I usually travel light. To save time and unnecessary hassle, I avoid checked-in bags. However, this trip to Sabah, as we were leaving our house to the airport, my neighbour who met me at the lift lobby asked if we were migrating! Well, my travel partners and I had altogether four huge bags plus 2 boxes to check in, not forgetting our backpacks and cabin bags. This was the plan : we stuffed all our personal belongings in the cabin bags/backpacks – each with a limited quota! And managed to squeeze in more gifts where there is room in the cabin bags. U may ask, what went in the checked in bags and boxes?
Well, some kind Goducate supporters from the ieatishootipost.sg food-blog community who visited Sabah previously (see earlier blog post “Food-blogging community visits poor children in Sabah, Malaysia”) saw the needs, and donated clothing, bags, purses, books and stationery for the needy in the kampungs. One lady even decided to contribute brand new children’s clothing bought from her recent shopping trip in Hong Kong! We were delighted to receive all these goodies, had a great time packing them into the bags (huge bags!!!!) ensuring that the weight limit was kept to; and brought them all to Sabah. (It was amazing that we managed to take them all on a small transit plane …the flight attendant marvelled at one of us who carried 3 bags – “satu orang tiga bags”! Oh yes, one of the checked-in bags didn’t make on the transit flight and we had to lug in with us on the plane.)
Of course, the efforts paid off as we saw the happy faces who received the gifts! The recipients were overwhelmed with “mountains” of goodies brought all the way from Singapore to Sabah, especially for them! Most of all, they knew the items came with love and warm thoughts of them from a distance! They had so much fun going through each item (sorting and organising), one of them was flipping & reading the colourful children’s books all night! Christmas arrived early for them!
Goducate is thankful to our supporters who generously contribute to provide for the needy. These gifts are precious indeed. B’cos they came with love!