Bernama.

com Malaysian National News Agency Norlina Alawi, Her 16 Children, And 'PERNIM' General July 06, 2005 20:24 PM By Adnan Jahaya KANGAR, July 6 (Bernama) -- A sage once said, a heart expands as it fills up with love, creating more and more space for more and more love; this seems to be the maxim for an enterprising young woman, Norlina Alawi, who gives her unconditional love to her own six children as well as her 10 adopted children. The shadow in their lives is, that some of her adopted children, whom she considers her own, have AIDS and are HIV carriers; others are the children of AIDS patients. "....No matter what people say, I cannot bear to let these children's lives go to ruin, " she told Bernama Wednesday. Norlina, 36, from Ampang, Selangor, has been in Padang Besar since Monday to observe the flagging off of contestants in the 1,000km relay marathon held to collect donations for children of Persatuan Kebajikan Anak Pesakit HIV-AIDS Nurul Iman Malaysia (PERNIM), of which she is the founder and the president. Norlina is proud that her husband, Roslan Zakaria, 38, who works for the 12th Brigade of Wardieburn Camp Kuala Lumpur, as well as her six children, aged between three and 14 years, give their support to her busy schedule. This Kluang lass is not stopping at 10 adopted children either. She intends to take in more AIDS-HIV kids, to give them a brighter future. Even though there are people that sneer and scorn at her good deeds, she is now in the process of planning a PERNIM shelter which will cost RM2.5 million and will be built on land presented by the Selangor state government. This shelter, when it is completed, will house 100 AIDS-HIV children who would otherwise most likely be given the cold shoulder by the majority of the populace. Norlina is very grateful that her efforts have been getting good support from the government, including the Community Welfare Department, and also the private sector. PERNIM presently rents a terraced house in Taman Melor, Ampang, and this is their shelter and Home Sweet Home for now. Norlina said that her involvement in the welfare of these children started in 2001 when she took in a deaf 23-year-old pregnant girl. Last April saw her succeeding in obtaining temporary custody and the legal right to take care of four children, aged between three and 13, that had been placed in a non-Muslim welfare centre. When asked exactly how far her personal capabilities could be stretched to run PERNIM, Norlina said she put on a wooden face and ask for aid, but she mostly uses her own resources. "I love all my children. They need all love and they need to be equipped with tools for their future," she said. Norlina has been acknowledged by various parties due to her extremely motherly nature that draws people to her and makes things happen. For example, she has been awarded the "Young Humanitarian Award" jointly from the New Straits Times Press and PricewaterhouseCoopers (NSTP-PwC) last year, as well as the "ASTAR Humanitarian Award" organised by Kolej Kediaman Pertama Universiti Malaysia in the same year. "...God knows best," she said. -- BERNAMA http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/printable.php?id=143690, Accessed on 22th July 2012.