Someone Else's Next Meal

The Story

I once attended a soup kitchen in my school days with my friend for the curriculum’s community service requirement. As I was buying food and loading the car with her, I didn’t fully understand just how powerful our actions were going to be that day. When we arrived at the area, I was a little scared - I had never gone to the less bustling areas of the city, let alone at night. There were so many people, they would be the ones we were going to provide for that day. As I set up our food station with my friend and her family, a line began to form. I was previously told that we would be handing out food for less fortunate people, but I was not prepared to see just how many there were. People of all ages walked up to all our stations in an orderly manner, politely accepting the food given to them and enjoying it with each other. But that was then. In 2020, over 5 years later, Malaysia’s poverty rate has shot up to 8.4% due to the pandemic - a shocking increase from the 5.6% seen in 2019 [1]. Within a year, how many lost their jobs? How many struggled to pay for food, let alone rent? How many starved? How many right now have to look at their children and pick which one of them gets to eat today? And that is why I’m here.

Hi, I’m Aminah and I’m a virtual volunteer for AIESEC’s Clean Our Plate volunteer programme. Our target is to reach RM2000 - RM1500 to cover food for soup kitchens and RM500 for operational costs. 

As an added bonus/incentive, when I reach the RM300 mark of this fundraiser, I will bake 100 cookies and donate them to a nearby orphanage. At RM600, 200 cookies. And if I reach RM1000, 300 cookies*. (Cookies may be sent to one or more orphanages** based on the number of children in the orphanage).

Every cent counts.

* Inspired by Joana Ceddia 

** Orphanage suggestions are very welcome.

[1] https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/06/17/poverty-rate-shoots-up-to-8-4-in-2020/

UPDATE (15/8/2021): Thank you so much for helping me reach my target, I will be uploading the video of the making of 600 cookies soon, please give me a week or two, it's a lot of cookies ^^"

For any queries/further information, contact me at @shari_aminah on Instagram or email me at shari.aminah@gmail.com