Blind volunteer helps prepare Deepavali gifts for prisoners in Malaysia

K Kunavathi, a 56 year old volunteer, joined other members of Malaysia Hindhudharma Mamandram to prepare traditional food for prisoners in Penang, Malaysia.

Despite losing her sight at age 12 due to a hereditary disease, Kunavathi has participated in this annual Deepavali program for 10 years. She works alongside approximately 60 other volunteers at a school in Butterworth to prepare items for those unable to celebrate the festival with their families.

The Malaysia Hindhudharma Mamandram is a non governmental organization that promotes Hindu values and cultural traditions. For 20 years, the group has organized a program to allow inmates to observe Deepavali according to their religious customs. This year, the members prepared 4,000 packs of traditional snacks, including muruku and athirasam, to distribute to the Pulau Pinang Prison and Jawi Prison.

The organization also provided inmates with items for traditional bathing and religious rituals, such as sesame oil, sandalwood powder, and sacred ash. Kunavathi, who sells religious items at a nearby temple, manages to contribute to these efforts with help from other volunteers. In addition to her work with the prison program, she teaches free Hindu religious classes to students aged 6 to 17 and has received a community service medal for her contributions.