Villa Maria Bulletine

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PKGS is well into the second half of 2008 and it is time to take stock of significant events
that have taken place in the first half of the year. Much has happened in PKGS since
our last e-bulletin in Jan08.
The term of office of the PKGS Board of Governors came to an end in January 2008.
We thank the previous Board Members for their invaluable contribution to PKGS during
their two year term 2006 / 2007 which saw the organization going through a
consolidation of its services, the implementation of a central coordinating
administrative office and streamlined policies and procedures. PKGS is indeed very
grateful to each member of the Board for their expertise, dedication and commitment
in ensuring that the restructuring exercise progressed smoothly.
Many of the articles in this e-bulletin speak of Good Shepherd Partnership fostered and
deepened between agencies, corporations and individuals from different walks of life
for the benefit of people who are less fortunate and in need of opportunities for a
better future. As an organization, we have embraced Good Shepherd Partnership as a
means to be more effective and efficient in our Mission. There is no looking back.
PKGS extends its heartfelt gratitude to all our partners who have collaborated with us in
our works, in big and small ways. We appreciate each one of you. The partnerships
established will be bridges for us to cross over and stand by the side of those who are
less fortunate and living in poverty.
Gratitude is the Memory of the Heart… gratitude is the memory of our hearts!
Theresa Symons,Theresa Symons,Theresa Symons,Theresa Symons, Executive Director
Introducing the ew PKGS Board of Governors…
The new Board comprise of 5 lay partners and 2 Good Shepherd sisters from the
Province Leadership Team. Together with Srs. Susan Chia and Joan Lopez, the lay
partners on the Board are Rajeswari Karupiah (new), Lau Beng Long (new), Phoon Soon
Keong (re-appointed), Joy Appukuttan (re-appointed), Magdalene Han (re-
appointed). This new Board brings with it many years of experience in social work and
Pusat Kebajikan Good ShepherdPusat Kebajikan Good ShepherdPusat Kebajikan Good ShepherdPusat Kebajikan Good Shepherd…………eeee----bulletinbulletinbulletinbulletin
Sep 2008 / Issue No 4
For internal circulation only

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the corporate sector, a combination which will compliment existing leadership
capacity in PKGS’ various services.
“Courage! How many persons will owe their lives to your sacrifices.”
St. Mary Euphrasia
Rose Virginie Good Shepherd Centre (RVGSC), Ipoh
2008 is an exciting year for RVGSC.
The Centre welcomed Beatrice Lim as the Administrator cum Programme
Coordinator on 19May08. This is a timely partnership as Sr. Kelly Ngai, the
former Programme Coordinator cum Counselor, left for a new posting in
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Plans are in the pipeline to upgrade the services provided by RVGSC. It hopes to start
renovations to its premises by the fourth quarter of this year. Renovation plans are:
To have proper kitchen with facilities for Micro Enterprise Project for the residents of
the Centre. Currently RVGSC’s kitchen is a makeshift arrangement which was
formerly the verandah at the side of the
Centre. Through the Micro Enterprise
Project, RVGSC hopes to equip the
residents with some skills so that they
may have better job opportunities
when they leave the Centre. 60% of
the gross profits are channeled back to
the residents, providing them with
financial support as they reintegrate
back into society. With the enlarged facilities, RVGSC also hopes to provide job
opportunities for past residents to work towards self-sufficiency.
We are grateful to our corporate partner, Hong Leong Foundation, which has
graciously provided funds for the proposed renovation works to the kitchen. A full
report of the funding can be read from Hong Leong Foundation’s website
http://hongleongfoundation.org.

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To have a workroom for other skill based micro-enterprise programmes such as
needlework, handicraft, sewing etc.
To upgrade the facilities so that women and their children experiencing domestic
violence may be properly accommodated.
To have two counselling rooms not just for clients but as an outreach counseling
service
To have a study room for residents who are children and youths
To have a play room for the children of our residents
To have a proper storage room for Heart Gift Shop
To have separate living quarters for staff
Besides Hong Leong Foundation, we are also very grateful to City Ballet Academy for
the funds raised through its Anniversary Ballet Performance in November last year and
to an individual donor who has pledged some funds.
“Be steady, faithful to your plans, generous.
In this way, you will be capable of great works.”
St. Mary Euphrasia
Teenage Centre (TC), Ampang, Selangor
The Teenage Centre and PKGS HQ participated in the World Social Work Day Exposition
on 19 April 2008 at the Sunway Piramid, Subang Jaya. This event was organized by the
Malaysian Association of Social Workers (MASW) to create public awareness of the
various social work NGOs in the country.
For PKGS, our presence at the Expo was made possible by the coming together of
various services within the organization and our partners… an example of Good
Shepherd Partnership in action.
The booth was set up jointly by 11 management trainees from CIMB Bank Berhad and
staff of PKGS HQ. Cookies and peanuts from Rose Virginie Good Shepherd Centre, Ipoh
and handicraft from Seri Murni Crisis Centre, Kota Kinabalu were sold at the booth.

