[PHOTOS] Red Crescent leads aid deliveries to Sabah’s rural Sook
40 tonnes of food sent to struggling residents since May 2020, with help of NGO Women of Will and a bank
Updated 5 years ago · Published on 17 Jul 2021 8:00AM
Red Crescent members inspect food aid before distribution to villages in Sook. – JASON SANTOS/The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021
by Jason Santos
KENINGAU – The Covid-19 lockdown has almost decimated the economy of rural Sook in Sabah, and with it, the livelihood of its residents.
Much of villagers’ sustenance comes from their limited farming. Some plant oil palm and rubber trees, while others grow vegetables. These families earn as little as RM500 a month from selling their produce.
Travelling is expensive, costing as much as RM100 to charter transport for a family. Inter-district travel in the state remains prohibited, while there is a two-people limit per vehicle.
The Malaysian Red Crescent Society and non-governmental organisation Women of Will, as well as a commercial bank, have lent Sook residents a helping hand. Between May last year and this month, they have consistently sent food aid, with some 40 tonnes delivered.
More than 250 vulnerable families have benefited from this assistance. – The Vibes, July 17, 2021
A Red Crescent lorry is parked in front of a mini market in Keningau town, where food aid is sourced for villagers in Sook. – The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021Red Crescent volunteers loading a truck with sugar to be distributed to Sook folk. – The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021Red Crescent members being briefed ahead of their trip to Sook. – The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021A Red Crescent lorry loaded with food seen outside a community hall in Sook. – The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021Villagers from Sook’s Kg Mototou gather at their community hall, where they are sprayed with sanitiser and have their names checked before getting food aid. – The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021Red Crescent volunteers unloading instant noodles from a lorry in a village in Sook. – The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021A woman picks up a bag of rice to put in her traditional bag, called ‘saging’ , while her friend looks on. – The Vibes pic, July 17, 2021
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