Handing over to Sabah Aid

When the full lockdown in Malaysia ended in June last year 2020, many food aid groups stopped their operations as people began to resume work and their lives. The neighbourhood food aid volunteer team which I was part of continued until 1 month after the lockdown as most of the needy would need food aid until they get their salaries after 1 month of work. 

But before that happened, I started to receive many private messages seeking food aid from Sabah, Malaysia where there were many undocumented descendants of immigrants and hardcore poor. They noticed my posts in Facebook helping those in my neighbourhood and tried their luck with me. The food aid groups in their area have all stopped operations and they were still without jobs; and had starving children and families to feed. Some even sent me videos of their children crying and the squatter houses which they lived in. I knew about these people from my previous visits to Sabah years ago. I couldn’t ignore their desperate pleas and took it up on myself to try and help them whatever way I can. 

Little did I expect that I’d be supporting these people for a year, handling all the coordination and fund raising work almost singlehandedly. After all, I was based in Kuala Lumpur in West Malaysia and these needy people are in Sabah of East Malaysia, separated by the South China Sea. Initially, I had help with food aid distribution from Mr Tong, a Sabah local who does a lot of humanitarian work and also once from a food aid group before they too shut down their operations. Thereafter, I worked with trusted leaders of the food recipients themselves.

Over the course of 1 year, I managed to arrange some 880 food packs with donations raised from the public of (Ringgit Malaysia) RM41,293. Most of the food aid were raised and distributed between July and Oct 2020 last year when it was sorely needed, and also during other lockdown periods in Malaysia, latest being in Jun 2021 this year. Most of the recipients were from Putatan area, and also some from other areas in Sabah. 

When I started receiving desperate food requests from past food aid recipients in my neighbourhood during the current full lockdown in Malaysia, I had to do something about it. It didn’t feel right for me to be helping people some 1600km away across the sea when there are those who are desperate in my own neighbourhood. 

So I took it upon myself to reactivate our old group and lead the team this time. Once again, the food aid volunteer team of Old Klang Road sprang back into action.

Coincidentally, a newly setup volunteer team called Sabah Aid contacted me to get details of food aid recipients I served in Sabah. We were to coordinate in order that we do not end up sending aid to the same people at the same time, and also to keep each other updated on our database. 

I shared my data and also my experience with the contact person and decided that it’s best that I handover my Sabah food aid efforts to them. Otherwise, coordinating and double checking with them will take up more of my already limited time. They were also on the ground in Sabah and had much more resources and manpower than myself alone. And I really needed to spend more time leading the food aid efforts for my own neighbourhood. 

So, I donated the rest of my funds (only RM201.60) to them and started to refer food aid applicants from Sabah to them. And I must say that they are doing a terrific job. 

In their short time of operation in July 2021, they raised more than RM69k and distributed some 1433 carepacks as of 17 July 2021. 

I’d like to thank everyone who supported me and the needy of Sabah throughout this 1 year. It would not have been possible without your donations, spreading the message and also moral support. 

Moving forward, if you would like to support the needy of Sabah, I can help you get in touch with Sabah aid, or help forward the funds to them.

Do stay in touch and stay updated on my food aid efforts for the needy in my own neighbourhood – Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Once again, thank you and God bless.

blessings,

Ket