Words by Susan Tam
Photos by Kamal Sellehudin
At nightfall, a typical scene at Jalan Hang Lekiu is that of darkness, homelessness and urban decay. But it was temporarily transformed last Wednesday as community workers led a host of initiatives to help the needy. Here’s what we saw.
There were two anniversaries to be celebrated last night along Jalan Hang Lekiu; the first was the 10th week anniversary of a free mobile clinic for the homeless, and the second, the fourth birthday of the Street Feeders of KL movement.
But these birthday celebrations were rather muted as community workers selflessly ran social initiatives to help the poor. The founders gathered together for the first time to help hundreds of homeless people, urban poor individuals and street children.
The homeless, urban poor and needy queuing to receive food or items
Last week’s campaign was a collaboration of community movements, led by extraordinary Malaysians.
They consisted of volunteer doctor Dr S. Madhu Sudhan, Street Feeders of KL founder Gary Liew, community leaders Syed Azmi AlHabshi and Hayati Ismail, and barber turned activist Lex Low. Their work was also supported by Kechara Soup Kitchen, volunteers from the FreeMarket and Street Feeders itself.
Blankets were part of the items offered to the beneficiaries
The group organised a few activities along Jalan Hang Lekiu and its side streets. Food, blankets and clothing were some of the items being handed out to the beneficiaries, while Low organised a space for the needy or the homeless to get haircuts.
Low runs a host of programmes, including free hairstylist training for refugees. He also operates Amplitude Barbershop, part of the Amplitude brand that is involved in the music business.
Next to the hairstylist corner is a shower space set up by Street Feeders of KL, for those who do not have access to proper washroom facilities.
The team led by Lex Low offering free hair cuts
“It’s not a big thing, it just made sense to come together to help the community,” Liew told us.
The 27-year-old grew up in a family of heavily involved in community work, as his mother Christabel Rozario ran a soup kitchen not far from Jalan Hang Lekiu.
“But Street Feeders is not just a soup kitchen or a feeding programme, I suppose you can say, we call ourselves a grassroots movement. It’s about doing more than just giving food, establishing relationships,” said Liew.
Street Feeders of KL mobilises nearly 100 volunteers each time they run a campaign, a large number Liew credits to social media and positive energy of the community. “Most of the volunteers are young working professionals who feel compelled to help others.”
Volunteers from Syed Azmi’s Free Market movement manning the stalls offering supplies
Volunteers also helped out in giving out towels, blankets and others supplies brought by the Syed Azmi’s FreeMarket movement. This initiative was set up in early 2014 for people to donate their pre-loved goods to the needy, such as single parents and hardcore poor families.
Its membership is growing with FreeMarkets being replicated by communities all over Malaysia. FreeMarket involves a money-free and barter-free system where goods are simply donated to those who need them.
A volunteer doctor checking blood pressure for a beneficiary
Offering free medical check-ups is the team led by Dr Madhusudhan along with volunteer Shalini Yeap, who work with other volunteers, mainly doctors, pharmacists and nurses, as well as volunteers from Kechara Soup Kitchen.
“Offering free clinic services to the needy has always been my dream, if I am allowed to do it, I’ll do it everyday,” Dr Madhusudhan said. The clinic offers its services every Wednesday from 9pm, and last night saw its first collaboration with other community organisations.
The makeshift clinic is made up tables and chairs set up on the pavements along Jalan Hang Lekiu, while volunteer doctors sit at these ‘stations’ with the beneficiaries to do basic health check ups.
“We see more or less the same medical ‘complaints’ as we do always when dealing with the homeless, they have cough or colds, or maybe high blood pressure,” explained Dr Madhusudhan.
Dr Madhusudhan at the free clinic, on his right is his 29-year-old sister pharmacist Sudheshna. His brother Dr Krishna also volunteered.
Yeap said a free medical clinic offered the option for the homeless who might not know about government hospitals or clinics, or who were probably too nervous or scared to go to government faiclities.
“They avoid government hospitals perhaps because they have low self-esteem, face discrimination by others and lack of identification documents,” she explained.
Volunteer Shalini Yeap helping out at the free clinic
The clinic is supported by the volunteers from Kechara Soup Kitchen who assist in compiling information of the beneficiaries. Project director Justin Cheah said it was an important process to register the beneficiaries or “clients” to Kechara, to verify their needs and in some ways, their identity and situation.
“Registration helps weed out the freeloaders and those who are not genuinely homeless.
“But that does not mean we do not help them, because after talking to them, we find out that while they have a place to stay, it is in a really poor conditions. What we are doing is to learn more about them so we can find more ways to help them,” added Cheah.
Since it started its community work in 2006, Kechara Soup Kitchen has registered over 3,500 people, made up of individuals living on the streets, single parents and abandoned senior citizens. “We have seen many children just leaving their aged parents on the streets, it is really a tragic thing,” he added.
Cheah said the work of Kechara Soup Kitchen goes beyond feeding the poor, as they provide groceries and offer rehabilitation or counselling if the need arises. Job placements also form part of their community service.
A ‘wefie’ of changemakers after the event, Dr Madhusudhan, Low, Liew and Syed Azmi pose for the camera held by Hayati Ismail
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