“My boyfriend can speak German and I’ll be flying off to see him soon. And I want to make sure that I can speak more than just a few words – ‘Ich liebe dich’ is definitely one of them (laughs)”.
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(This post was first published on August 8th 2016)
“For a doctor, on-call means we work 36 hour shifts – one day and a half straight away. Despite being busy I still make time to be a part-time doctor at Teddy Mobile Clinic.
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(This post was first published on August 8th 2016)
(Volunteer from the Teddy Mobile Clinic speaking) “Every month they get RM300 from the Majikan (welfare department) and RM300 cannot pay for the whole family.”
“So every night they’ll get food from the Soup Kitchen, and around the afternoon they will walk around, and if they get a short job, they will get paid. So if they didn’t get any job and any money, they’ll just get the food from the Soup Kitchen – it’s their meal for the whole day. He’s 5 years old and his brother is 8 years.”
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(This post was first published on August 8th 2016)
I thought they would be safe. That same night some army men came in. They crashed down the doors, they started shouting, and one told my mother to get on the bed.
She begged them, she pleaded, she tried everything. My kids saw everything. Finally a Muslim militant came in and she appealed to him as a Muslim woman. He gave her the signal to slip away with my kids from the house.
We are not even safe in our own homes. Our children are not safe in their grandmother’s house even. There are weeks where they cannot go to school because of the rioting, the protesting, the violence. I tell them to sit at home, sleep the day off. Better they sleep than hear what is going on outside. They miss their education, but at least they stay alive. I have dreams for them too. I have dreams that they get a good job in a good position. I had dreams for myself once.”
(Kashmir, India-Pakistan border)
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(This post was first published on August 13th 2016)
The accident happened at Machap, Melaka. The tire exploded and the bus crashed into the telephone pole and divider. The air system also failed, and a bus relies on the air system for its brakes and to open the doors – without it I couldn’t do anything.
As we crashed the cars at the back also hit us. The front mirror and side view mirror cut my face, my lips, and my tongue. My backbone was also injured.
And two passengers died that night as well.
That was when I realized I cannot work anymore.
The thing is it’s hard to have a family when you cannot work and have no income. My wife works at a prison at Seremban and her pay is not enough for the family, what more I am just a bus driver who now is out of work.
So I was forced to leave home, and I made that decision. Within the first 6 months, I couldn’t do much jobs with my condition so I took up security guard jobs. Last time as a bus driver I would get RM1800 but as a guard, it’s terrible, it’s only RM700-800 a month.
The rent for a room is already easily RM400 – the money simply isn’t enough.
Not long after my wife asked her sister to meet up with me and get the divorce papers signed. She shouldn’t have gotten involved, but that’s how my wife wanted to communicate, she was asking for a divorce. So it happened and the process was automatic.
The worst part about the jobs now is that you work 3, 4 months but in the end they don’t pay the salary. And we can’t protect ourselves – its up to them if they want or don’t want to pay.
It’s not that I don’t want to work, there is just no chance to work. I would do any odd jobs for people – paint for them, wash clothes or clean a stall – and I’m OK, especially if accommodation is provided.
I’m now 58 years old, I’m not young anymore. Old people can’t do as much as young people.When I was younger at 30 I wasn’t like this. I was busy looking for money, I bought a house, a car…. but now I gave it all to my children, and I decided I should just not be a burden and leave (home).
I know that I’m old but I don’t want to be depending or asking people or my family and sons for help, I have to stand on my own.
And my sons, being a man – you know lah, they are closer to their mothers than their dads.
During Ramadan I still fast, and I break my fast at the mosque and I’m thankful there’s food but it’s so little, and it’s the only thing I eat for the day. Sahur was harder as there’s not much food going around.
Now my only concern is not to die in the street,and to be able to sustain myself. Saya pun tak tau berapa lama lagi nak hidup (and I don’t know how much longer I have to live). I’m already old, it’s hard to find jobs and be paid after doing it and I don’t want to be a burden to my family. I will be happy if I could have a job where there’s an accommodation, and a place to stay even if it pays RM 1000. But for now, for now I am on the streets”.
(He didn’t want his face to be shown, doesn’t want his children to know that he’s homeless.. So I took a photo of the lower part of his face….you can see the part where his lips got cut. Gave him some of my pocket money, and he said that it would cover his food for the next few days.)
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(This post was first published on July 29th 2016)
The meeting point is usually situated at Jalan Hang Lekiu, in front of Segi College, KL. They usually meet up at 9.30 pm to set up shop – a collection of makeshift tables and chairs all methodically placed – as if they have been doing this many, many times already.
There are makeshift tables for the clinic’s new clients who register under Kechara Soup Kitchen Society, a charitable non-profit organization inspired by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche to help the needy and marginalized community.
There are also makeshift tables for returning patients all arranged on the sidewalk of the street.
After a patient registers, they move on to another table where their blood pressure and sugar level are checked, and then they go to designated tables for their doctor’s consultation, all free of charge.
After seeing the doctors, they move on to the pharmacist’s table to collect their medicines.
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(This post was first published on July 28th 2016)
“It is like the gathering of some of the most positive and kindest people (volunteers) in this city and also it’s a weekly reminder for me to be grateful for what I have in my life by being up close with people who have literally nothing.”
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(This post was first published on July 28th 2016)
Who also work full time jobs. I can’t remember exactly what were their job titles, but one is working at a company selling fire doors, one is a writer, the other is a personal assistant in an architectural firm and they all have work the next day.
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(This post was first published on July 28th 2016)
(Him speaking) “We met at Segi College, and studied Visual Communications. We’re engaged now, and saving up money for marriage.
I love how she does the little things to make me happy. She likes to cook, she’s hard working, and when I come by she always makes some food for me to eat. She shows she can be a good wife and that’s important. She’s also my best friend and so whatever I tell her she’ll do the best of anything. We share everything, even my problems where my friends don’t even know, as they don’t have the time to support much. We both fit each other”.
(Her speaking) “I love how he makes me happy by making the effort to see me. As he is living all the way at 1Utama to come here at Putra Heights. For him to come here, there’s effort there and he doesn’t complain, he really wants to come and see me. That’s what I love most about him, he makes the effort despite the distance. Today we’re off on a date to KLCC and our first time using this new train line. Its different than a car, and you have a good view. And I’d still go out with him on a train, even if this was our very first date, 7 years ago.”
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(This post was first published on July 26th 2016)
Thank you guys for all your support thus far and making her inspiring story go viral!
Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa
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(This post was first published on July 25th 2016)
