ALOR STAR: Choy Foong Yee, 32, faced a heart-wrenching choice after her husband, Ch'ng Boon Li, died from Covid-19 three years ago.
The mother of two now raises her five-year-old son, Ch'ng Dinn Yang, while her seven-year-old daughter, Jie Xi, lives with Choy's mother in Kuala Lumpur.
"Life has been incredibly tough since my husband's passing," Choy, a clerk, said during a visit from Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia (YKM) chairman Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
"Balancing the care of my two young children alone has been challenging. I'm grateful my mother could take in my daughter, allowing me to focus on my son. However, it's difficult to be apart from her."
Choy's family is among the 6,000 children benefiting from YKM's monthly cash aid and annual school supplies, designed to support those who have lost parents to Covid-19.
"I'm deeply moved by the assistance from Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia.
"Their support lightens my load significantly," said Choy.
Ismail Sabri said the foundation's mission was to aid children who had lost one or both parents to the pandemic.
"YKM was established to support these children until they turn 18.
"If they pursue further education, we'll continue our support through to graduation. Many of these children are living with retired or unemployed grandparents and are not receiving other forms of financial aid," he said.
To date, YKM has helped around 1,000 children through its charity programmes.
Ismail Sabri said that the foundation required RM5 million annually to sustain its efforts.
"We are grateful for the federal government's and donors' support. We are also promoting the Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia Run on Sept 29 in Cyberjaya to raise additional funds for these deserving children," he said.