By Herald Malaysia
KOTA BHARU – Volunteers from Penang, Perak and Kelantan joined forces with local residents to build 20 emergency flood rafts for vulnerable communities in Kelantan during two outreach missions organised by Caritas.
Hosted by Caritas Church of Our Lady of Fatima of the Holy Rosary, Kota Bharu, in collaboration with Caritas Penang, the missions were carried out from Jun 25–29 and Jul 9–13. Working alongside Crisis Relief Services & Training (CREST Malaysia), the Kelantan Disaster Response Network (KDRN), the Archdiocese of Human Development (AOHD), village heads and residents, volunteers built eight rafts while villagers completed a further 12, providing families with a practical way to safeguard essential belongings during the annual flood season.
The initiative also fostered closer ties between volunteers and the local community as they worked side by side. Volunteers said the experience gave them a deeper appreciation of the villagers’ resilience, generosity and spirit of mutual support.
Fr Joachim Robert, chairman of Caritas Diocese of Penang, thanked the volunteers, partner organisations and residents for their commitment to the mission.
“We came to build rafts, but we also built stronger communities. By working together, we experienced the joy of serving one another and witnessed faith in action. Every act of service, no matter how simple, becomes a sign of hope,” he said.
The outreach formed part of Caritas’ ongoing efforts to strengthen community resilience in flood-prone areas while accompanying vulnerable communities through practical service and collaboration. – Herald Malaysia
