who declined to be identified because she was not authorized to speak to the press. "He could also have been killed by one of the spikes."

The child was treated for minor fractures at the Hospital Memorial Sao Jose, where spokesman Gilberto Tenorio said he was in stable condition.

Police have opened an investigation to determine how the toddler fell out the window and "if parental negligence was one of the causes," the police officer said.

The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper quoted Caua's father, 23-year-old Alexandre Cesar Massaneiro as saying that his son climbed onto a sofa underneath the window he fell from - "something he had never done before."

"It wasn't the diaper that saved him," Massaneiro told the newspaper. "It was God."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Limbless boy says ‘anything’s possible’

Nick Santonastasso has one arm equipped with one finger. That’s it. His right arm ends in a stump a couple of inches from his shoulder. He has no legs. He also has no limitations.

“I know anything’s possible,” the remarkable 12-year-old told TODAY’s Ann Curry Tuesday in New York.

Videos of Nick playing baseball and football, doing a headstand on his skateboard, playing the keyboard and drums, typing on a computer, helping in the kitchen and playing video games with his siblings were proof he’s right.

“My parents just keep encouraging me to do stuff — like, don’t give up and keep trying. If you fall down, get back up,” he said in explaining why he attacks life with such gusto.

When Nick’s mother Stacey was pregnant with him, doctors told her that he would be born “fragile.” He was diagnosed with Hanhart Syndrome Type II, a rare genetic disorder identified in only 11 other people.

The Santonastassos, who live in New Jersey, had three other children, and they resolved to treat Nick the same as their other children, with love but without excuses.

‘Our hero’
“We didn’t treat him any different than any of our other children,” his father Michael said. Even so, he’s impressed with just how normal his son is. “We’re supposed to be heroes to our children, but Nick is a hero to us. He’s proved to be a real trouper, and our hero.”

But heroes have heroes, too, and Nick’s is Tiki Barber, the former star running back of the New York Giants who retired last year and became a correspondent for TODAY. Curry told Nick, who was wearing a Tiki Barber jersey, that for his birthday, which was May 20, the show wanted to give him a new skateboard. The person who presented it to him in the studio was Barber.

“Nick, you’re an inspiration,” read the inscription Barber had written on the board along with his autograph.

Nick’s eyes filled with tears of joy as Barber sat down next to him. “You’re an inspiration,” Barber repeated. “There are a lot of kids who might be at a disadvantage,” he added. “You give them strength. You really do.”

Curry observed that most parents try to protect their kids from failure, but the Santonastassos didn’t do that with Nick.

“Absolutely not,” Stacey Santonastasso said. “If you do have a small failure, it just makes you stronger to succeed at the next stop. It just makes you stronger and want to accomplish more.”

“It builds self-confidence in yourself to try it again,” Nick added. “And you’ll be happy and succeed and not fail.”

Threw away prosthetics
At an early age, his parents had him fitted with prosthetic legs and a prosthetic right arm, but Nick threw them away, finding they limited his mobility instead of enhancing it. He’s mainstreamed at school and gets good grades. His only concession to his lack of limbs is to ride a wheelchair between classes in school. But at home, he scampers around the house using just his arm.

With just his one finger, he can pick up a penny, his mother reported, something she can’t do herself. He writes and draws with a pen tucked between his stump and his chin.

Recently, Nick entered a drawing in a statewide contest in New Jersey on the theme of family values. His entry was a tree with a spreading canopy and deep roots. Above the tree were the words, “The roots of a family are ….”

Below the ground, the roots spelled out the final word of the message: “Love.”

The poster won the contest, and Nick got to meet N.J. Gov. John Corzine. The contest judges were unaware of Nick’s physical condition. He won on merit, the same way he does everything else in life.

“He has no boundaries,” said his mother. “He’s just a happy kid. You want to be around him, because it’s always fun.”

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Dog protected abandoned newborn, doctors say

(CNN) -- A dog sheltered a newborn baby abandoned by its 14-year-old mother in a field in rural Argentina until the boy was rescued, a doctor said Friday.





The abandoned infant was found in a field with this dog and her newborn puppies.

A resident of a rural area outside La Plata called police late Wednesday night to say that he had heard the baby crying in a field behind his house.

The man went outside and found the infant lying beside the dog and its six newborn puppies, said Daniel Salcedo, chief of police of the Province of Buenos Aires.

The temperature was a chilly 37 degrees, Salcedo said.

The dog had apparently carried the baby 50 meters from where his mother had abandoned him to where the puppies were huddled, police said.

"She took it like a puppy and rescued it," Salcedo said. "The doctors told us if she hadn't done this, he would have died.

"The dog is a hero to us."

Dr. Egidio Melia, director of the Melchor Romero Hospital in La Plata, said police showed up at the hospital at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday with the baby, who doctors say was only a few hours old.

Though the infant had superficial scratches and bruises and was bleeding from his mouth, he was in good shape, Melia said.

The next morning, the child's mother was driven by a neighbor to the hospital and told authorities that the 8-pound, 13-ounce infant is hers, Melia said.


The teenager was immediately given psychological treatment and was hospitalized, he said. She has said little about the incident.

The child has been transferred to a children's hospital in La Plata, 37 miles from Buenos Aires.


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