Joining friends in JARO for Raya

 

Every year, JARO, the shortform for Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation, hosts festive celebrations with their staff in a calendar of social events like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and the International Day for the Disabled.

 

The awning structure constructed adjacent to
the staff canteen at the JARO building

While their Chinese New Year celebrations were usually hosted at the New York Hotel, generously sponsored by the hotel management, the other annual celebrations were held in the JARO premises.

 

After the JARO building was upgraded with a meeting hall, an elevator and a spacious staff canteen, the in-house celebrations were then held in the staff canteen with an adjacent dining section set up under a temporary tent.

 

I am a friend of JARO and always try to attend their celebrations. So when I arrived at the staff canteen for the Raya celebration, I was warmly welcomed by JARO Chairman, Dato Jimmy Low Boon Hong, and JARO General Manager, Joseph Roy Arputham.

 

Dato Jimmy Low helping to serve the
dishes to the JARO staff at the Raya buffet

As we exchanged greetings and pleasantries, it struck me that we were no longer standing under a temporary canopy adjacent to the staff canteen but now it was a permanent structure, constructed complete with lighting and ceiling fans.

 

The gentlemen were pleased to inform me that the awning project with lights and fans were recently completed, generously sponsored by Daiman Development Berhad at an estimated cost of about RM30,000.

 

Dato Jimmy Low said that Daiman Development Berhad have been kindly providing the sponsorship for the temporary tent every year so a decision was made to provide a permanent awning in the JARO premises so that the space can be put to better use.

 

Dato Jimmy explained that he had a long relationship with the late Dato Tay Kia Hong of Daiman Development and was pleased that the Tay family continues in this relationship to support JARO in such a meaningful and practical way.  

 

With Raya music playing in the canteen, it was lunchtime when the staff from these workshops arrived for a festive lunch in their annual Raya celebration. 

 

There was plenty of food to enjoy at
the Raya buffet spread 

It was heartwarming to join in the celebration while the sighted helped the unsighted to their places at the tables and those on wheelchairs were wheeled and parked at the tables.

 

A buffet spread was laid out for the staff to help themselves to the festive dishes from main course items like Biryani rice with chicken and satay, to drinks and dessert.

 

GM Joseph confirmed that 70 fresh whole chicken were provided by My Eco Food (M) Sdn Bhd, for JARO to arrange a caterer to prepare the chicken in two recipes, Ayam Masak Merah and Ayam Berempah.

 

JARO was pleased to let their staff enjoy their Raya lunch together with enough to pack as takeaways to let their families savour the festive goodwill at home.

 

While JARO arranged for the preparation of Nasi Biryani and skewers of lamb and chicken satay, dessert of cakes and cookies were sponsored by DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru and two types of local kueh were provided by Hotel Grand Paragon.

 

Dato Jimmy Low presented a token of
appreciation to Daiman Development which
was received by Choo Hock Sing

During the celebration, Dato Jimmy acknowledged the kind generosity of Daiman Development for their sponsorship in the construction of the awning and presented them with a token of appreciation in the form of a wooden engraved pewter plaque.

 

This was graciously received by General Manager, Choo Hock Sing, a contemporary of the late Dato Tay Kia Hong and a long-service staff in Daiman Development who continues working with the third generation.

 

In his speech, Dato Jimmy expressed his gratitude for the generosity of every sponsor who contributed towards JARO and the festive menu, thankful for caring hearts who continue to support JARO, one of the oldest NGO’s established in Johor.

 

My relationship with JARO started with being introduced to the quality handicrafts produced by people with disabilities. The lounge furniture in our home was JARO-made cane furniture complete with JARO-tailored cushion covers and we often bought JARO handicrafts to present as Malaysian souvenirs when we went abroad.

 

Over the years, I got to know JARO better as a proudly Johor brand and was pleased to document the JARO story among my collection of stories in My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, the third and final instalment that completed the trilogy of My Johor Stories books.

 

JARO staff helping themselves to
refreshing drinks at the Raya buffet

JARO provides training and employment for people with disabilities in workshops that create quality, custom-made handicrafts in the tailoring, basketry and book-binding sections.

 

In addition to receiving training, employment and a salary, JARO also provides staff with EPF savings and SOCSO insurance coverage. As the staff are skilled and gainfully employed, they have a sense of purpose and dignity to live more independently. In fact, some of the trained staff were able to find employment elsewhere and have left JARO to pursue their own careers.

 

Founded in 1952 by Dr Beryl Wilberforce-Smith, a Chest Physician in the Johor Bahru General Hospital, JARO started as a rehabilitation centre for recovering tuberculosis patients. As the Johor Bahru General Hospital was then a unit of the Malaysian Anti-Tuberculosis Association, this centre was first known as the Johore Anti-Tuberculosis Rehabilitation Organisation.

 

A range of delightful desserts
to enjoy at the Raya buffet

It was first located at the Johor Bahru General Hospital, now renamed Hospital Sultanah Aminah, and relocated to nearby Sri Gelam in 1968, into a building that was officially declared open by then Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak Dato Hussain.

 

In 1970, JARO was registered as a charitable society to manage a sheltered workshop that caters to the rehabilitation needs for physically and intellectually disabled, spastics, visual or hearing impaired, the chronically ill and those who for personal reasons, have difficulty in getting regular employment.

 

Over the years, JARO has evolved into an established rehabilitation centre, recognized for its quality training and a unique brand of handicrafts for sale.

 

With annual Government grants and public donations, JARO is self-supporting by marketing its products and reinvesting the funds into its daily operations.

 

JARO was recognised as a Social
Hero for their work with the disabled

In the inaugural Iskandar Malaysia Social Heroes Awards (IMSHA) held in 2014, JARO was recognised as a Social Hero for their work with the disabled and honoured with the IMSHA Award in the Human Empowerment category.

 

At the same event graced by Patron of IMSHA, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia (2003 – 2009), JARO also received the prestigious Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Iskandar Malaysia Ultimate Social Hero Award.

 

In line with the JARO tradition of creating handicrafts with materials like rattan, paper and cotton fabrics, their range of updated and eco-friendly products are designed for a new generation of customers who are looking for green living solutions. 

 

As contemporary green consumers value products that are made with materials from recycled or sustainable sources, JARO is poised to remain a popular destination for shoppers who appreciate the JARO brand of quality handicrafts.

 

Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation or JARO is located at No. 18 Jalan Sungai Chat, Sri Gelam, 80100 Johor Bahru, Johor.  Tel: +607 – 227 5314. Open from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. Website: www.jaro.org.my

 

Note: After the global pandemic, all the MPH bookstores in Johor Bahru were closed so readers may go online to mphonline to buy My Johor Stories books. Meanwhile, I have permission from MPH to keep a small stock of books in Johor, some of which are available for sale at the JARO showroom. Thank you.