For some years, a church ran a day care centre for the mentally-challenged, in Bangsar. Known as Bangsa Ria, the centre catered for children who, being too disabled, lacked the required prerequisites to be enrolled in most other training centres. These children

needed help to perform even the most basic of functions or were completely dependent on others to take care of them.

 

The church decided to close down the centre in 2006. As the children and staff had no other place to go to, parents and well-wishers came together and registered Persatuan Orang Kurang Upaya Bangsa Ria KL & Selangor (Bangsa Ria Association for the Disabled

KL & Selangor) as a legal, registered society under the Registrar of Societies

(registration no. 0873-06- SEL) in the same year, 2006.

It is this non-profit association that runs Bangsa Ria as a day care centre for severely disabled persons.

 

A kind philanthropist, Datuk Elamaran Sabapathy provided a bungalow, free of rent in Section 11, Petaling Jaya. Parents and friends formed a committee to run the day-care centre. The staff were in place. We began to get more children and Bangsa Ria continued on its mission to provide a loving space for special children.

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Since 2006, the centre has moved twice and is now located at 584, Jalan 17/17, Section 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya.