APPLE DAILY

Old Couple Living On CSSA Cannot Afford Rewiring

　　Old Mr. Cheung, 80, and Mrs. Cheung, a stroke victim, live in constant dread. The electrical wires in their home are so old they threaten to leak. Volunteer workers who checked their electrical installations recently found that all the wires need replacing. But Mr. Cheung hadn’t the money. He saw no hope of the wires ever being replaced.

　　Mr. Cheung had saved a sum of money which he thought was sufficient to ‘take care of’ him and his wife through old age. But two years ago his wife was partially paralyzed by a stroke and became wheelchair-bound. Medical expenses exhausted nearly all his savings. Reluctantly, last year, he applied for CSSA. Old Mr. Cheung said, “If it weren’t for her stroke, I wouldn’t be in such straits.”

　　Mr. and Mrs. Cheung have a son who emigrated 30 years ago. Since then they have only had each other for company and support. In recent years their health has begun to fail. They have to rely on domestic assistance for household chores and for going to the doctors. He remarked, “I don’t even have the strength to prop her up. How can I change her diaper?”

Afraid To Use Different Appliances Simultaneously

　　More than the household chores, Mr. Cheung is worried about the hidden dangers in his home. Eyeing the old-fashioned electrical wall sockets that are more than ten years old, and the dangling yellowish electrical wires, he fears that an electrical leakage will start a fire that burns down his wooden village hut. He has been very careful in using electric power. He said, “I’m afraid to turn on more than one appliance at a time, and I don’t have an air conditioner. I hope this way I can avoid a short circuit or blowing a fuse.”

　　Old Mr. Cheung considers himself fortunate that the old electrical wiring installations have not caused an accident. He said, “Luckily no short circuit or power failure has happened. When you live in a village hut, a power failure can be big trouble.” 

　　The agency which provides home care to Mr. Cheung has referred his case to St. James Settlement’s home maintenance service. The volunteer workers who conducted a check at his house pointed to an urgent need for replacing the old electrical wires. The volunteers provide free check-up and repairs, but the household must pay for the material and spare parts. Old Mr. Cheung sighed, “Where can I find so much money?” The Apple Daily Charity Fund, having learnt of Mr. Cheung’s situation, will appropriate a sum of money to help him pay for the repairs.