What A Day- The Better Bits.

And from a fairly interesting, if somewhat stressful start, (not good for my blood pressure which is why I wasn't feeling so great in the first place), things just got better.

Better in a sort of strange way. I mean the work on our second run last night was fairly tough, and somewhat unusual.

The tough parts....well being down the river at the Lost City and seeing sound asleep one of our girls who we had helped get off the street some months ago to give birth was back, sound asleep and next to her, her baby. Under a flyover, on the riverbank. Let them sleep and follow up was the decision.

One of our street friends at Bangkok Bank, wrapped up in a blanket and suffering from a flu and fever. Quick examination, normal flu symptoms, some medication and extra water and on to the next location.

Watching the water rise in the river at the Lost City and ensuring that some of the street folks were keeping watch to raise the alarm if it came too high.

Being asked to examine a chap at McDonalds Kota Raya who had just been in a fight with some Indian guys. He was bleeding slightly from his nose, cut lip, cut above his left eye, left eye swollen and bruised. Problem was he had been drinking and heavily.

He would not respond properly to allow me to 'repair' him.

An examination revealed no broken bones, breathing normal, pulse rate normal, no lacerations to vital areas.

 He resisted this examination and so I left some painkillers, iodine solution, bandages, plasters, and cotton wool to his friend to get him cleaned up when he woke properly. Nothing abnormal about his condition which looked worse than it actually was. Left him some clean shirts to put on after his friend cleaned him up in the morning.

Then there was the good stuff.

I got the micky taken out of me by some of our street friends at the Lost City for losing the plot earlier in the afternoon which Feexa found most amusing, bless her.

One of the guys at Bangkok Bank who had been unwell for a couple of weeks and who we treated for his flu symptoms was much improved and back to his normal self.

We got an amazing 130 packs of beautiful food from our volunteer Sharul from Bank Islam who had left his wedding reception to bring them down to us at 11.30pm. I can only image what  his 'abandoned' new wife must have thought hehehehehehehehehe!!
Seriously though, what compassion from Sharul. Respect.

And then there was the Masjid India incident.

We had delivered some boxes of clothes and the street guys were going through selecting what they needed. One of our 'ladyboys' who is on the street there stepped up and began selecting some gents shirts.

The guy then went to a box of ladies clothes, selected a blouse and handed it to our "ladyboy".

The conversation went something like this:
Ladyboy... " why you giving ladies clothes to me? For what?"
Guy... "cause thats what you wear right?"
Ladyboy... " who says so?"
Guy... " this is more suitable for you".
Ladyboy... "you wanna make fun of me?"
Guy... "just trying to help. Its pretty and your style".
Ladyboy... "so you wanna make fun of me. You dont make fun of me. Maybe your parents were same as me you know".
Guy... "huh?"
This was related to me by Feexa who observed this. I was off with the crew at the other end of Masjid India at the time. Feexa giggled a lot after this incident!

One of our homeless at Masjid India wrapped up in his blanket with his cat also wrapped up in his blanket sleeping side by side together.

Stopping at the Lost City to be met with one of our furry friends who runs up to me as soon as he sees me, every time, without fail. I get a meow, a bit of rubbing on my leg and a welcome that makes your eyes tear up.

Listening to Melvin's stories from Klang operations some that really crack me up.

Standing and watching our volunteers go about their work and knowing that every night our boys and girls are out there doing the same.

There is a camaraderie in Reach Out that goes beyond words or writing.

I had a note from Amin in Germany before I set out on our 2nd run last night. It said that it was Saturday and despite the time difference he knew we would be setting out for our run and that he missed us. He just wanted to say that he missed us.

No words, no writing can really explain properly the ups and downs of what we do.
But we do it. Again and again, and again, and again.

Because we can. Because we care. Because they need our help.

What a day!

What A Day- The Early Part!

I suppose that everything happens for a reason.

Ive given up trying to understand why and just accept that, well, that is how it is.

Yesterday is a good example of the highs and lows, the tests and balances of working with Reach Out.

