Malaysia, 12 July 2017

(Volunteers with the children of Lotus Charity Care Centre. Credit: Lotus facebook page)

When Diani Lee visited the Malaysian Lotus Charity Care Centre Association, she was just there to drop off clothes and toys that her toddler son’s school had organised for the orphans. But as she sat there with the kids, it became apparent to her that they need a permanent and dignified home to live and grow up in.

The Malaysian Lotus Charity Care Centre has been around for 14 years, and was run by its late founder Dr. R. Thomas Manoharan, who unfortunately passed away in 2016, and left the care centre with 25 elderly folks and 26 children to his wife Sarah Thomas to look after. Double disaster struck that year, and the home was unfortunately burnt to the ground. The 26 orphans plus caretakers have been living in a small rented 3 bedroom house since, and the elderly in a property streets away.

As Lee describes their current living condition “The house smells old and the walls are bare. But on it you can find traces of hope and positivity. The peeling wall paint decorated with pure intentions that read "I love Jesus" and smiley faces.” and added “the children all look relatively well looked after despite such circumstances. This has reinforced my confidence in Sarah's true love and devotion to the children even in the face of great adversity. She insists that the older children all go to school, but is also struggling to pay for their tuition fees and school supplies.”

Clearly touched by the struggles she saw, Lee quickly and easily set up a crowdfunding campaign on SimplyGiving (https://www.simplygiving.com/poor-orphanage-with-26-children) to raise funds for the children’s new home The page instantly received a lot of interest, and had over 16,000 views. Within a week, RM100,000 was raised online on SimplyGiving (currently funds raised stands at RM166,616). Malaysians from all walks of lives and background have come together to support and generously donate to this cause. Many also offered other ways which they could help including architects working on a pro-bono basis to design a home that is fit for the children. Donations are continually coming in daily.

They need at least RM450,000 to rebuild a home for the children and the elderly that are in the care of Malaysian Lotus Charity Care Centre. Lotus has a small piece of corner terrace house land to build their new home on, but they do not have the money to start building it. The crowdfunding campaign on SimplyGiving has been a great start in helping them reach this number. “Helping a community in need is exactly why we’re here and what inspires our team!” says Nikki Kinloch, CEO of SimplyGiving. The SimplyGiving fundraising platform also makes it easier for people to pay with credit cards in anyone of thirteen currencies. Kinloch says, “The ease of donating is what is key here. Asking people to transfer money to your bank account is both time-consuming and risky. Using SimplyGiving’s platform quickens the process, removes the risk by being clear and transparent, and broadens the audience of potential donors.” To donate to Lotus, simply visit https://www.simplygiving.com/poor-orphanage-with-26-children. Help them reach their target and in fulfilling their dreams of having a loving new home.