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The TC girls performed two cultural dances (Indian and Malay) for the event. They were
trained one month prior to the event by two dance teachers, Mr. Ramani and Mrs. Rani
who have been volunteers at the TC for the past 17 years! On the
day of the Expo, two professional make-up artists, friends of Christine
Chua - a volunteer at TC, lend us their expertise to ensure that our
girls were ready for the stage. Our gratitude to all who helped to
make this event possible.
In the move to develop non-residential
programmes, Sr. Angeline Lau has
conducted 5 outreach programmes from
March to June to youths, young adults
and parents from various church groups
on ‘Basic Facilitation Skills’ and talks on
‘Sexuality’. Number of participants for
the sessions ranged from 14 to 127. She
also teamed up with PS the Children for sessions on personal safety skills for children at
two primary schools.
Sr. Laurina, the Centre’s Counselor, has also been extending her services to non-
residents. She currently has 33 non-residential clients comprising of parents and
teenagers.
TC welcomes the return of Sr, Salomi, the Residential Manager, who has been away for
three months. Together with her, the Centre’s Management Team will be exploring
ways to improve its services and increase the number of its residential clients.
“Our existence is a chain of miracles.
It is God alone who makes us prosper.”
St. Mary Euphrasia
Standing from left: Christine Chua, Mrs. Rani,
the girls, Alona (staff), and Caecilia.
Front row from left: Irenie (staff), the two make
up artists and Sr. Salomi

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Seri Murni Crisis Centre (SMCC), Kota Kinabalu
SMCC welcomed Sr. Kelly Ngai as its
Programme Coordinator cum Counselor on 11
May 2008. With this appointment, Sr. Angelina
Peter has been able to devote more time to
the Mobile Women’s Enrichment Programme in
rural villages and other outreach activities to
youths in colleges and schools.
Being the only crisis centre in Kota Kinabalu serving women in pregnancy crisis and
women and their children experiencing domestic violence, this Centre is very often at
full capacity of 12 residents. At times, in response to crisis situations, the Centre has
exceeded this maximum capacity. SMCC realizes the urgent need to renovate the
Centre to increase its capacity and upgrade its services. Renovation plans include:
Construction of extra rooms to increase its capacity to 20 residents
Provision of a separate wing for those in pregnancy crisis and those suffering from
domestic violence, allowing more privacy for the respective residents
Expansion of the lounge area for to accommodate the increased residents
Construction of additional bathrooms and toilets
Expansion of current office space
SMCC is very grateful to its corporate partner, Sabah Credit Corporation,
for funding the renovation works which are expected to be completed
by December 2008.
“See how many graces the good God showers on us!”
St. Mary Euphrasia
Good Shepherd Rural Training Centre (GSRTC), Pukak, Sabah
Usage of the Training Centre has been progressively gaining momentum over the last
few months with programmes conducted for the children, youths and women from Kpg
Pukak and the surrounding villages.
Outreach to college students

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Villagers from Kpg. Pukak at the Training Centre
Youth Leadership Camp
Joint Holiday Camp: Asrama Desa Pukak & Asrama Gereja St James

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GSRTC Resource Centre
Good Shepherd Partnership swung into action for the set up of the GSRTC Resource
Centre. Gloria Bon (JPSM Contact Person), Joanne Lee (PKGS Administrator), Shreen
Xavier and Julie (volunteers) flew in from KL to the Training Centre in Pukak for this task.
They worked till midnight sorting out books, wrapping them and arranging them on
shelves, ready for use. Our deepest gratitude to this dynamic team for their
contribution to the rural community in Pukak!
The Resource Centre opened its doors on Monday 21Jul08 to the children from the
village. Thereafter the Centre opened every Monday and Wednesdays from 11am to
4pm. The response was overwhelming! On the first day, 35 children from pre-school to
Std. 6 came. On the second day, attendance leaped to 45 children! Currently, there
are about 50 children for each session.
Poh Choo, Director of PKGS (Sabah) has this to say: “For me the most beautiful thing about
this Centre is really serving the community irrespective of religion. We had Muslim girls who
were 10 & 12 years old coming with their headscarves, SDA kids were all around the place and
so were the Catholics and other Christian denominations such as the SIB's. It was very uplifting
for me personally that the community saw the Resource Centre as theirs.”
Congratulations, Poh Choo and Benny for a job well done! Benny is now assisted by
two part time staff from the nearby villages, Bibi and Jolly – a step towards nurturing
greater local community involvement.

