.jpg)
KUALA LUMPUR – Cries for help are getting louder amid the lockdown and a struggling economy, and this has also affected how charitable organisations operate.
It has been a trying year for Refuge for the Refugees (RTFR) founder Heidy Quah as she races to provide the bare necessities for families she works with.
What started as a passion project in 2012 to keep refugee schools open has now become an organisation providing essential items.
So far, volunteers have been turning up every weekend to help pack and distribute the items to the underprivileged even though they themselves are not in great financial shape.
RFTR’s logistic manager Shen Yee found it heartbreaking to witness first-hand the terrible situation some are in.
“It is honestly quite heartbreaking to be on the ground. I have personally seen individuals with disabilities crawl out in need of help.”
Meanwhile, retiree Khoo Wee Hon volunteers to manage the food packing system on the ground.
“Honestly, things weren’t as bad last time as we were only helping refugees, but now, even Malaysians are struggling and it is saddening. But I take heart that more young people are stepping up to help.”
First-time volunteer Jude Lorson told The Vibes that he just wants to be of use to the organisation.
Since the pandemic, work has been slow and he has not had any projects to work on, he said, adding that his time is better used to “play a small part in something big”.
Pilot Ajay Oliver Nair, who has been grounded since the start of the pandemic, made time on a Sunday morning to lend a volunteering hand despite surviving on odd jobs himself, while PR executive and content creator Adelynn Lim shared a similar sentiment.
Quah, herself, has been busy with groundwork.
She said online learning is almost impossible with the group of individuals that the RFTR has been helping, as they are struggling to meet basic needs.
“How do you expect students to go for classes online when their basic needs like food aren’t even met,” she told The Vibes.
Running food distribution since the first movement control order (MCO) in March last year, the organisation’s volunteers have been packing and distributing food to families.
She observed that the struggle even included the M40 group, as more people lose their jobs during the prolonged lockdown.
“While it is saddening to receive daily calls for help, I feel supported as volunteers regardless of age come together every weekend to help put together food packs.”
Recently, many struggling Malaysians have resorted to raising white flags to indicate they need help, while lawmakers have been distributing food packs and running food banks to help the needy cope with essential items. – The Vibes, July 17, 2021
