FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME & GRATIS BAZAAR 2021
Inner Wheel Club of Kuala Lumpur North
23 October 2021
On 23 October, seven dedicated members of IWC of Kuala Lumpur North (IWC KLN) and the spouse of President Diana, Mr Wong, took a 3 ½ hour drive to Kampung Sungai Ayer Tawar, Selangor, for a food distribution project.
IWC KLN collaborated with an NGO, “Project MADE” (Make a Difference Everywhere) to provide groceries to 150 underprivileged and poor families, residing in Kampung Sungai Ayer Tawar, Selangor. The groceries comprised rice, noodles, cooking oil, sugar, sardines, soy sauce, curry, chilly and turmeric powder, biscuits, coffee and tea.
IWC KLN has been collaborating with Project MADE for the past 12 years, which was an initiative begun by President Diana Wong. This NGO provides groceries to deserving families prior to the country’s main festivals of Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali. Every year, Ms. Aini of Project MADE will identify families in the Kampung Sungai Ayer Tawar vicinity to bring cheer to deserving families by providing groceries to them.
However, this year, the Club did not manage to undertake this project prior to Chinese New Year and Hari Raya due to the restrictions on travel during the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns.
Besides providing groceries, the Club organized a bazaar known as “Bazaar Gratis” whereby pre-loved clothes, foot wear, handbas, accessories, kitchen ware, bedding and towels, were given away to these 150 families.
Members helped to distribute the provisions and the “Bazar Gratis” items at the Community Hall of Kampung Sungai Ayer Tawar and it took approximately five hours to complete the project. It was tiring but a worthwhile day for all.
The recipients were very emotional and grateful for this kind gesture of receiving the groceries and other items that were so very much needed during the pandemic.
The day ended with members adjourning for a well-deserved, sumptuous seafood lunch at Restaurant Makanan Laut Sin Hai Ping in a fishing village in Kuala Selangor. The lunch was sponsored by President Diana and her spouse, Mr Wong.
After a very satisfying lunch, members resumed the long ride home, and in spite of the fatigue in ensuring the distribution proceeded smoothly, members felt a deep sense of happiness for having extended a helping hand to these needy families.
~ Susan Wilfred