Chi (left) briefing the press on the proposed project, along with Chiong (centre) and Wong.
KUCHING: Wishesland at Jalan Crookshank launched its fund raising campaign for the proposed ‘Wishes Garden for Wishesland’ project, to provide natural environment as the healing ground for Cerebral Palsy (CP) children.
President of Kuching and Samarahan Division Cerebral Palsy Association (Wishesland) Chi Poh Yung, said the landscape masterplan and details of the Wishes Garden are designed by Earthscape Inhabitant Sdn Bhd and the project would cost RM300,000.
The project would consist of three zones namely ‘Wishes Welcoming and Social Zone’, ‘Wishes Sensory and Play Zone’, and ‘Wishes Meditation cum Aromatherapy Zone’.
There will be an addition to the current five zones at Wishesland, said Chi, while stressing that each zone has its own functions and objectives to help Cerebral Palsy children in their healing process.
Once completed, it would become the first of its kind in the state to provide CP children and members of the public an avenue to relax their mind and body, as well as a place to share good times with their families.
“Our aim is to set up an environment surrounded by nature. We want to engage the natural environment of the surroundings, where great natural healing energy forms creating a healing ground for our children and parents.
“The core objectives of the Wishes Garden is to create an environment that stimulates and balances our children’s physical, cognitive and emotional growth, as well as to provide a platform for them and their family members to interact and share their feelings before or after the children had gone through the various activities in the centre,” he told a press conference yesterday.
He believed that with the inclusion of Wishes Garden in Wishesland, their children will be enlightened and inspired on their paths of recovery.
According to him, the Wishes Welcoming and Social Zone is designed with simplicity concept in mind including wheelchair accessibility requirements.
Simple introduction of Wishesland and relevant information about CP will also be displayed here.
In the Wishes Sensory and Play Zone, it introduces mud, lawn and sand areas for children to play as part of the sensory stimulation programmes.
The garden also includes elements such as different walking surfaces for those learning to walk with the aid of a walker or cane; differing planter heights for children learning fine motor control to sit or lean while doing simple gardening tasks; play structures that encourage and challenges the physical movement of the children.
Other outdoor facilities are slopes, steps, bridges, a range of walking surfaces and parallel bars to aid in physiotherapy.
The Wishes Meditation cum Aromatherapy Zone is designed with a place where children and family members can converse in a calm and aesthetic setting.
Specific planting design and park furniture in a semi-private setting will be designed for small groups of two to three family members to be together to share and care for one another.
There will be a series of beautiful and carefully selected sculptures with family-related theme displayed in the garden as well.
Chi said the construction cost of the Wishes Garden is RM300,000 and will be fully funded via public donation and adoption programmes by multi-national companies, both locally and internationally for the three zones.
“Every RM1 donated will represent one brick,” said Chi, adding the construction work for the welcoming and social zone will begin next month.
At the moment, they have less than RM10,000, he explained.
“But it is enough to start the construction work for the welcoming and social zone because that is our priority at the moment as it is very important to provide convenience to our children and their families because of the wheelchair accessibility design,” he said.
Currently, Wishesland comprises five zones namely ‘Physiotherapy zone’, ‘Daily Living Skills’, ‘Academic’, ‘Play Zone’, and ‘Wishes Fun Pool’ which has just completed at the cost of RM150,000.
He said the additional zone, Wishes Garden could be completed within a year if fully funded.
He also revealed Wishesland had managed to raise RM57,000 from its ‘Wishesland Charity Run for Chidlren’ in April this year.
“After deduction of expenses, we are left with RM37,000 nett income.
“This is used to cover the cost of our roofing amounting RM12,500, and heater for the fun pool amounting RM25,000,” he said.
He also expressed his gratitude to the state government for giving them a piece of land to build the Wishesland and also Welfare Department for their assistance.
Earthscape Inhabitant landscape architect Clarice Chiong and designer Dennis Wong were also present.
For those who want to donate and seek more information on Wishesland, call 082-252 210.