New home, new hope for Pitas fire victim
Afnah (second from right) receiving the keys to her new house from Harun (right), alongside the team of caring individuals.
KOTA KINABALU (June 1): The burdens of a woman who lost her husband, daughter, uncle, and home in a fire in Pitas last year were eased with the construction of a new house.
Mother of three, Afnah Tundan, 51, beamed with joy after receiving the keys to her new home from Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Pitas deputy chief Datuk Harun Ismail.
The house, built next to the site of her original home, was made possible through assistance from the Sabah State Welfare Foundation (YKNS) and several compassionate individuals.
Afnah described the support as a great blessing from Allah SWT.
'I am unemployed and rely on my two working daughters to support me and my youngest child who is still in school, so I couldn't afford to build a new house,' she said.
'After the tragedy, I had to stay at a family member's house, but now Allah SWT has answered my prayers through the kindness of noble people who made this new home a reality. I'd like to thank everyone involved, especially Datuk Harun Ismail, for initiating this assistance,' she added during the handover ceremony in Kampung Taka on May 31.
Harun, who is also the chief executive officer of the Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation (SOGDC), said approximately RM61,000 was spent on constructing the 500-square-foot house, which began in March.
He said YKNS allocated RM30,000 for the project, with the remaining cost covered by concerned individuals as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
The new home includes two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and basic amenities such as water, electricity, lighting and ceiling fans.
'Afnah's house is now fully ready for her and her children. We hope it brings a new ray of hope to their family,' Harun said.
In early August last year, a tragic fire in Kampung Taka claimed the lives of the SK Senaja headmaster, his 12-year-old daughter, and another family member, leaving Afnah without her loved ones and home.
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