Daily life of squatters tough, more so for the elderly, says social activist

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A screenshot of a TikTok video uploaded by Ngu during a visit to Nenek Inchi and other families.

BINTULU (May 30): Living in a squatter area without proper water and electricity supply is a challenge made harder especially for the elderly, said local social activist Francis Ngu.

The founder of Extrameal Bintulu said in most cases, elderly squatters struggle not only to survive but doing so while taking care of younger family members.

“I’ve encountered all kinds of cases while distributing water, food and financial assistance to the needy especially at the squatter area. One of the cases that I managed involves ‘Nenek Inchi’ and her granddaughter,” he told The Borneo Post.

He said Nenek Inchi lives with four other families in an old abandoned house in the Tanjung Batu area, with a man known as ‘Apui’ who is suffering from mental illness.

“Usually I will send daily necessities to the five families every month but for Nenek Inchi, I will give her some money,” he said.

Ngu said for families living in a squatter settlement without basic amenities, the most important thing they need is drinking water.

For Nenek Inchi, he said the old woman also receives RM300 in monthly financial aid from the Sarawak Welfare Department.

According to Ngu, while distributing aid to these groups, he will always emphasise to them the need to prioritise their children’s education.

He said only with proper education, these young generations will be able to improve their living standards in the future.

“As long as they want to go to school to study and to improve their livelihood, we will provide necessary assistance,” Ngu said.

Spearheaded by a group of volunteers, the Extrameal Bintulu project has been helping to put food on the table for poor families.

Ngu started the project a few years ago, and many strapped households and impoverished children have since benefitted from the initiative.