Some People Call This Home…
The pictures below were taken by one of Kechara Soup Kitchen’s volunteers on their routine food distribution rounds.
At Chow Kit Road
At Dayabumi
This is an extract of a message that I recently received from Ruby Khong, the President of Kechara Soup Kitchen.
“No words can express my frustration after every distribution outing. It’s really very disturbing seeing so many people out in the cold. I feel so so helpless. The only comfort I have is knowing that 500 people will go to sleep tonight not hungry.
I am now back in the comfort of my home, about to take a nice warm shower while they are still out there in the cold with a flattened piece of cardboard as their mattress and a black garbage bag or newspaper as their blanket. The pavement is what they call home.
Good night, Rinpoche. May I never stray from the right path…and always have the resources needed to serve them.”
This is the reality of homelessness in downtown KL. Sad but true. Kechara Soup Kitchen or KSK (http://www.kechara.com/ksk) is doing a great job helping these people by giving food, making a connection with them, talking to them, understanding their problems and eventually helping them to reintegrate into society.
Tsem Rinpoche
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We are so fortunate to have a place called HOME but not to those who are out there having no place to shelter them from sun and rain. To them staying under the bridge or pavement or corridor of shop during the night is call HOME to them. Its sad to see them in that condition, what we could do is only giving them warm foods for that night.
Rinpoche’s own experience years back has him starting Kechara Soup Kitchen or KSK distributing foods to those homeless at least they would not be hungry at night. KSK also provides medical assistance ,help those homeless to get jobs and so forth. Thanks to Rinpoche’s efforts in starting KSK which is now distributing more food packages out in thousands. And more and more volunteers joining to help compare to those years since and many people benefited from it.
Well done….“Hunger Knows No Barriers”
The world that mankind has created is ironic. Everyone is literally born homeless so to speak. If you are fortunate enough to have parents or family to house you while growing up, then you have a “home”. Then you spend the rest of your adult life working so you can earn enough money to buy a place called “home” so you can have a shelter to grow old and die in. Then after you die the property is yours no more.
There are some people who are born into wealth, lived in a luxury house on hundreds of acres land but feels just as homeless as the guy living on the street. In samsara, in this world we all suffer irrespective of our financial or social status.
We cannot change the world we are born it but we can help where we can. What Kechara Soup Kitchen does is more than just feeding the hungry. It’s an offering of hope that life is not all suffering. That maybe for a fraction of a second even out on the street one actually feels “at home” and not homeless.
It is really sad to see the homeless like that. Staying in places that no one will want to if they have the money. I have been on distributions before and it really is saddening to see them like this. With KSK helping them, they are very grateful for the things that they are giving. Can you just imagine how exposed they are? In terms of the germs, bacteria, illnesses that they may get because of this type of living environment. I really feel sad for them. Hopefully one day, all these people and the rest that are like that in the world would all be helped by people, and will help others that are like that in the future.
We always see homeless people on the street but we always think that there are only just few of them. Until we go and see how the homeless live on the street, where they sleep, what they eat and where they usually go. Then we know homeless is not a small issue. It is not just about an individual having problems in his/her life, in fact there are many people who facing the same problem. They really need help, not just food. They need support and they need dignity too!
Thank you Kechara Soup Kitchen for helping them to get back to normal life and have a life, a job eventually a home. There are people who really struggle hard to survive, we have to understand this. Beside feeling how lucky we are, we should offer our help to those who needs help too.
I have participated in KSK rounds and seen the situation with my own eyes. Places which we wont go usually.
Seeing them makes me feel grateful for what I have at the moment. For me, at least there is a roof above my head and I don’t have to worry whether the sun is going to be too strong today or the rain is going to be too heavy tonight. I am free of mosquito bites. In fact, for most of us, we would hope for rainy nights because usually in this kind of environment we will sleep better. For these people, however, they will have to sleep in the cold.