I was not in the best frames of mind yesterday, (what do you mean that's normal for me)? I am normally quite sensible, (yeah ok its a 50/50 shout on that), but I try!

Ive been a bit under the weather recently and was in no real mood to be screwed about.

You see, I will never accept rudeness or nothing less than the truth. That's just who I am.

So when I get confronted with that I tend to do my 'Hulk' thing.

And so it came to pass that yesterday afternoon 'The Hulk' came out in full force.

We have had a particular 'difficulty' with one of our lady street folks before, trying to steal food, bitching and complaining about everything. She is well known amongst the street folks for her bad attitude.

So yesterday she receives her food from us as normal together with the other 200+ we served at Bus Stand Klang.

We decided to donate some clothes we recently got over the last two weeks and last Saturday and yesterday we arranged queues for ladies and gents, got the clothes out and began to distribute. Actually, what we do is have them queue up and then help them one by one select suitable garments from our clothes boxes.

This particular lady is first in the queue. She selects some items and then moves off. All is good. but then she comes back pushing others out of the way. So I stop her and ask her to rejoin the queue at the end of the line.

I then see her going to the side of the mens queue and snatching clothes from one of our elderly gents who is in the queue selecting his clothes. I snatch them back and then ban her from the line. She is told to go away and that we will not serve her.

She then accuses me of not providing food, which I refute as I personally served her about 30 minutes earlier. I am then subject to a torrent of filth, to which, as this is a Chinese lady, I respond to in some fairly street Cantonese I know, (one of the great things the Royal Hong Kong Police taught me)! I am then forced to follow her up and down the street to make sure she does not rejoin the queue and disturb those who have been queuing patiently.

Filth after filth is spewed from this womans mouth, I'm a "bastard', a "fucking uneducated Australian", (which amused me being Scottish), told to "fuck off bastard you don't belong here", a "fucking asshole European", to "get out of my country bastard you dont belong here", that my wife was a "filthy fucking whore", to name just a few of the lovely expressions thrown my way.

I must admit I raised my voice slightly ( well actually she got the full force of my flowery Scottish vocabulary, and of course the said Cantonese).

Amazingly enough I was approached by numerous of our street friends after this who thanked me for putting her in her place as they were fed up with her attitude.

You see, rudeness wont be tolerated. Lies wont be tolerated in the work that I do.

We are volunteers. We do this out of our care and our compassion.

Others may say well just walk away. I don't think so.

Why?

Because if one person is allowed to get away with that the whole fabric of what we do disintegrates and others will become the same as that lady. The trust is gone as others on the street will think that we don't care about order, commitment, care, fairness.

I hope that the lesson she learned yesterday will change her but I doubt it as she has done this so many times before.

What a start to an amazing day.

Amin Parvizi- Street Warrior

This is not the end of the story. Its just the story so far.
Amin told me a couple of weeks ago that he had applied for a visa to work in Germany after completing his studies here in Malaysia.
Last night (21st April), he advised that his visa had been approved and that he would be leaving Malaysia on Monday night to fly home to Iran, sort out a few issues, and then fly into his new life in Germany shortly after.
Why is this important?
Well to me it is because Amin is a true Reach Out Street Warrior.
He never missed a Saturday Midnight Run in three years. He came and helped out on other days as well.
Amin was part of the transition from Reach Org to Reach Out.
He participated in our revolution. He supported our revolution. He was part of our revolution.
On festivals such as Christmas and New Year when I was at the Al Wira alone for the Midnight Run, Amin came.
In fact last Christmas and New Year there was myself, Amin, two other Iranian friends, and a lady from Khazakstan as the team.
When he had things to do, he would still come down and meet us, have a smoke and a cup of teh tarik, deliver some packets of food, and then go do what he needed to.
We rode together first in my car, then in my companies Hilux (which Amin particularly liked as it had roof lights and a siren which we used to blast at rampits who used to annoy us on our rounds), and recently in our White Machine (the Reach Out van).
We have a common friend, Benson and Hedges cigarettes which we would share as we watched the world pass by. Amin never forgot to leave Pak Cik Jamal, one of our old street friends, two cigarettes on his pillow wherever he slept on the streets as Jamal liked a smoke when he woke up and had his food that we had delivered.
We chatted as we went round, on life, religion, politics, our homes, our lives, the street folks, and what needed to be done. We shared the same vision on many things.
Amin's first words of Bahasa Melayu were 'makan, makan'! Shortly thereafter came 'teh tarik dua'!
He made me laugh when things were tough, or just because he thought something was amusing.
I never saw him angry or frustrated and he showed a level of compassion to the street folks that amazed me. Time after time after time.

