EIGHT MORE DAYS TO HAPPINESS!
That's probably what's going on right now in the minds of some 25-odd disabled and
elderly persons as they eagerly anticipate what Petpositive has in store for them come
Tuesday morning next week.
It's being called the Valentina Project (VP) - a unique initiative cleverly and jointly designed by the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong, Selangor.
The experience in FRIM promises to be one that's full of jungle adventures as well as encounters with heartwarming animals.
People with all types of disabilities and the elderly together with their caregivers, friends and even pets, will be taking part.
They will be joined by an army of volunteers. The entire group will comprise about 70 persons.
It's time now to briefly meet the forces behind The Valentina Project:
(Kindly click on the images to make them bigger)
- LYNDA MERICAN's great big smile says everything.
Born in the UK and now happily married to a Malaysian husband, the mother to two handsome boys joined Petpositive shortly after our Society's Charity and Fundraising Dinner last July.
She is now Petpostive's Special Adviser and Special Events Coordinator.
More importantly, Lynda is the Captain-in-charge of the Valentina Project. Also actively involved in other charities like Salaam Wanita, she is often able to see the bigger picture in our planning when some of us fail to.
Lynda doesn't just see into the disabled and elderly person's needs but she is also mindful of the many able-bodied volunteers who will be present at our function.
Lynda was instrumental in getting a local international school from Kuala Lumpur to send 15 young volunteers to help us out at the VP. (Look out for that story and pictures coming soon in another blog)
Before she joined Petpositive, she was able to get special funding for our VP activity from the Association of British Women in Malaysia where she served as Charity Coordinator - a post she held for the past two years until April this year.
She recently confessed to this blogger that working on the VP has been a lot of fun for her.
"I have had the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people who all have the same passion to improve the quality of life for all living things; whether they are people with disabilities, animals or plants!" Says Lynda.
"Through our VP we hope to bring all three together to make one great day out," she adds.
"I hope that each participant and volunteer will at the end of the event go away with some new experiences and memories that they will cherish.
"I also hope that the day will help reduce the barriers that have developed between man, animal and our environment," she concludes.
Lynda has two dogs, Cola the Alsatian and Abby, the Dalmatian.
The spotted female canine who is wonderful with people will make a "guest-appearance" at the VP.
2) aNt: That's me! (Not the handsome devil in the photograph but the three letters you see after the numerical two)
I'm what you could call the fire-breathing, no-nonsense, slave-driving, honcho in Petpositive.
And it's been a wonderful learning experience for me too just planning for the event.
The people that I'm working with now from Lynda to everyone else that you are going to read about in the next few days until our great event are simply the best, as Tina Turner puts it in her best-selling song.
They have no personal ambitions or "hidden agendas" as they say over the upcoming VP.
All they want to do is to make about 25 disabled and elderly people have a chance to do something that they've never done before.
That's it. Plain and simple!
And that's why I love this group so much. They're incredibly dedicated to people and pets too.
Every planning meeting turns out to be loads of fun, despite the occasional disagreements we might have. And that's also probably because all of us feel so passionately about the VP that we can't stop ourselves from trying to be perfectionists in what we do.
How's that for a great bunch?
Enough about me and my rantings.
The cute face you saw in the photograph earlier with the droopy ears is sporting on that mischievous look again.
He does that whenever he spots something which he wants to give it a good chase.
It's really going to be tough for me to keep him with me as a full-fledged service dog should a tree shrew or eagle fall out of the sky - or even something more bigger and menacing (I can hope, can't I) starts to dart across us in the wild?
Well, if anything like that happens, I'll be the first to tell you about that in this blog.
By the way guys, I need to tell you that only those who've already registered for our FRIM event are invited to turn up that day. The invitation is now CLOSED.
We thought of working with a small group first before working with more disabled and elderly people in future.
The good news, however, is that we're planning to do the same thing again in the first quarter of 2008.
This time it will be geared for kids with disabilities.
If you want to join us as a volunteer or know of disabled applicants who would benefit from such a programme, get in touch with us, will you?
Finally, I end this blog with a photograph of a brand new and shining wheelchair that popped up from nowhere in the front door of my home a couple of hours ago.
Actually, two medical professors of a nearby hospital were the "culprits". After reading a message in our blog asking for wheelchairs, these kind angels went out and got us one.
They also made it a point to make it a special and personal delivery! They came with their young son.
What a delightful surprise - the lengths to which people would go to for the sake of other peoples' happiness. I am deeply touched.
These great guys, however, have forbidden me from revealing their identities to you, except to say that it is a gift from "two well-wishes". (True to my naughty self as usual, I broke part of that deal to at least telling you that they are medical professors)
Thanks dear doctors. Petpositive really appreciates what you both did.
By the way, to the rest of you: we still need wheelchairs if you have any. Even used or old ones will do - as long as they are in working condition.
Here's the wheelchair (below). It costs RM1, 400. A good buy for the money, certainly as its parts are detachable. It is also a lightweight wheelchair.
TOMORROW: Meet the FRIM experts who came up with the brilliant idea to make nature accessible to the handicapped.
Ciao!
aNt
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