We see sharp contrast between them and those who are living luxurious lifestyles. This makes me think about karma.
In those rounds pictures are taken of them. I wonder if they mind us taking pictures? Or maybe we should at least ask for their permission before we take pictures of them, even if these pictures are taken some distance away from them. I think about privacy and respect for these people. My two cents of thoughts.
Congratulations to the hardworking volunteers of KSK which was inspired by Rinpoche’s own experience with homelessness as a teenager and his subsequent desire to make sure no one is hungry.
KSK is really gives us an oppurtunity to help those less privileged but also to help ourselves become more generous and selfless. If we cannot or do not want to go on the rounds, then donate and support the people who can.
“Hunger Knows No Barriers” is a very important motto. If you x-ray a human of any race or religion, their stomachs are the same, empty. We should never ever discriminate. Feed everyone 😀
What makes them end up on the street? Are they lazy people? Are they mentally challenged? Why can’t they work? Are they sick? where is their family? Why? Is this their destiny in this lfe?
I think what Kechara Soup Kitchen do is really beautiful.
It was on the evening of 13th May 1968. After the National Election of the country. The opposition or the Government takes over to rule tne country. Usually the Government will win. But in this particular year it was the opposition that has won only by a slight margin. There was unrest among the people. A big disruption ensued with burning of houses in areas surrounding the Kampong where I live. I just got married and have a two year old daughter then. Fortunately I had sent her to my parents house for a holiday in another part of the city. There were fighting and burning in front of my house. I and uncle eddie left the house immediately without taking anything except the pajamas I was wearing and my handbag. We were evacuated with a lot of other people to a Chinese Association. This is a racial disharmony among the people. The place was crowded with children and old people. For two weeks we had to share what little food we had that was salvaged from tne sundries shop. There was a curfew in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. We are not allowed to go out. We don’t know wnether ur houses are burnt up or not. My point is I am in directly experiencing the Chinese Association as my home similar to those 1iving on the streets.
Rinpoche always manifests his principles through his actions. Hence he started KSK. Without this initiative there will be a lot more hungry people in KL.
KSK has been exposing a lot of Malaysians to the this community service and giving people a chance to express their love and care for their fellow Malaysians. It is also an opportunity for people to develop a higher state of consciousness by caring for others.
Homeless is not fun anywhere and most people are homeless not out of choice. For some, homelessness is an invisible phenomena – they choose not to see it (out of sight out of mind thing). Perhaps there is fear that maybe one day they may in that situation. Actually, if we lack spiritual practice or lacking good civic mindedness, the chances are that one day, we could end up in that state through karmic repercussions. We could be just one breadth away from it. So it is good practice to give aid always whether it be physical or monetary. Like many charitable organisations, KSK relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers. The KL homeless people are a little ‘fortunate’ to have KSK. Thanks to Rinpoche’s efforts in starting KSK which is now distributing more food packages out. I would also like to applaud the many very young volunteers doing the KSK rounds. They are setting good examples for more to follow and the media coverage also helps greatly to create awareness in the population.
This is indeed a stark reminder to the vast contrast of a so called modern society. From the lap of luxury some of us live in, to the people mentioned and shown above, who just live on a day to day existence. Whilst most of us grumble that we merely get by on day to day basis, we should stop and think how incredibly fortunate to, at the very least, have a roof over our heads and food on our plates.
How we live such deluded lives where we think we are always the victims! My mother always told me, “no matter where you are in life, there will always be someone much better off than you and someone less fortunate. Hence do not let pride rear it’s ugly head and always be thankful. Do not forget where you come from and always give where you can. If it is from the heart, no act is too large or too small” It has taken most of my adult life to realise this incredible perception she had.
My most heartfelt wishes and dedications to my mother and all mothers out there, especially the lonely ones on the cold hard concrete floors at night. May they find solice and friendship in the kind efforts and compassion of Kechara’s Angels of the Night!
Much love to Rinpoche, Ruby and her dedicated team!
Ruby’s sincerity is incredibly moving, and shows you just how passionate she is about KSK. No wonder KSK has come this far, from 20 packets of food per week back in 2006 to more than 850 packets per week in 2010. And the number grows each week as more volunteers and sponsors step forward to give back to their community and society.
Homelessness is sad, it is desperate, it is an ugly truth and we may never be able to wipe it out completely. But thanks to the kindness of philanthropists like Ruby Khong, we can reduce the problem and relieve their suffering as much as we can. No wonder Ruby was named one of the heroes of philanthropy by Forbes http://www.kechara.com/soup-kitchen/press/press-coverage/forbes-features-philanthropy/
Take Ruby’s example to heart – don’t ignore what is right in front of your eyes. Homelessness is real. Please help.
When you join the KSK team hand out the food to the homeless,you will feel how fortunate you are to have roof on top and food on table, cherish whatever we have and don’t waste food.
KSK actually not only provide the homeless hot food but also help them out from the street by helping them to get a job ,
so please help the homeless by supporting KSK .
It is very disheartening to see all these homeless sleeping out in the open, hungry, thirsty, lonely and lost. Looking at them suffering, our pains and sufferings just disappear. KSK has come a long way and with a dedicated and hardworking team, they are doing a great job in helping and feeding the homeless and needy come rain or shine. Not only that, KSK also provides medical assistance and tries to help those who are not old, sick or weak to get jobs.
By giving our time, effort and money towards helping the homeless and needy, we are actually helping ourselves by practicing the act of generosity and cutting away our miserliness. We are so blessed and fortunate that we are not one of them out there, so please help by supporti ng KSK either in time or money.
Congratulations to the hardworking volunteers of KSK – another vital department of Kechara, which was inspired by Rinpoche’s own experience with homelessness as a teenager and his subsequent desire to make sure no one is hungry.
KSK is really an opportunity – not just for us to help those less privileged but also to help ourselves get out of ourselves. How many people do you know who are depressed because of small, minor issues? How many teenagers grumble at their parents for not having the latest gadget? If only they could see the people who don’t have anything and are on the streets, they would get a different perspective on their lives.
The beauty of KSK is that it helps both donor and recipient. If we cannot or do not want to go on the rounds, then donate and support the people who can. The important thing is to DO something, before it’s too late – for them and ourselves.
What Ruby says is very true. There is a feeling of helplessness towards what we can do for those whose karma has manifested. There is only so much we can do for them to decrease their sufferings. Usually, to make in someone’s life or situation for the better is very much dependable on their own mind, effort, realization and sometimes even blessings.
However, in cases such as the homeless people, it is very difficult for them to even help themselves now. Be it too sick, too old, mental illness not treated, etc to do so. It’s not as easy as just getting a job to get them off the streets. Some of them need psychology treatment and how are they supposed to work?
Hence, let’s not wait till the last minute to help others. It’s either we stand and watch or do something before it’s too late to do so.
KSK is being led by a incredible team and its growth is powered by true compassion of its Committee. Ruby and her team lead by example and they actually lead from the front. Ruby, Julia and Justin are living examples of Dharma in action, and are true inspirations. May i also continue to be encouraged by their example and not tire of serving the cause.
It’s very sad, in fact it is too sad for words. I was with Justin and Ruby in the route to Chow Kit (pictured above). If you see that picture, you’ll notice a lady lying on the pavement. Yes, that is her home.
I last saw her in 2006 when I volunteered on that route with Su Ming and Justin. Her name is Rose or Rosie. She was much healthier in 2006 and she even made herself presentable despite the fact that she was sleeping on the sidewalk. There was still some sort of dignity in her.
Now she looks completely wasted away, as if she is half the person I saw in 2006. She is definitely fading away fast. It is very painful to watch. It is exactly as Ruby described in her text above.
May KSK truly save more lives.