SIBU: To be able to help the less fortunate is a dream come true for Methodist Care Centre chairman Kapitan Wong Hie Ching.

Wong, who is also the 4th National Early Childhood Intervention Conference (NECIC) local organising co-chairperson, said she became more determined to help make the world a better place for people with special needs after realising how wrong society had been perceiving them.

“In my younger days, I lived in the outskirts, and there, I saw how disabled people were despised by the society.

“A neighbour’s child who was born with disability was locked in the house most of the time because of the stigma attached to the child,” she lamented.

Wong said she had long wanted to offer herself to help the less fortunate.

On the three-day conference which started yesterday at Kingwood Hotel here, she said it was a good platform for her to learn more and improve herself as a leader in the area of caring for the needy.

That said, Wong believes it is still the family members of children with disabilities who have the most to contribute towards helping these children.

“The Agape Centre, for instance, can provide training and skills to help the children with special needs to grow and improve.

“But, parents have a greater role in the process.

“We need the cooperation from the parents.

“We are here to support the families and in turn, we want the families to do their part,” she said.

Wong also emphasised the importance of a conducive environment for children with special needs to learn and grow.

“Our Agape Centre provides the right environment. And, we have professionals and committed volunteers to help the children,” she said.