An unforgettable experience (CUPIP)

Children of the Urban Poor Iron Project (CUPIP) is a micronutrient supplementation project organised by the Paediatric Department of University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). I have attended CUPIP twice as a volunteer in Lembah Subang People Housing Project (PHP), and at both times, I gained new insights and volunteering experiences that I have never encountered myself after numerous times volunteering in St. John Ambulance Malaysia and Tzu Chi Foundation. People Housing Program (PHP) is a government effort to provide decent houses to low-income earners. It was introduced since February 2002 and was intended to be rented to the target group at RM124.00 per month.

5km away on road, we saw a collective of tall buildings, all closely packed to each other. PPR Lembah Subang have eight-block 17-storey flats, from A to H. There were a community hall and a small field enclosed by Block A, B, and C. The community hall served as our base as we went around and met families who were willing to speak and participate in our project.

Figure 1: Community hall is enclosed by block A, B and C.

As we moved discreetly towards the corridor of Block B, we were welcomed with an overwhelming stench. The day was bright and sunny, yet upon entering the corridor, darkness enveloped us with minimal light penetration allowed. It was dark and damp, with water trickling down the moss-covered concrete walls; rubbish-filled and mounted at corners, with some left wasted in the drains. Such poor living conditions truly left me appalled.

I remembered the interactive moments with a family vividly during my first home visit. Walking out of the lift, we heard screams of a child in rage and frustration. The poor child was desperate to go out, but his young mother refused to allow him, not wanting her child to be endangered by others, thus she had closely kept him in within the roughly 600 square foot flat. While Prof Dr. Lucy was taking blood from the child, we used smartphones and toys to try to distract the child. The blood specimen is used to access the child’s serum ferritin, C-reactive protein, and reticulocyte haemoglobin levels. Each family was also given dietary micronutrient supplementation packets lasting up to 3 months before the next visit. Our sole savior in comforting the crying child was the Baby Shark song. We also took anthropometric measurements to access his growth development. Prof Dr. Lucy also examined the child and, he was found to have a staphylococcal infection on his scalp. During my second visit, I later found out this particular family was uncontactable and they have moved out from PPR Lembah Subang.

Figure 2: My friends and I interacting with the children during my first home visit.

During my second visit, we carried out the assessments needed in the community hall. Upon registration of the families, the children’s history was taken at the second station. Subsequently, weight, height, and head circumferences were taken. Next, the blood taking station handled by medical personnel, and the last station was to retrieve the micronutrient supplementation packets. I was delighted to see families who I had seen during my first visit. There was a considerably chubby girl beforehand, several months after she was slim and her BMI fell under the normal range. After taking the dietary history, we noticed a similar dietary pattern amongst the residents. Most feed their children biscuits, sausages, rice, and a minimal amount of protein with little to no vegetable or fruits. I was saddened to see some children were thin and scrawny; I came into realisation that the real luxury is having the choice in what we eat. The Paediatric Department of UMMC also prepared cans of baked beans to be given out to the residents.

Figure 3: Community hall set-up during my second visit.

Figure 4: My friends and I taking head circumference measurement of a child while distracting him with a measuring tape

My second visit to Lembah Subang was not as eventful as the first but throughout both visits, I have learned how to take a child’s head circumference measurement accurately, take a dietary Hx, and delved into a part of the world that I was not aware of. At the end of my second visit, I found out that every month there were at least two individuals who died by suicide in PPR Lembah Subang. Many of the residents in PPR Lembah Subang 1 comprised of the B40 group with a monthly household income of less than RM2k. The residents are also more susceptible to health problems due to the dirty and deplorable living conditions.

Coming from a middle-class family, I was comfortable and was never troubled whether there was food on the table. I had access to education, additional classes such as art and music. I never had to complain about no wi-fi or trying to steal my neighbours’ wi-fi. Looking back, I am indeed fortunate. The invaluable encounter with the residents and children in PPR Lembah Subang 1 has broadened my horizons, and I intend to continue involving myself in voluntary work. As Mahatma Gandhi once said – the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.