Helping hand from Twitter pals
For a group of passionate Twitter users, doing charity work is part of their life mission, writes
HARI Raya is a day of joy for Muslims and one of the ways to celebrate it is to wear beautiful clothes. However, there are less fortunate people who cannot afford to buy new clothes.
Realising this, a group of social media friends who were motivated to help these people initiated a charity drive called “Baju Raya Project”.
Aida Suraya Daud, 32, who founded the project, first made the call on Twitter and invited others to join her cause.
It received overwhelming response and it has become an annual event. It is now in its sixth year.
“Social media is widely used by the younger generation but many of them have no money to donate.
“So I thought, what else can they donate besides money? The answer is clothes because everyone wears them,” says Aida.
Although the items received are not new, the contributions have brought joy to the receivers, making their Hari Raya more meaningful.
DONATION DRIVE
During this year’s programme, held on May 25, volunteers arrived as early as 8.30am to register and were briefed on their duties.
Held at the Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, a total of 350 volunteers participated in the one-day event.
“Normally, people would just drop their baju Raya and leave. That’s why we had a dedicated team stationed at the front door to receive drive-through donations.
“The clothes will then be brought to another team for screening and quality control,” says Aida.
“Like us, the receivers also want to wear good and appropriate clothes. That’s why I’m very particular about the quality.
“I will make sure the clothes that we give out are not worn-out, faded, smelly, torn or incomplete, for instance, a baju kurung top
without the skirt.”
Once the clothes passed the quality check point, the next team would sort them according to sizes and gender before packing them accordingly to the needs of the charity homes.
Aida says that team members will usually call the homes beforehand to ask for a list of the sizes required.
This year, the Baju Raya Project received about 10,000 pieces of clothing. Over 20 homes have been selected to receive the contributions.
“In addition to clothing, we also received donations such as rice, flour, sugar and milk. We also accept Raya cookies.
POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Reminiscing on the first Baju Raya Project, Aida says her core team are made up of like-minded friends whom she knew through Twitter.
She says social media is a powerful tool for charities to engage with supporters.
While some charities rely on public support and funding from others, they need to find ways to reach out to their supporters, potential donors and volunteers.
Social media, according to her, can be one of the most effective ways for charities to not only build supporters and boost donations but also to share success stories, or network with like-minded organisations and recruit volunteers.
“I’m very thankful to social media. Besides free marketing, it is also how we get young volunteers to sign up. Almost all our volunteers are below 30 years old,” she says.
CHALLENGES
The charity project has been enhanced in various aspects, including operations, logistics and volunteer numbers.
“In the early days, we had to use various platforms, including social sites, to promote our programme to the public. But now that it is known to many, people have been anticipating our event every Ramadan.
“In terms of operations, it is also smoother now that everyone knows their own duties.
“The biggest challenge is the number of volunteers that we get versus the number of clothes we receive. During the first Baju Raya Project, about 50 people joined our event but the number of baju Raya received were in the thousands. We did not have enough manpower to handle all the clothes. The situation is much better now because of increased awareness and increased number of volunteers,” says Aida.
She says universities with charity societies have also been invited to join their programme as part of their club activities.
With the extra help, they are also able to create a special team that does sewing and minor repair such as those involving the zippers, hooks and buttons.
CHARITABLE MOVE
Having been involved in charity works from an early age, Aida had also organised few other charity programmes under the #TwtUpKaseh initiative.
It is a meet-up for people who are connected through Twitter.
In 2010, Aida started the first #TwtUpKaseh, where she and other Twitter users went to charity homes every two months to do various welfare work.
Aida says it was only in 2013 that she started the Baju Raya Project to focus more on giving away baju Raya and even establishing her own non-governmental organisation, Pertubuhan Projek Kasih, just to focus on the project.
PASSION CONQUERS ALL
Now a mother, Aida says Baju Raya Project has become a part of her life and even that of her team.
Even when she was doing her Masters in Business Administration in the UK, her team handled the programme without a hiccup.
“It was difficult for me to divide my time between charity work and family responsibilities. My team members, numbering about 30, all have day jobs and families but if you love something, you don’t mind spending time for it.
“I don’t see it as a problem as this is what I am passionate about. A good and understanding team also plays a part in organising a successful event,” says Aida, who is a business development manager at a private company.
Her advice to those who want to follow in her footsteps in organising charity events is to not give up even when others doubt what they do. Also, make sure you have trustworthy and loyal team members, she adds.
The biggest challenge is the number of volunteers that we get versus the number of clothes we receive.
Aida Suraya Daud