After the nationwide outcry against the ban on soup kitchens (yes, I know about the 2 km radius), I decided this is the best time for me to volunteer in one. I found a few operating in central KL and joined the Pertiwis soup kitchen yesterday, being a part of the medical team. I arrived at the first stop about 8:40pm, the food van and medical car wasnt there yet but already people are gathering, those in need and the volunteers (and of course, the press). Everybody was quite cheerful despite the looming news of the ban. Spirits were high, there were old friends catching up, and like me, first timers making new ones. The crowd started to grow after 9pm and both the food van and medical car arrived about 9.10pm. I went straight to the medical car and helped them set up the mobile clinic. In total there were about 6 people manning the mobile clinic. 2 doctors (myself included), 2 for the registration and another 2 handling the medication. Each patient will need some sort of identification before getting seen by the doctor. IC, passport, birth cert, UNHCR letter, anything. But there MUST be identification for registration. The medical car is fairly well equipped, they have basic medications for minor ailments, simple dressing equipment for small wounds etc. As I sat down and started seeing the patients, I lost track of time. There was a lady with a diabetic foot ulcer, which was remarkably clean. She just needed a basic wound dressing. An uncle who is having some gastritis because he couldn’t afford 3 meals a day. A 10 year old girl whose mother just wanted some multivitamins because shes worried her daughter isnt getting proper nutrition. An Indonesian lady with cataract. All I can do is point her to a government hospital, but she told me shes working everyday and have no time to go to a hospital. A young gentleman from Myanmar with a UNHCR letter, having body aches from an accident earlier this week. An elderly man with bloodshot eyes, who needed some medications for his persistent cough, which was over 3 months. And the list goes on. I didn’t manage to catch up with the operations of the food van, but its safe enough to say everything was well organised. I talked to some volunteers after, and most of the people who came just needed a hot meal and someone to see their ailments, if needed. The area was clean, rubbish were picked up almost immediately. There were no rats or stray cats/dogs,, not even cockroaches. It was orderly and organised. In fact, the only flurry of activity is the press trying to interview and take pictures. Everybody was served and treated equally. There were many volunteers came and help, some looking as young as 10. Everybody pitched in, everybody did their part. This is how the true Malaysian should aspire to be, helping regardless of race, creed, colour, situation, circumstances or environment. We moved to another stop and did the same. It was a good experience, one that will open your eyes to the plight of these people. No amount of research or reading will make one truly understand. Everybody should come and try to spend a night with the soup kitchen to see for themselves. At the end of the night, I realised that the homeless are not very different from us. Apart from the roof on our heads and hot meal in our tummies, all they need is a little kindness from you and me. And I hope we can find that little kindness in our hearts.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 05:28:37 +0000
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