Feeding the hungry fills the soul

THIS semester, I was part of a class project for students to serve the community and to instil in us a sense of civic responsibility.

We started crowdfunding and volunteered at a food bank to hand out hot meals to the impoverished and homeless community in Kuala Lumpur.

Thanks to our Service Learning Malaysia-university for Society (SULAM) project, I experienced appreciation on a whole new level.

I have volunteered at many food banks and soup kitchens back home, but have never experienced offering my services outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On New Year’s Day, I woke up excited and eager to help. When the team and I arrived, there was already a line of people waiting at the food distribution centre.

As we started distributing the food, I began to ponder about the lives of these individuals.

I always try to look people in the eye because this seems to be the easiest way to connect.

What I had learnt was beyond anything I could anticipate and it was an experience that I will never forget.

A hot meal is something I take for granted every day. I would even complain if I’m served the same thing for two days straight.

But the number of “Thank You’s” and “Happy New Year” wishes I received from the needy for a simple meal of chicken and rice was priceless.

Seeing such gratitude in every gaze has forever changed me. I began to understand how selfish I had been.

Later in the day, we were tasked with giving out packets of food to the homeless, unlike the earlier distribution session where the needy came to us.

There was no need for registration and checking of documents. We were to just go around and hand out food to whoever was in need. I had never done anything quite like this before and was not sure of what to expect.

As we began roaming the streets, I quickly realised that we were encroaching into someone else’s territory and needed to be respectful of their boundaries and reservations.

Most had nothing except for a few personal belongings. I started the conversation by asking, “Makan?”

I desired to help, not to pass judgement. Surprisingly, many politely declined but it was because they had enough to eat for the day and did not want to deprive someone else who had nothing.

Those who accepted the food gave me a glimpse into their lives, and for a few short seconds allowed me to experience both respect and joy. There was trust and I realised that I had much to learn from them.

I am also thankful to each of my teammates for their contributions to the project. I am grateful to them for teaching me patience, endurance and collaboration as these lessons have led to my personal growth.

The unfortunate truth is that hungry people can be found in every city and in every nation yet we often turn a blind eye to their plight. This is the harsh reality of what “survival” really means.

I too am often guilty of turning a blind eye to those in need. We should all do more to help and in the process, gain a new perspective of life.

CHRISTOPHER CARROLL SULAM team lead Universiti Malaya

1. Look for a photograph in today’s copy of the Sunday Star newspaper. Cut it out and paste it in your Star-nie scrapbook. Then, name all the items that you see in the photograph. How many items did you manage to name? Could you name them all in English? As you carried out this activity, did some words come to you first in another language?

2. Now, look for another photograph in the newspaper. It must show at least one person in a Malaysian setting. If you were to ask this person for directions, which language do you think he or she would be able to use most comfortably and effectively with you? With an activity partner, do a role-play using the language that both you and this person in the photograph would be able to use to good effect with each other.

Since 1997, The Star’s Newspaperin-education (Star-nie) programme has supported English language teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. Through Star-nie’s teacher and student workshops, annual contests and monthly English language resources for classroom use, participants of the programme reportedly showed marked interest in the language and progress in their proficiency. Now in its 25th year, Star-nie is continuing its role of promoting the use of English language through a weekly activity page in Staredu. These activities are suitable for use individually and in groups, at home and in the classroom, across varied proficiency levels. Parents and teachers are encouraged to work on the activities with their children and students. In addition, Star-nie’s BRATS Young Journalist Programme will continue to be a platform for participants to hone and showcase their English language skills, as well as develop their journalistic interests and instincts. Follow our updates at facebook.com/niebrats. For Starnie enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.