Socso does its bit by getting raya clothes for 12 orphans

TAWAU: Joy radiated on the faces of the 12 orphans taken on a shopping trip to buy new raya clothes, which was organised by the Social Security Organisation (Socso), today.
All of them were taken to the BTC Textile Emporium and given the opportunity to choose their own favourite garments. They were accompanied by 20 Socso employees including Socso Prihatin Squad Unit executive officer, Ratna Palurui.
Ratna said the allocation for the Raya aid was from zakat collection of Socso members and distributed back to eligible beneficiaries.
"Last year, Socso implemented the distribution of basic needs programme in conjunction with Raya, this time we bought clothes," he said adding this year three eligible families of contributors received the Socso aid.
Meanwhile, Nurul Shazwina Natasha Edward, 13, said this was the first time she was celebrating Hari Raya Adilfitri without her father who died last year due to an electric shock.
"After father's death, other people accompanied us to buy raya clothes and the feeling was different, it was not the same as father being with us and helping to choose the garments," said the sixth of nine siblings.
Shazwina and her three other brothers, aged 10, 9 and 7, who were among the Socso aid recipients, came to the clothing store accompanied by her brother, Muhd Raffi, 25, to choose the clothes.
Muhd Raffi when met expressed his gratitude to Socso for helping to provide raya garments for his four younger siblings.
"After this, I only have to buy clothes for myself and two younger siblings in Form Six and Four while two more younger siblings who are in Kuala Lumpur can afford to buy their own clothes," said the chef at Hotspring Park here with a smile.
Muhd Raffi, who looks after his six siblings, lives in Kampung Pasir Putih with their uncle after his father, a former contractor with Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, died while his mother had remarried.
Meanwhile, Suhaina Mussi, 34, a widow, whose husband Syabturani Abd Halim had died of cancer earlier this year, said Socso had brought a ray of raya happiness to her four children, aged one to 10 years old, when they were taken to buy new raya clothes. — Bernama