Those of us who had the privilege to work with him have benefited from his kindness, his care, his amazing ability to keep running even at 5am.

He is and will always be a true inspiration.

I will miss his companionship and his friendship on the streets with us.

Amin said to me just once the following..." if you want to ask God for something, do it whilst you are working in Reach Out. Do it while you are on the streets, because God sees you and knows you during this time".

That shows you who he really is.

We will meet again. We will work together again. Of that I am sure.

Amin we wish you a safe journey to your loved ones back in Iran.
We wish you a successful career and may God grant you everything you wish.
You will never be forgotten by those into whose life you came and by those poor and needy that you served with such care and kindness.

Thank you from all of us in Reach Out, and thank you my brother for showing the world that pure humanity does exist.

Why Why Tell Us Why?

I'm not a frantic blogger. Nor am I a regular blogger.
But sometimes when I have something to say I use this medium.
And I have something to say.
People might wonder why I blog about the Kechara folks. Well... cause it needs to be said.
In our Reach Out work we come across all sorts of things and when I see issues that go against what the real NGO's are trying to do, then, well, I'm sorry but it has to be said.
I had one of those WHAT THE HELL moments last night on our 2nd Sat Run, the one that starts after midnight.
For years we have been the only NGO going to a place we named "The Lost City".
You find it by going onto a path behind Bus Stand Klang, down a narrow alleyway and under a couple of flyovers.
It is not an easy place to find and is a 'safe haven' for many of the street folks as they are normally undisturbed by authorities.
It is an area where there are no cars. Only a small motorcylce track is there. It is on the riverside and is home to scores of homeless and poor and also cats and kittens.
And funnily enough yesterday it became home to a small python that was found and is being taken care of by one of our street friends.
It is a quiet place where folks sleep in the open, and cats and kittens, (and there are many) play and run around freely.
Imagine my surprise when we turn up at our normal time of about 1am to meet our friends, give some food and also feed the cats and kittens, to find a large gang from the Kechara Soup Kitchen there.
They have never been there before.
Ok so if you want to feed good, although I strongly disagree with the vegetarian food that you give out (and its questionable halal authenticity), and the fact that we know where the money that you raise for KSK actually goes (or most of it anyway), but WHY WHY TELL US WHY did you try and go there before us?
Why did you go there after all these years to a place where you have never gone?
Why try and compete in areas that you know are already served by Reach Out?
Why are you trying to compete?
How did you find out? Were you watching us or Reach Out on the TV and decided to try and take over an area where you can claim some sort of perverted glory?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE IN KECHARA?
Actually that is a rhetorical question cause we know.
But apart from this I want to know this...
WHAT WERE YOU DOING DRIVING A KANCIL INTO THAT AREA ALONG A MOTORCYCLE TRACK WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE SLEEPING IN THE OPEN AND CATS AND KITTENS RUNNING AROUND?
One word...MORONS. Absolute total idiots and a danger to those on the street.
So now I suppose you will be advertising on your facebook and web site that you are feeding at the Lost City (or whatever name you will come up with).
For goodness sake, there are enough homeless and poor in many areas for you to go and feed and put yourself out as bloody hero's. There is no need to steal into areas already covered by other NGO's.
We don't. We respect those areas covered by other NGO's and stay out.
So, why why tell me why do you do this Kechara?
If you all want are hero's medals and more Datoships good luck to you but the world will know what you really are.
I will keep blogging about you and so will our crew.
I know.
We know and those on the streets know.

For Minime

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Anjung Singgah (or the Reach Out Centre as was its original name)- The Real Story.

