KOTA KINABALU: A physically challenged teenager has been the talk of late among villagers and volunteers in last year’s worst flood-hit areas in Kampung Sugud, Penampang.

       He is Welentino George (pic), 19, the seventh of 10 siblings and son of a mechanic and housewife from a neighbouring village.

       Kampung Sugud coordinator for donated goods, Decy Ebol, said Welentino would not let others carry anything for him, and he would instead carry twice as much as others did.

       Jane Lajami, who is among those who have been helping out till today, described Welentino as a relentless person who did not let his disability stop him from doing good.

       He would be among the first to arrive and the last to leave, doing things like carrying rice packets, mattresses and bottled water, and cleaning through the mud and flood – his crutches proving to be no crutch.

       When other volunteers first saw him at the volunteer centre on Sept 20, they thought he was among the victims who were there to collect donated goods.

       “Everyone was really busy when we first arrived to help so no one really paid attention to people around them, but close to midnight, they noticed that I was still helping out,” Welentino said.

       Those who were sceptical at first on whether he could really help now believe that he can do way more than his physical situation may have portrayed.

       Asked why he was committed to helping despite his challenges and the fact that he did not personally know the victims, Welentino, who was at first hesitant to be interviewed, said this was because of an incident back when he was 14.

       “I was walking home one day when some people in a car saw me, stopped, talked to me and sent me home,” he said, adding these people later arranged for him to get his leg looked at and to get it operated on, and in 2018, arranged for a prosthetic leg to be made.

       “They told me that after this, I must help others in need according to my capabilities and this is why I help in any way I can,” he said, adding he was not seeking any fame by volunteering.

       Apart from still volunteering when needed, Welentino is also busy job hunting to support his family and save up to further his studies in engineering.

       “I have tried asking for over 20 jobs but each time, they tell me that they will call back. None ever does,” he said, adding it was disappointing and disheartening that many were not willing to look past his condition and give him a chance to prove himself.

       Though he wishes to further his studies just like one of his brothers who managed to do so, he can only proceed if he manages to save up by working, as his family cannot afford it.

       “I hope one day, I can have this opportunity and in future, help change the fate of my family,” Welentino said.

       Flood victims in Kampung Sugud, many of whom are farmers, are still rebuilding their homes while hundreds still do not have access to clean water, especially those depending on gravity pipes that were damaged by landslides.

       They still depend on contributions such as foodstuff and bottled water for their day-to-day living.