By Izzud Deen Redzuan
Whenever we bumped into those who sleep on the streets or in the middle of traffic and under the scorching sun, asking for money to buy food, of course we would not hesitate to help them. That comes naturally especially to human beings who really want to help others. It has become a social obligation.
It’s unfortunate for those who do not have such sensitivity to help. Why? Allah tested His true believers with hardships. It is a trial for us, whether it is good and bad. Will we be grateful in prosperity and patient in difficulty or will we be arrogant and disobedient?
Helping the underprivileged, it’s a matter of facts either you have enough courage to approach and help them or you just ignore their existence in society.
For example, the homeless people. We often see them with their kids on the streets, asking for money, collecting garbage bottles and begging for foods in the Central City of Kuala Lumpur, especially during the peak and night hours.
Most people, even the elites, assume that homelessness is related to mental health or drug-addiction. However, tackling homeless problem as an individual problem is also not the right way to address the issue.
Homelessness refers to the failure of society itself in building an adequate system and support for people to have access to housing and a secured job. Therefore, homelessness is a societal problem and it’s part of our responsibility.
Last year, my friends and I had the opportunity to help out with 1Charity, a soup kitchen charity service based in the heart of Kuala Lumpur to feed the homeless and needy. The night activities were very interesting like preparing meals for them and able to do some teachings with the unfortunate kids. I used to teach foster kids before in Melaka and what I have learnt in school I shared it with them.
This year, my friends and I volunteered at Madrasah Al-Ikhlas at Selayang, Gombak under the leadership of Mark Bayoud, the founder of ‘Lend a Hand – Kuala Lumpur’ and a member of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Rohingya Muslims are the most underrated refugees and they are vulnerable to the society. Therefore, many efforts by NGO have been undertaken to create awareness and raise funds for them.
Mark once said, “You know, those of us who leave our homes in the morning and expect to find them there when we go back – but it’s hard for us to understand what the experience of a refugee might be like.”
On weekly basis, we tutored about 80 eager kids: 45 mins of Mathematics 45 mins of English followed by 30 mins of games. It’s a great way to spend our Saturday morning. We try to create a sense of belonging to show Muslim brotherhood and brighten their days.
At finest, the migrants were accepted by the local and allowed to do some works. But at worst, some of them became victims of human traffickers like what happened in Wang Kelian in May 2015, at he Rohingya human trafficking camp.
There is a lot of things that we can do to help the needy and unfortunate ones. If you make ease of other people’s life, trust me, Allah will do the same for you in this world and hereafter. I share below some of the golden teachings I have learnt:
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Money isn’t everything
Always remember, money is out of the game. Why? Obviously, giving money to them wouldn’t solve anything rather than causing more problems. Are you sure they will spend the money for their basic necessities? You need to figure out what they need and help them with that. Never promote greed for money.
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Find the right target
I urge you to help people who are completely at the rock-bottom. Find the poorest neighbourhood if there is one in your area, and look out for people without homes because they have no property to feed themselves in the long run. The least you can do is to donate. May it be clothing or money, it helps.
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Focus on children
This is exactly what we are doing with the Rohingya refugees. Collect toys and clothes from those who no longer need them and bring more sweets and crackers. Remember; the things you don’t need will always be valuable to those who need them. And trust me, their smiles are the best gift one could ask for.
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Basic Necessities
Food and clothes are what less fortunate people need the most. Most of them feed on garbage. The best gift for them is a nice and clean meal, prepared with love and purpose. It hardly costs much either, and is so easy. Brand names and titles mean nothing.
You don’t have to go through this alone. We may hold a garage sale to generate some greater funding. Get your kids, friends, family members and locals to help you. If you show them the reality they are unaware of, trust me you will surprised how many will extend their hands and help.
Since I am unsure where you live and what kind of people live there, this is what comes to my mind. I will praise you for even wanting to do good and may God bless you as well as help you succeed in your selfless efforts.
These are voluntary groups serving the needy throughout the week around Klang Valley. You may contact them here!
Photo courtesy United to End Genocide