GCH Retail Accepts PBS Trainees

All 6 trainees who underwent 7-10 days training at various outlets have passed the evaluation and will be employed full time by GCH Retail. Indeed, this is a proud moment for them, as well as for us and their parents. Whereas once we all thought there was little hope of any of our trainees becoming gainfully employed outside of our centre, today these 6 learning disabled people showed that, putting in sufficient effort and not giving up, any learning disabled person can become employed given the opportunity. These 6 dignified people now rank with their other colleagues in carrying out their work, earning the same salaries and enjoying the same terms and conditions of service.

Who says that self-reliance is a term that only belong to the abled and normal persons? Now that these 6 have shown that they can become BERDIKARI too. Thank you GCH Retail for making it possible.

Updates

Shiraz and Khairi have been transferred to the Ampangan Giant outlet. Ying Heng passed his medical and have joined Yoga and Poh Leong at the Terminal 1 Giant outlet. Mee Ling continues at Terminal 1 Guardian outlet. They are are doing well.

We have today opened our banking account at Public Bank, Rasah Branch. From next month we will begin to make receipts and payments through the Persatuan account, effectively activating its work.

PBS Trainees Doing Well in Giant

I did a spotcheck on Yoga, Shiraz, Poh Leong and Khairi at Terminal 1 Giant outlet this afternoon, and later on Mee Ling at Terminal 1 Guardian outlet. Contrary to any anxieties we may have, they are doing quite well and stand very good chance of being absorbed into full employment there. Tomorrow Ying Heng who passed his medical exam will join them.

This morning at PBS I feel the other trainees are spotting tiny wings. The example of the trainees who were selected are giving courage to the others to attempt to fly away and explore the world outside the safe walls of PBS.

Successful Trainees Getting Ready to Leave

The Day PBS Trainees Went to Work

Today is a watershed day for us in PBS. Perhaps I should say for those successful trainees who are accepted into the GCH Retail programme of recruiting disabled people to work in their outlets. I remember some time in May this year when Mr. Nesan of GCH Retail spoke to the trainees and said that he wanted to see how many would qualify to work for Giant supermarket and Guardian pharmacy, almost every hand went up. It showed how keen PBS trainees were to find jobs outside. It showed they were mentally prepared to leave. Unfortunately only those who can withstand the rigors of a 'normal' world and passed a health check would be recruited. The final hurdle will be they successfully passing the training given at their job locations.

We thank Simon Hay and Carol Lina for their efforts in taking these trainees under their supervision and we wish all the trainees selected will meet the training requirements and be able to adapt to their new work environment and not be discouraged and want to return to us. For that some of our staff and volunteers will visit them and help these trainees adapt. Except for Mee Ling who will be posted to the Seremban Parade Guardian outlet, the other male trainees will be at the Terminal 1 Giant outlet.

Impressions: Betsi our trainer who accompanied the trainees out gave a very positive assessment of how the trainees conducted themselves. Except for one who needed some adjustment the rest fitted in nicely and should be able to be gainfully employed.


A group picture of selected trainees with Giant and PBS staff

PBS trainees dressed ready for work with Simon and Carol of GCH Retail

Posing outside PBS where some have worked for many years

Getting into a car for deployment to their respective work outlets

Fund Raised Exceeded Target!

We were very happy that we raised more than the RM50,000 target for the work of the Persatuan. The final figure has not been audited but it will be above RM60,000 which include funds raised through the Partnership Program. Praise God for the tremendous support from all the people who gave generously and willingly. This encourages us to look at another find raising effort in a few years.

Approval Obtained

Approval was obtained from the church executive committee yesterday to close Pusat Berdikari Seremban by the end of 2008, transfer some fund to Persatuan to open a banking account, and to donate the rest of the monies and assets held by PBS to the Persatuan subject to an internal audit first. From September we expect Persatuan to begin running the centre as PBS goes into a dormancy state pending closure.