History of Bethany Home

  
The name Bethany Home comes from the Bible. It was a place where Jesus went frequently. His good friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived there. Bethany was the place where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and Bethany was the place where he performed many miracles. It was thought, therefore, to be an appropriate name for the caring ministry that was to be founded.

Since the inception in 1966 Bethany Home has been the vehicle by which the Evangelical Lutheran church has provided care for disabled children and adults. At the time when Bethany Home was started no other institution would admit children affected by epilepsy. The founders thought it was important to give these children a chance to a better life. The Bishop and various members of the Lutheran Church of Malaysia helped to provide money for the first building to be constructed. The school started out with six students, a number which has grown to about 180! There have been many organisations that have played a great part in the development of Bethany Home. The biggest supporters being the Malaysian Government followed by other service clubs like Lions and Rotary.

In 1986 the Day School programme was started following construction of a new wing. Residential children from the surrounding area were settled back into their homes and brought in by van on a daily basis. The number of local children with disabilities seeking help steadily increased over the years. In 1997 the donation of a minibus helped children from the surrounding areas of Teluk Intan district to come to Bethany Home.

In 1987 the early intervention programme was started. This programme was to focus on improving the potential of those aged between 0 –6 years. With the benefits of an early start, these children can now be integrated with a smooth transition process to the school programme.


A total of approximately 1,000 disabled people, both young and old, have so far benefited from Bethany Home’s training program since it’s establishment in 1966.
We are proud to say that since the inception of Bethany Home we have helped raise awareness of the wider community to the needs of disabled people. Previously disability was associated with hopelessness. This attitude is being replaced with that of acceptance and hope as Bethany Home becomes known for it’s positive innovative changes and contributions to society.

Mr Jayasingh and Mr & Mrs Sorberg 1998

Solomon John & wife Kay 2000.

Chronological History

•1964 Bishop Bertil Envall suggested the idea of a training centre for epileptic children.
• 1965 Construction work began.
• 1966 Opening of Bethany Home on 12th of October by Bishop Envall.
• 1966 October: Mr. Olof Sorberg, appointed by the Church of Sweden Mission as Director.
• 1968 March: Birgitta Sanden - Director
• 1969 July: Mr. Olof Sorberg - Director
• 1971 January: Birgitta Envall - Director
• 1973 April: Mrs. Lena Moses - Director
• 1973 July: Mrs. Achariam - Director
• 1978 March: Mr. Olof Sorberg - Director.
• 1981 December: Mr. Solomon John - Director.
• 1984 August: Miss Sally Moses - Director.
• 1986 New extension opened by Bishop E. B. Muthusami.
• 1986 Day-School programme began.
• 1987 February: First early intervention class started.
• 1987 February: First Group-Home opened.
• 1987 First shop opened.
• 1988 Second Group Home opened.
•1989 Toy Workshop started.
•1989 Second shop opened.
•1989 May: Early Intervention programme extended.
•1989 Toy Library officially opened by Y.M. Raja Puan Seri Dato Noora Ashikin Bt. Raja Abdulla D. P. C. M.:PHF.
•1989 November: Intensive Parent Training Programme began.
•1990 February: Intergrated Class started in Methodist Girls School.
•1991 May: Third Group Home opened.
•1991 December: Fast Food stalls (Employment programme) officially opened by Duli Yang Maha Mulia The Regent of Perak.
•1992 12th December: Opening of the Community Playground. The Australian High Commission together with the Director of the United Plantation opened the playground.
•1993 January: Mr. Jayasingh Rajiah - Director.
•1995 February: 7 young adults graduated from Bethany Home and 5 began working in “Caleygirl”, a garment factory and 2 began working in a furniture shop.
•1996 March: CBR Early Intervention Programme started in Bagan Datoh.
•1996 April: Another 4 young adults graduated and began working in “Caleygirl”.
•1996 14th September: Charity Dinner - to raise money for the Lighthouse Project.
•1996 19th October: Bethany Home Open day.
•1996 14th December: 30th Anniversary and Opening of our New Wing - Physiotherapy Unit - officially opened by Dato’ Loke Yuen Yow together with the Executive Director of United Plantation, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri B. Bek-Nielsen.
•1997 The first Independent Group Home opened.
•1999 March: Independent Boys Home opened.
•1999 18th July: Visit by Minister of Social Welfare YB Datin Paduka Hajah Zalcha Binti Ismail.
•2000 The Lighthouse Project started at the Bethany Home compound.
•2001 January: The Lighthouse Project rented a building.
•2001 Fundraising Dinner for the Lighthouse Project. Minister for Human Resources, Datuk Dr. Fong Chan Onn, graced the occasion.
•2001 Three Independent Group Homes purchased for employees of Lighthouse Project.
•2001 Two shop lots purchased for the expansion of the Lighthouse Project.
•2002 16th - 17th April: Four students and four staff climbed to the top of Mount Kinabalu
•2003 – The first group of students moved into our new Independent Group Home
•2004- Four new students climbed Mt Kinabalu with an Australian volunteer as leader.
•2004 - The first Unified Games were held.
•2004 - The computer room was established upstairs
•2004 - The Parent’s Support Group initiated and gave information for the booklet “A Parent’s Guide to Services for Children with a Disability”
•2004 - The Bethany Home book “Dare to Dream” was written by Valerie Bock, Australian Uniting Church volunteer
 
How Bethany Home came into being…..
In the early 1960s, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malaysia & Singapore was keen to do some sort of social service work. After much discussion it was decided to start a Home for Children with Epilepsy. The site where the Bethany Church was located was chosen, and construction commenced in 1965.A Swedish missionary couple Mr. & Mrs. Olof Sorberg were in the country, and as they had experience in Sweden working with people with epilepsy, they were appointed to work at the Home, which was opened in October 1966.