Melor with her grandchild looking out from the window of their home in Kampung Semariang Batu.
KUCHING (Aug 17): She was carrying her four-month-old grandchild when Melor Bengkok nearly lost her footing on the unstable bridge leading to her home.
The 47-year-old grandmother has not forgotten the incident, and is now afraid that one day she could fall while carrying the baby.
“I am afraid when I have to cross the bridge carrying the baby. I nearly lost my balance before. I keep thinking, what if I fall while carrying the baby?” she said.
The bridge is just one of several problems Melor faces at her home in Kampung Semariang Batu.
The roof leaks, parts of the floor are broken and some of the walls are damaged. One section of the wall is covered with cardboard boxes.
For Melor, who now spends most of her time looking after her grandchild, the condition of the house is a daily worry.
Before her grandchild was born, Melor worked full-time at a coffee shop and had a fixed income to support the family.
She had to stop working after the baby was born as there was no one else to take care of the child.
Melor walks across the unstable bridge leading to her home.
Her 20-year-old daughter has also been struggling emotionally since becoming a mother.
Melor said her daughter would sometimes become angry when the baby cried and was often away from home.
She suspects her daughter may be experiencing postnatal depression, although her daughter has not received a medical diagnosis.
With Melor having to stay home to care for the baby, the family is now relying on her youngest daughter, who is only 19, to work and help pay for their daily needs.
Melor said her youngest daughter had wanted to pursue a tailoring course but had to put those plans aside and start working to help the family.
“I know she has her own dream.
She wanted to study tailoring, but right now we need her to work and help the family,” Melor said.
The family recently began receiving assistance from Hope Place, which provides them with food rations every two months.
Melor said she was grateful for the assistance, which has helped the family with some of their basic needs.
But there are still things the family cannot manage on their own.
Melor said she urgently needed help to repair the bridge, as well as the leaking roof, broken floors and damaged walls.
She had previously appealed to the relevant parties for help with the repairs but was told that she did not qualify for assistance.
Melor ‘fixing’ the damaged section of the wall, which she has covered with cardboard boxes.
Without a job and with a baby to care for, Melor said she was unsure how she could afford the repairs herself.
“I am thankful for the food assistance from Hope Place. But I really hope someone can help us repair the bridge and the house. I am worried about the baby’s safety,” she said.
For Melor, the biggest worry is the bridge. Every time she carries her grandchild across it, she remembers how close she came to falling.
She hopes someone will be able to help make the bridge and the home safe before another accident happens.
Those who wish to help Melor and her family may contact Grifin at Hope Place on 013-567 2775 for more information.