6 degrees apart
Monday, January 08, 2007
The Other Side of Kuala Lumpur...
How the discarded lives...
This evening, I did something totally out of the ordinary. Well, out of the ordinary of my daily life, that is. I went out into the streets of Kuala Lumpur with the Kechara Soup Kitchen team to distribute packets of food to the homeless. There were about 21 of us, from all walks of life, of different ages, genders, and races. And we were divided into 4 groups to scour the different parts of KL to feed the homeless.
My team walked from Central Market to Masjid India, just behind Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, and then made a full round of Masjid India, before we walked all the way down to Pudu Raya. OK, I have to be honest here, I have never walked so much in my life! Especially not in the streets of KL!
There is so much of KL which I certainly don't know, and wouldn't want to know. Seriously, I was really quite afraid of getting mugged, hurt or harmed in any way. But soon my fears gave way to feelings of sadness and pity. Because there are just so many homeless in the streets - our streets, in KL. There are the blind ones, the handicapped ones, the drug addicts and even small children accompanying their parents.
There was this lady who was crouching outside of KL Plaza. Her face looks like as if someone has poured acid all over it. I could hardly see her face, or even make out what is her age. I couldn't even see a proper nose or eye lids on her face. There's a hole for a mouth but no lips. It was a real pitiful sight.
Of course, we heard the stories about how there is a syndicate running a scam in KL, placing all these homeless or beggars on the streets to get so-called 'pity money' from passers by. Whether there is any truth in these scams or not, it still didn't change the way I felt when I saw them. They can't be living it easy or any comfortably in any case. Being trapped in their bodies, their situations and there seems little that they can do to change their circumstances.
Now, I have always known just how very lucky I am. I mean, I do know that I lead a priviledged life. I am blessed with so many things that are denied of many people out there.
To be honest, I cannot tell you how it feels to sleep on the side walks, or under bridges and never knowing where your next meal is coming from. I cannot tell you how it feels to shudder in the chilly rainy nights, and scutter away in an alley like some animal. I can't because it's something I do not wish to experience or know. In fact, these are the very things I usually turn a blind eye to, or look away. Because it's simply easier when we don't have to know or deal with it.
No matter what, I can't imagine what's it like to live on the streets. I can donate food and distribute to the poor or homeless, but I still go back to my nice car, comfortable bed and sleep. I can go out and buy myself a nice meal and I can choose from a vast variety of food to stuff my face with. So, yes, I have the easier life and I am luckier than they are. And I wouldn't want to change places with any one of them, never.
If it was not for this Kechara Soup Kitchen program to feed the homeless, I would never even imagine walking down the streets in KL, and meeting these people, looking into their eyes and shaking their hands. When you look at their hands, then you'll know what a hard and tough life is all about.
We sit in our comfortable surroundings and we complain how tough out lives are, but we really have no clue how scary and cruel it can be to be discarded out there. There is really no one to help you or protect you, and you literally have nothing to live by.
I am in my wonderful air con room now, typing this whole experience - outside there will be screams that I won't hear, cries which may never be comforted, and human lives which seem no different than those of street rats.
This is the great divide - how the other half lives, those which we will never think about, or even mourn for when they die, because their lives have no value in society.
Now, I seriously don't know if we brought any comfort or warmth at all when we go out there and give them food every Saturday evening. I don't even know if we are really helping them for just that one day. But what I do know is that it has certainly done its job in affecting me.
I will not view them in the same way, nor will I view my life in the same way as I used to.
This evening, I did something totally out of the ordinary. Well, out of the ordinary of my daily life, that is. I went out into the streets of Kuala Lumpur with the Kechara Soup Kitchen team to distribute packets of food to the homeless. There were about 21 of us, from all walks of life, of different ages, genders, and races. And we were divided into 4 groups to scour the different parts of KL to feed the homeless.
My team walked from Central Market to Masjid India, just behind Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, and then made a full round of Masjid India, before we walked all the way down to Pudu Raya. OK, I have to be honest here, I have never walked so much in my life! Especially not in the streets of KL!
There is so much of KL which I certainly don't know, and wouldn't want to know. Seriously, I was really quite afraid of getting mugged, hurt or harmed in any way. But soon my fears gave way to feelings of sadness and pity. Because there are just so many homeless in the streets - our streets, in KL. There are the blind ones, the handicapped ones, the drug addicts and even small children accompanying their parents.
There was this lady who was crouching outside of KL Plaza. Her face looks like as if someone has poured acid all over it. I could hardly see her face, or even make out what is her age. I couldn't even see a proper nose or eye lids on her face. There's a hole for a mouth but no lips. It was a real pitiful sight.
Of course, we heard the stories about how there is a syndicate running a scam in KL, placing all these homeless or beggars on the streets to get so-called 'pity money' from passers by. Whether there is any truth in these scams or not, it still didn't change the way I felt when I saw them. They can't be living it easy or any comfortably in any case. Being trapped in their bodies, their situations and there seems little that they can do to change their circumstances.
Now, I have always known just how very lucky I am. I mean, I do know that I lead a priviledged life. I am blessed with so many things that are denied of many people out there.
To be honest, I cannot tell you how it feels to sleep on the side walks, or under bridges and never knowing where your next meal is coming from. I cannot tell you how it feels to shudder in the chilly rainy nights, and scutter away in an alley like some animal. I can't because it's something I do not wish to experience or know. In fact, these are the very things I usually turn a blind eye to, or look away. Because it's simply easier when we don't have to know or deal with it.
No matter what, I can't imagine what's it like to live on the streets. I can donate food and distribute to the poor or homeless, but I still go back to my nice car, comfortable bed and sleep. I can go out and buy myself a nice meal and I can choose from a vast variety of food to stuff my face with. So, yes, I have the easier life and I am luckier than they are. And I wouldn't want to change places with any one of them, never.
If it was not for this Kechara Soup Kitchen program to feed the homeless, I would never even imagine walking down the streets in KL, and meeting these people, looking into their eyes and shaking their hands. When you look at their hands, then you'll know what a hard and tough life is all about.
We sit in our comfortable surroundings and we complain how tough out lives are, but we really have no clue how scary and cruel it can be to be discarded out there. There is really no one to help you or protect you, and you literally have nothing to live by.
I am in my wonderful air con room now, typing this whole experience - outside there will be screams that I won't hear, cries which may never be comforted, and human lives which seem no different than those of street rats.
This is the great divide - how the other half lives, those which we will never think about, or even mourn for when they die, because their lives have no value in society.
Now, I seriously don't know if we brought any comfort or warmth at all when we go out there and give them food every Saturday evening. I don't even know if we are really helping them for just that one day. But what I do know is that it has certainly done its job in affecting me.
I will not view them in the same way, nor will I view my life in the same way as I used to.
1 Comments:
it really shakes up one's comfort zone, doesn't it? the question will be for how long. how long before we forget? how long before we go on with our ordinary lives and discard things without a thought of how the unfortunate could have benefited from it, waste resources like there is no tommorow? let's hope: never.
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