It is the season to give and be merry with your loved ones and neighbours as you gather to celebrate another year gone by and enjoy the holidays.

However, not everyone is as fortunate as you and some are in dire need of aid just to get by.

This December, open your hearts and extend a hand to the less fortunate through participating in the Back to School Programme organised by the PT Foundation.

With the aim of improving the quality of life and wellbeing of HIV infected and affected children, the programme provides them with psycho-social support, academic mentoring and welfare assistance.

The psycho-social support provided by the PT Foundation comes in the form of counselling while the welfare aspect kicks in when the foundation helps individuals with documentation problems.

On the academic side of things, volunteers at the foundation teach children the basics of reading, spelling and writing.

Other than that, teenagers are assisted with career pathways and after-school education.

The PT Foundation hopes to break the poverty cycle suffered by many individuals infected and affected by HIV by providing education to children.

This year, the foundation is requesting donations of stationery that are vital to providing some 40 children with a complete education, namely pencil boxes, rulers, glue, liquid paper, drawing blocks, colour pencils and watercolour sets.

In addition, with the need to prepare children in the use of electronics through the establishment of an e-learning centre, the foundation is in need of three personal computers and one laptop as well as exercise books and storybooks.

The foundation is also open to accepting monetary donations, and the general public is encouraged to donate RM40 per student.

Founded in 1987 as a telephone counselling service for HIV/AIDS and sexuality issues, the PT Foundation has since grown to become one of the leading non-governmental organisations in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The foundation also runs a clinic that provides treatment and medication to HIV/AIDS patients.

Previously known as Pink Triangle, the foundation is a community-based social enterprise that provides technical help, support and care to individuals and families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Speaking to FMT, Raymond Tai, Acting Chief Operations Officer of PT Foundation said, “Everything that we do focuses on HIV/AIDS. The ultimate goal is to reduce HIV/AIDS infection and transmission.”

“That means we want to do a lot more prevention work, raise awareness and move people to get tested.”

As an NGO, the PT Foundation has to depend on public donations and corporate funding to stay afloat and continue their good work, and in addition, public support is also needed in the form of volunteers and interns.

In addition to helping communities affected by HIV/AIDS, the PT Foundation strives to improve awareness among the general public.

He emphasised that whether they are aware of it or not, many Malaysians know someone who has HIV/AIDS and as fellow Malaysians, all should strive to treat them with the same dignity and respect afforded to everyone else.

“That’s yet another myth about HIV. That it is something that happens to other people and that it won’t happen to me,” says Tai.

The danger of assuming that HIV is something that can only be passed on among certain groups of people and not the general public can result in people letting their guard down.

Everyone is at risk, explained Tai, and stigmatisation will only make matters worse and will not help in any way.

FMT also spoke with Dr Rabiathul Badariah, 2nd Chance programme manager, who says there has been a substantially positive response from the public in the number of volunteers who help out in the foundation’s programmes.

She said that the programmes organised by the foundation are aimed not only at children who are infected by HIV but also HIV-free children who have infected parents.

“We have teenagers, we have working people from different sectors, government workers and housewives and even foreigners who volunteer.”

HIV infected and affected children are frequently subjected to discrimination stemming from misconceptions about HIV.

She said regarding these misconceptions, “People know how HIV spreads, but it is just fear that continues to linger on.”

With the closing date for donations being December 15, 2019, find a place in your heart to extend help to a good cause.

For more information, contact the PT Foundation at [email protected] or WhatsApp Dr Rabiathul at 012-3148612.