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“Let the holy joy of the children of God dwell in your hearts”
St. Mary Euphrasia
It’s time for Creative Arts… all the
children are absorbed in completing
their coloring assignment
They love playing with the
flash cards … a test of
their memory!
Jolly helping the pre-school
children with their work
The older children trying their
hand at Still Life painting

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ew Employment for PKGS (Sabah)
We welcome Benny Wong as a staff to PKGS (Sabah) with effect 1 April
2008. Benny is currently the Coordinator of GSRTC. She oversees the
Training Centre including the running of programmes every Monday and
Wednesday for the Resource Centre.
We also welcome Denis Patrick as a Youth Coordinator for
PKGS (Sabah). Denis joined us on 1 July 2008 and is the first male staff to
be employed in the organization. He takes over from Sr. Jossie Sili, who in
currently doing her Diploma in Counseling at the University Kebangsaan
Malaysia.
We welcome back Emilia Simon Ho, who was away on a one year study
leave at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia. She returns to PKGS
(Sabah) with a Diploma in Counseling and is currently the Programme
Coordinator of Asrama Gereja St James Tenghilan, a position previously
held by Sr. Jossie Sili.
Asrama Desa Pukak (ADP) and Asrama Gereja St James Tenghilan (AGSJ)
Good Shepherd Partnership takes a step further in ADP and AGSJ. With effect 1
September 2008, both these hostels will be managed by lay staff, who will report
directly to the Director of PKGS (Sabah). As Sr. Imelda Sikul assumes a new role within
the Congregation, she will take on a supervisory role at ADP and AGSJ and continue to
share her many years of experience in hostel management with the lay
staff.
ADP will be managed by Dora Lansin, the Programme Coordinator and
Julie Jude Kanun, the Matron. Both Dora and Julie have been trained into
their roles by Sr. Imelda Sikul. Working with Emilia in AGSJ is
Jarin Lansin, who has been the matron for the last three years. For the
staff and residents of ADP and AGSJ, this is a time of transition for all. We
wish them all the best as they compliment each other in their respective
roles.

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PKGS Sabah is indeed very grateful to corporate and individual collaborators - World
Vision Malaysia, Technip Geoproduction (M) Sdn Bhd, parents and students of
Villamaria Good Shepherd Kindergarten and individual benefactors - who have
contributed towards the operating cost of ADP for 2008 and part of 2009.
AGSJ thanks individual benefactors who have sponsored the education and cost of
residential stay of some of its residents.
As part of its Pay-It-Forward initiative, both the hostels will stage a
Variety Concert entitled “Gift of Hope – Pass It On” on Saturday, 13
December 2008 at the KDCA Hall. There will be a special appearance
by The Fireflys from Singapore which will feature a number of
interesting dance performances using fire. 60% of the proceeds from
this Variety Concert will go towards providing educational
opportunities for rural children from Kpg. Nibang in Pitas, where people
live in extreme poverty and are greatly in need of financial assistance.
PKGS is deeply appreciative of the members of the Working
Committee of this project, mainly by lay partners who are interested in
making a difference in the lives of people who are less priviledged.
We are also appreciative to a group of lay partners who have been
working closely with the children from April 2008 to prepare them for
the Variety Show.
Tickets will be on sale from 1 October 2008. We look forward to your support of this Pay-
It-Forward initiative by the children of ADP and AGST.
“Let us love and have compassion for persons in need.
Love, console and encourage these suffering ones.”
St Mary Euphrasia

