What We Do ?

Senior and matured citizens who feel bored staying at home all the time now have a place to relax and meet others.

Founded by Lin Chua (Yap Swee Lin), the AUTORR Foundation (Aged Unite To Organise Rest and Recreation), is a centre where senior and matured citizens can have fun and participate in activities to keep them active and healthy. Set to be the first of its kind in Asia, the centre is on a two-acre land donated by Lin, who is the grand-daughter of Malaysia's third kapitan, Yap Kwan Seng.

"The land is actually four acres in size but at the moment we are utilizing two acres to house the centre and we will utilize the other half to suit the demands of the senior and matured citizens," Lin said. She initiated the project after observing a common trend among senior and matured citizens who often spend a lot of time at home without activities.

"The younger ones will have to pursue their career and do not get to spend their time daily with the elderly and often the senior and matured citizens would be left at home doing nothing much but just watching television," she said.

"We cannot blame the children because they have to lead their lives but a lot of senior and matured citizens who are left at home often feel frustrated, lonely, neglected and unappreciated. This centre provides an opportunity for the senior and matured citizens to come together during the day to do activities together so that they would not be trapped at home all the time."

The centre, which is divided into an adult education centre, a meditation centre and an activity centre, host a variety of workshops and activities which are suitable for senior and matured citizens. "There are workshop sessions, a tea corner for socializing, health and eating right workshops and many other activities which are related to senior and matured citizens," Lin said.

The centre is an excellent place for the senior and matured citizens to meet new friends and share experiences while learning new skills or talent, which they never had the chance to do so in their younger years.

The Centre is not an old folk's home. The senior and matured citizens do not stay here but rather they can come in and out of the centre at anytime for however long that they want to join in the activities or just to relax and have tea. At the end of the day, they must go home to their families.

Besides senior and matured citizens, the centre will be working to cater to orphans who can come and participate in the activities with the senior and matured citizens .

We want to bridge the gap between the orphans and the senior and matured citizens because most of the orphans do not get emotional care that can be provided by a parent. The senior and matured citizens can take on mentoring roles to share life lessons and give emotional support to the orphans.

Among some other services provided at the centre include psychological help for depressed senior and matured citizens, a holistic health centre, and the adult education centre that provides life-long education on various topics relating family values.

The holistic health centre is to teach the senior and matured citizens to get back to basics. They can learn how to plant traditional herbs that are good for their health. The adult education centre also serves to help bridge gaps in family and provide counseling services if needed.

It is a non-racial, non-religious, non-political and non-profit organization open to anyone. We chose Ampang because it's a prime area which is easily accessible. It's all about bringing the facilities to the doorstep of the people who need it.

The project costed RM 8 million and the foundation is still raising funds to pay the bank loan.