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Birthday Party as Blessing
NGO spread love and
blessing by holding “The little boy told me he did says.
birthday party for not have good food very often
underpriviledged when he was gulping the pasta. I The NGO nearly collapsed
children. told him to slow down. There were when Fernandes’ wife was battling
lots at the party. He could take the with cancer. The service stopped
food away with a lunchbox if he for a year until 2021, he resurrect-
By Hanne Chan wanted to,” Fernandes adds. ed the service again in memory of
his late wife.
aving a birthday party Missing out on an important
is not a given for every part of childhood, Fernandes set “My wife saw it not only as a
Hchild, Edward Fernandez up the birthday party. She tried to give
has seen many struggle to have a organisation with his wife them more hope and something to
meal on their special days. Marilou Edora to host birthday hang on to in the future — you’ll
parties for the needy. just never know, maybe a joyous
“I’ve seen a little boy finishing memory can save one’s life,” Fer-
a whole plate of spaghetti within “I came from a poor single- nandes says.
two to three seconds,” Edward parent family in the Philippines.
Fernandes, who founded Birthday My sister and I never celebrated About 1.65 million people in
Happiness Asia in 1994, recalls a our birthdays, neither my wife, as Hong Kong– nearly one-quarter
party hosted one and a half year our parents couldn’t afford one,” he of the citizens are living below
ago.
