Author archives: Alice

It’s our last day at GIFT Foundation today. We will be heading back to Spokane, Washington in the next couple of days. The kids have bonded with Shane and it is really hard for him to say goodbye to them. Shane has established such a bond that these children love…

As a former flight stewardess, I have flown to Kuching numerous times but never stepped foot outside of the airplane. The idea of taking a short holiday to Borneo, sounds adventurous with a plan to go on a jungle trek. I’m fearful of what’s inside a rainforest…my early childhood experiences…

Over the course of a week, Shane and I had meet with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to discuss the plight of the Rohingya refugees in Malaysia, we provided first aids to the community, conducted exercise and relaxation classes and offered counseling services. Shane has made numerous calls…

This wedding is unlike what I would imagine for a romantic venue on a plantation… We have been invited to a Champa wedding, in fact all the GIFT Foundation Champa community has been invited. Filled with curiosity and excitement, Shane and I were bundled into a truck with Dr. Firdaus’…

Testing, engaging and celebrating. The Chinese New Year festivity is slowly mellowing down enabling us to visit Gift Foundation in Klang, Malaysia. The children have warmed up to Shane by now and jostled each other to be the first to “salam” him. “Salam” is a Malay word for hand gesture…

Shane and I are so thrilled to be back in Malaysia to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dog zodiac with my mom, sister and her family. On the eve of the new year, all of us (adults and children) were busy getting the house and garden cleaned…

Shane and I were introduced to Dr. Firdaus, founder of Gift Foundation to help assist her in getting her NGO organized. Situated in Klang village (kampung) area of Telok Gadong, Dr. Firdaus has turned her house and it’s surrounding land into a place of refuge for the poor and in…

This statement from the Kechara Soup Kitchen stands true in all aspects of the word. Shane and I had been given tours of this organization and it’s religious background. We’ve met with key people in the organization, discussed collaborations and tonight we joined another team to a different part of…

Unlike in the United States, homeless people in the capital city of Malaysia are rarely seen in broad daylight. In my ignorance, the city only has beggars and they are mostly foreigners, usually women in tattered clothing with a small child next to them. They usually have a spot on…