The orphanage Hadi still calls home every Raya

2026-03-23 - 01:20

Abdul Hadi Samsi says this orphanage feels like home, especially during Ramadan and Syawal. (Dinesh Kumar Maganathan @ FMT Lifestyle) KUANG: Abdul Hadi Samsi glanced across the long table and spotted his friend nodding off from hunger. The eight-year-old quietly sniggered, proud he had stayed awake for iftar. That evening’s simple meal – a vegetable dish, ayam masak merah, rice and fruits – was shared by more than 150 children of Asrama Damai Rumah Anak-Anak Yatim Kuang. “We didn’t have fancy meals or a huge spread for buka puasa. But we were all very happy,” the now 38-year-old, and chairman of the orphanage, fondly shared. Hadi entered the orphanage with his siblings when he was just seven, after their father’s death. His mother, struggling to support four children, had sought help from the home. At first, everything felt unfamiliar. He would wake up in a room that was not his, surrounded by boys who were strangers. His parents were not around. But over time, Hadi found a new family within the orphanage. And Ramadan was when that feeling of belonging would be strongest. Hadi remembers friends dozing off while waiting for iftar. (Dinesh Kumar Maganathan @ FMT Lifestyle) “People always say it’s sad to grow up in an orphanage, but I didn’t feel like that at all. During puasa, we would play together, sometimes guessing what food we were going to eat at iftar. It was actually fun,” he recounted. As he grew older, Hadi would help out in the kitchen with other teenagers during the fasting month, assisting the single mothers at the orphanage to prepare evening meals. “This definitely helped create a spirit of togetherness during Ramadan,” added Hadi, now a PhD holder and lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah. Sometimes, corporate sponsors would treat the children to buka puasa meals. “My friends and I would be so happy when we found out fast food like KFC was being served!” One of Hadi’s fondest memories was when singer Ziana Zain visited the orphanage. (Abdul Hadi Samsi pic) Hari Raya preparations were also modest: the children usually received sponsorship for one set of baju Raya, and the fun was in choosing the colours together. “The night before, we would all gather and discuss what colours we were getting. We wanted to match with one another. So, if last year it was purple, we would ‘bincang’ which colour would be cool for this Raya. This brought us even closer.” Today, Hadi hopes to pass on that same spirit to the 40 children, aged five to 19, who now live there. Despite working in Kuantan, Pahang, he travels back to the orphanage in Selangor once a month – sometimes more – during Ramadan to give motivational talks. “I tell them family isn’t just biological. The people they grow up with at the orphanage are their new family and they will be their strength during tough times,” Hadi said. Choosing his baju Raya with his friends was one of the highlights of Hadi’s childhood. (Dinesh Kumar Maganathan @ FMT Lifestyle) Festive seasons reflected that spirit. As a child, Hadi was among the few who could return to their family homes during Hari Raya. The orphanage would still hold its own celebration the night before, with gotong-royong, firecrackers, and festive dishes like lontong, nasi impit, rendang and lemang. “It was just full of fun and laughter. We also sought forgiveness from one another. It’s something I remember until now,” Hadi shared. When the children returned to the orphanage after their Raya visits, they would exchange stories – including how much duit Raya they received. Today, Hadi sees the festive season differently. “It’s all about giving back. The orphanage made sure I received a good education, and that made me study really hard, even until I obtained my doctorate. “I want to make the orphanage proud and be in a position to help it,” he said. Hadi remains close with many of the orphanage’s former residents. (Abdul Hadi Samsi pic) He hopes to use the orphanage’s two hectares of land for small agricultural projects where children can learn practical skills such as planting and harvesting crops. He is also exploring programmes focused on counselling, spirituality and personal development. Ultimately, Hadi hopes the children understand that “God has a mission for each of us. He will help us”. Often, that help comes through the people who become their second family. For Hadi, it was the friends, teachers and wardens at the orphanage who reminded him, especially during Ramadan and Hari Raya, that family is the one you build together. Follow Asrama Damai Rumah Anak-Anak Yatim Kuang on Instagram.