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Family Building and Reconciliation
The objectives of the Family Building and Reconciliation (FBR) programmes are to build
and empower families to be strong, resilient and mature in all aspects. Besides Kota
Kinabalu, FBR has also spread its wings to Keningau and Sandakan. To date, Sr. Maria
Dipal and her team of volunteer speakers have conducted two programmes in
Sandakan, four programmes in Keningau, two programmes in Labuan and one
programme in Pukak. These 3-day programmes were well received with attendance
ranging from 30 participants to 180 participants.
We congratulate Sr. Maria and her team for a job well done in reaching out to families.
“Love is our banner”
St. Mary Euphrasia
Kemabong, Keningau
Chinese speaking group in
Sandakan with
Agnes from PKGS HQ, as
the facilitator

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Values Formation Session
A values formation session was facilitated by Theresa Symons and Chin Poh Choo for
staff of PKGS (Sabah) on 17 & 18 August 2008. The objective of the session was to
deepen the understanding of the core values that drive the organization which would
ultimately influence the service delivery levels of all staff members.
The session started with an introduction of Saint Mary Euphrasia, the
Founder of the Congregation of the Good Shepherd Sisters. Stories
told of her reflected her audacity, boldness and zeal in reaching out
to persons, especially women and children, in need. All affirmed that
the Good Shepherd Mission, lived out in our services, is still very
relevant in today’s context.
This was followed by understanding the PKGS Code of Ethics and Conduct based on
the Founding Charism and Core Values of the organization. The staff have these to
share: “I now have a deeper understanding of my role in helping the girls in the hostel”, “It
makes sense why I am told not to do certain things”, “I will use the Code as my guideline in
performing my duties”.
The two day session ended with the staff from the various services commencing with
the initial formulation of Standard Operating Procedures based on the Founding
Charism and Core Values.
“Our unity is like a river gently flowing, watering our land with blessings.”
St Mary Euphrasia

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Outreach to Pitas
In our October 2007 e-bulletin, we shared about the plight of Sabahans living in extreme
poverty in the six rural villages of Nibang, Soniton Laut, Soniton Ulu, Samparita Laut,
Mongkobusu and Lokos. We recorded their cry for a better future. Among the list of
immediate priority needs, we are grateful to report that Sabah Credit Corporation
(SCC), through our e-bulletin, has expressed interest in funding the construction of a
hostel in the village of Nibang for primary school children.
On 3 June 2008, a visit was made to the village of Nibang with SCC for them to see the
place and explore funding possibilities. PKGS also brought in 200 bags of rations to be
given to the villagers who were in need. Since this initial visit, the various parties
involved have met a few times to finalize drawing plans of the hostel which can
accommodate about 50 students.
We had to traverse a swollen river on the last
leg of the journey. Picture shows the 4WD
with bags of rations.
Decision makers engrossed in discussion over the most suitable site for the hostel

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The hostel will also have a multi-purpose room which can be used as a counseling
room or small group study room or to accommodate NGOs on outreach programmes
to the area.
We are hopeful that once formal approval is received from SCC, the tender exercise for
this project can commence soon and construction of the first phase of the hostel can
complete this year before the start of the monsoon season in end
November/December. The management of the
proposed hostel will be undertaken by the
school authorities and village head.
“Have zeal for this mission, courage, confidence in God,
and above all, the hope of success”
St. Mary Euphrasia
Some of the children who
will benefit from the hostel

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Outreach to the Samod Daycare Centre in Kpg. Hobut, Matunggong
On 27th and 28th December 2007, 19 Good Shepherd Partners comprising sisters, lay
staff, benefactors, volunteers and friends visited the Samod Daycare Centre in Kpg.
Hobut, Matunggong as part of their Christmas outreach project. At that time, PKGS
funded the interim rehabilitation of the Daycare Centre which was in a dilapidated
state. The Centre was also badly in need of an extension to its existing premises,
complete with toilet facilities, that would be able to accommodate 40 children in a
more conducive learning environment.
We shared the plight of this Centre and its requirements with Sabah Credit Corporation
(SCC) and were delighted when it expressed interest to fund the Centre’s entire
extension work. Work has since commenced and is expected to be completed by end
September 2008. Once completed, the Centre will continue to be managed by the
villagers.
These pictures show work in progress as at 26 August 2008.
We are also delighted to share that the Samod Daycare Centre has a received a
pledge of SGD1,000 for the purchase of furniture / fittings / learning equipment from
Integrative Learning Corporation Pte Ltd’s (ILC) Growing Gift project on the occasion of
ILC’s15th Anniversary.
PKGS is grateful for being able to link funding corporations to projects in the rural areas
which will give those living in extreme poverty an opportunity for a better future.
“Each day there are new blessings.
Let us give thanks to God.”
St. Mary Euphrasia

