Lions descend on interior Keningau
Published on: Sunday, January 29, 2023
By: Johan Aziz
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The Lions clubs members continued by boat from Kampung Salung jetty to Kampung Binanding Pagalungan, Pensiangan.
For the Kampung Binanding Pagalungan in Pensiangan district project, it took two months for the joint organising committee from Lions Club of Keningau Host, Lions Club of Keningau Mandarin and Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Vintage as the main organising body to discuss in several meetings and finally to make the Rural Community Services at the village a success.
Last year the effort drew other Sabah Lions Clubs to take part including from Lawas, Sarawak and Labuan, to cater to the strong demands and to make it more organised, said organising Chairperson Charter President Bapak Ricky Ng in Keningau.
“Last year, 21 Lions Clubs took part with 100 Lions members group together to spend to days one night outing to serve the fellow countrymen in the remote area in Kampung Binanding Pagalungan, Pensiangan.
Students and children are taught how to brush their teeth properly.
“It took almost three hours’ drive using 4WD vehicles from Keningau and to continue the journey by long boat for another half an hour to reach the village in Pensiangan.
“The members from Sandakan and Tawau drove all the way through Kalabakan road to meet the Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Lawas, Tenom, Papar and Keningau members at Sepulut junction.
“The journey continued towards Kampung Salung. It was a great challenge driving the 4WD vehicles for the city members during the rainy season,” he said.
Ricky said they were welcomed by Village Head, Himbulan Buluru, and SK Logongon Headmaster, Anis Pangias, together with the local community.
The villages received treatments from mobile health and dental clinicc, diabetes and eye screening with free reading glasses, hair cut, games for children, solar light installations as well as the planting of 50 young pandan coconut trees.
“Upon arrival at the village, the students performed a Murut traditional dance to entertain the visitors.
“The 100 food baskets were distributed to selected single mothers, senior citizens and needy families during the evening fellowship, “ he said.
Among the activities included the feeding of 150 students with fresh hotdog buns and chocolate milk.
In the second round, he said, children fun games started again with many toys and goodies which draw big crowd. Some 150 new school bags together with exercise books and pencil box plus Vitamin C with Calcium were distributed to all students.
“The new school bags really a treasure for them as we can see the happy faces after receiving the presents from Lions Clubs,” he said.
Ricky conveyed his sincere appreciation to all the 21 Lions clubs’ presidents and members for the support and took part in this major event.
According to him, all clubs played very important role for contributing Project T-shirts to members, some donated solar lights, food, medicines, toys, preparing the breakfast for 150 students and young kids.
Lions clubs members prepare hotdog buns to be distributed to students and children in the village.
He said, other activities such as like teaching the young girls making beads bracelets is a new approach introduced by Lion Wendy and Joan Ong, all members are working hand in hand to make the program a success.
Ricky also mentioned for all villages they had visited in the past 33 years, this Kampong Binanding Pagalungan is qualified to be named as the “Kampong Contoh” for Pensiangan District for they (the people) are well disciplined, more humble and friendly and most important the surrounding of the village area is very clean, beautiful and cheerful
Meanwhile, Anis thanked the Lions Clubs members and hoped they will return for another visit.
Past District Governor Dr. Gan Kean Siong, who is the head of the medical team as well as the advisor for the project, said medical and dental services are important to the villagers lived far from the city.
He said each year Lions Clubs in Sabah spend big money for the medical and dental programmes to serve the community.
Meanwhile, RC Dato Winnie Lee, RC Joel Lee, DC Datuk Margrete Lim and DC Rekha said the Kampung Binanding Pagalungan project was successfully carried out by Lions Clubs.
Ricky and several members posing with students and children in the village.
They said the villagers are friendly and well-organised. They appreciate the food and fruits provided by the locals and even offered their rooms to let the members sleep in.
The members said taking part in the event brought joy to them despite the tough journey. “But it was worth to see the smiling faces and friendly people in the village.”
Lions Clubs participating to this Rural Community Services are Lions Club of Keningau, Lions Club of KK Vintage, Lions Club of Tawau Cosmo, Lions Club of KK Damai, Lions Club of Labuan Mandarin, Lions Club of KK City, Lions Club of Sandakan City, Lions Club of Ranau, Lions Club of Lawas, Lions Club of KK Water Front, Lions Club of Tawau Mandarin, Lions Club of Keningau Mandarin, Lions Club of Tenom, Lions Club of Tawau, Mega Lions Club of Tawau Host, Lions Club of Labuan, Lions Club of KK Sutera, Lions Club of KK Centennial, Lions Club of KK Mandarin, Lions Club of Papar and Lions Club of Penampang.
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