SUNGAI PETANI: Eight members of a family sleep in a room at the back of a shoplot but there is only one mattress. R. Amesh, 37, stays here with his wife and six children.

The mattress is mainly for the use of his 13-year-old son A. Gunalan who is blind and physically challenged. He has never been to school. The rest sleep on the floor.

The room is quite bare with only a television, a standing fan and a metal rack where they place their clothes. The kitchen has the bare minimum and a washing machine.

A car wash, which Amesh operates, takes up the rest of the shoplot in Bedong.

Unfortunately, the car wash is bringing very little income to him.

“On a good day, I have a few cars coming in so I can earn more. Sometimes, I have only motorcycles to wash from Monday to Thursday.

“I charge RM5 per motorcycle and RM15 onwards per car. On average, I earn around RM600 monthly which is not enough to feed my family,” he said yesterdaywhen met at the shoplot.

His wife stays home to care for the children aged between nine and 19.

Amesh said he usually buys several dishes for their main meal. However, they make do sometimes with only white rice.

“My 13-year-old son only drinks milk. We buy milk powder when our financial situation allows it but we substitute with condensed milk occasionally.

“We cope with two meals a day and at times, only one meal a day,” said Amesh.

Earlier, Gurun MCA coordinator Datuk Boey Chin Gan and several sponsors visited the family to hand over items including schoolbags, mattresses, pillows and diapers for Gunalan.

Boey said the family was planning to move out from the shoplot in a couple of days and was looking for new accommodation.

He urged Amesh to look for another job as two of his children were still in school and another in kindergarten.

“I visited them a few months ago after I learned about their situation.

“We hope the aid will alleviate their burden, especially with school starting soon,” he said.

Also visiting the family were other sponsors and chairman of Jerai Indian Social Services M. Palaniappan. He can be reached at 014-3955962.

-The Star-