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Mariaville ursery and Kindergarten, Ipoh
Kudos to Mariaville which raised a whopping RM46,083-80 for victims of cyclone Nargis
in Myanmar! The feat was accomplished
through the pooling together of resources in
partnership for those in need. Amount collected
from children and parents totalled RM4,392.05.
The rest were raised by teachers, family and
friends of Mariaville.
The school displayed newspaper cuttings and
photos of the devastation caused by the
cyclone on a special notice board at the school entrance. Teachers spoke to the
children about the tragedy and taught them how to care and share with others.
Appeal letters were sent to all parents, ensuring them the funds collected would directly
benefit the victims of the cyclone. Mariaville has these stories to share:
Mariaville had a joint Teachers and Parents Day celebration on 20 May 2008. To add
an air of festivity to the celebrations and
cultivate cross cultural appreciation among its
students, Mariaville invited Orang Asli dancers
from the Temiar tribe troupe. All enjoyed
themselves tremendously and also
participated in the dances. The children
presented to the Orang Asli a gift. Parents also
donated used clothes and foodstuffs. See
www.malaysiaupclose.blogspot.com for full report.
“Four year-old Wong Sze Yian was upset because she had noticed
that the child in the picture had no shoes on. She counted her coins
totaling RM16.25 in the school office and donated it all. Six-year-
old Lee Chong Ren cried because the people were hungry and had
no food to eat. Besides emptying out RM24.80 from his savings box
he said he will do more cleaning and sweeping of the porch for his
grandmother to earn some more money for Myanmar.”
“Four year-old Wong Sze Yian was upset because she had noticed
that the child in the picture had no shoes on. She counted her coins
totaling RM16.25 in the school office and donated it all. Six-year-
old Lee Chong Ren cried because the people were hungry and had
no food to eat. Besides emptying out RM24.80 from his savings box
he said he will do more cleaning and sweeping of the porch for his
grandmother to earn some more money for Myanmar.”

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Mariaville upgraded its facilities so that its children could better benefit from a more
conducive learning environment. The school building and roof received a new coat of
paint… the corridors were tiled… all outdoor play equipment were refurbished and
repainted… the toilets were renovated… electrical rewiring… a new roof went over the
water and sand play area so that children could play, away from the heat of the sun or
the pelting rain.
A new open concept hall, big enough to hold Mariaville’s population of 417 students
and a science garden are in the final stages of completion. These much needed
facilities will enhance the learning environment for Mariaville’s students. PKGS expresses
its gratitude to parents and teachers of Mariaville who have formed a Fund Raising
Committee to organize events that to help raise funds to finance part of the hall. We
wish the Committee all the best as it plans for a Food and Fun Fair on 12 October 2008.
“Our zeal must embrace the world!”
St Mary Euphrasia

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Villamaria Good Shepherd Kindergarten, Kuala Lumpur
On 23 April 2008, in conjunction with World Earth Day, Villamaria
organized a tree planting activity. Each child was given a sapling
to plant and nurture till it matures whilst each class took charge of
a vegetable plot. Within weeks, there were pumpkins, ladies
fingers, long beans etc. to be harvested. Besides teaching the
children to care for Mother Earth, they also celebrated their
success as junior ‘farmers’! See
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/4/26/central/21042006&sec=central for full
report.
The Sport Day, held on 24 May 2008, was a fun filled day of
drills, thrills, and spills! Children, parents and teachers
participated in various events and
thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

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Villamaria took pride in its team which participated in Sri KDU’s Kidz Spell competition on
9 August 2008. Participants comprised of 180 children from 26 pre-schools in the Klang
Valley. Villamaria was represented by four teams of three children each. One of our
teams survived the grueling five qualifying rounds to be proud finalists and subsequently
emerging as first runner-up out of 60 participating teams! They were stopped in their
sterling performance by the words A-U-B-E-R-G-I-N-E and H-I-P-P-O-P-O-T-A-M-U-S.
Congratulations to all who participated and to the teachers and parents who prepared
the children well… we are proud of each one of you!
See http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/24/education/1834123&sec=education
for full report.
“What may become of this person you accompany with love…
She (he) may become truly great. How beautiful is your mission!”
St. Mary Euphrasia
The winning team (from right): Yasmin,
Aqil and Keshmira with the Mrs Anthony,
the Principal, teachers and Twinkle, a
young supporter.

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