In April, 2010, Reach Out was promised a building in which to establish a 'one stop solution' facility for the eradication of poverty in Kuala Lumpur.
This was promised by Dato Seri Sharizat during her street food run organised by Reach Out for her to see the reality of life on the streets. It was also on film as TV3 (who came with Dato Seri) caught the promise.
This was as the reuslt of Reach Out submitting a Strategy Paper on Eradication of Poverty to Dato Seri's ministry some time earlier.
Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN), were directed by Dato Seri Sharizat, the Minister for Women, Children and Community Development to find a suitable building.
Reach Out worked with YKN, located an agreeable facility situated at No. 28-32 Jalan Hang Leku, Kuala Lumpur, and proceeded with the design of the facility.
In addition Reach Out submitted a full revised strategy paper to the Ministry in support of the establishment of the building which was accepted in totality.
Regrettably, at a Ministry meeting some months later it was announced by YKN that they would operate the building themselves calling it their One Stop Intervention Centre.
Reach Out's strategy and design, floor plans, asset lists and SOP's were presented by YKN as their own at this meeting. No mention of Reach Out.
Reach Out then withdrew from all further communication with Government on the issue of urban and rural poverty.
The building was opened officially in early December 2010 and to date has not operated fully.
On the 25th January, 2011, I and other Reach Committee members, accompanied by Ms. Patricia Lum of the MCLA, were invited to an urgent meeting of the YKN Board at the building in Jln Hang Leku. We attended and met with the committee and Board of YKN, with the meeting being chaired by the Head of the Board Toh Puan Sri Wan Hibatul Hidayah binti Wan Ismail who we last met in April 2010 when Toh Puan and Dato Seri Sharizat came on the streets with us for a food run.
The meeting was very cordial and it was announced that YKN wished to appoint Reach Out as their partner in the operation of this building.
Reach Out would be given complete management discretion and control over the running of the building with YKN paying for the rental, utilities, upkeep and maintenance of the facility.
Reach Out will be able to implement its agreed strategy for the eradication of poverty which includes not only food provision at the facility, but the deployment of DBKL, Labour, Welfare, a Doctors clinic, counselling facilities and also temporary accommodation for both male and female persons in need.
The strategy outlined by Reach Out is to have a three day turnround of those given accommodation with the emphasis on the Government agencies to provide housing/work/welfare within that period to ensure we reintegrate those in need within that three day period.
It was clear that YKN had no idea how to implement the strategy they had stolen from us.
Upon agreement of all of Reach Out's issues raised at the meeting and after inspection of the premises where we found the renovation to be in line with Reach Out's earlier plans, I agreed, subject to ratification by the Board of Reach Out, to accept the independent management of this facility with YKN being the landlord.
I did this despite the earlier betrayal, as I believed in our Reach Out strategy to eradicate poverty with this facility being crucial at the time to this.
This would have been a first for Malaysia and provide the model for centres such as this to be developed in other states which will lead to a strong and effective safety net for the eradication of poverty.
In March 2011 we met to discuss the MOU. Present were Kementrian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga Dan Masyarakat officials and also YKN officials.
After this meeting and the presentation of our MOU, YKN then presented their own MOU which included none of the items from Reach Out's document. No mention of any facilities to eradicate poverty only that the facility would house a few folks, feed them, and then they could go back onto the street.
I rejected their MOU as it was told to me that it was not negotiable, and we withdrew from this project permanently.
So they betrayed us by taking out ideas and presenting them as their own, and then realising they couldn't in fact run it, they came back.
We stepped up again for the interest of our street friends and again we were betrayed.
That's what happened. I have all of the documents, minutes, designs, letters, SOP's, email correspondence to prove what happened.
So has the Kementrain/YKN Anjung Singgah facility worked?
How many have been taken off the streets and reintegrated?
Why are there still so many on the streets?
Why are we receiving continual reports of abuses in the facility?
You kind folks decide.

Detachment- Its Not Inhumanity.

There is a syndrome, (would you believe that it was identified in Sweden, where all these syndromes seem to be identified), which is called Volunteer Syndrome.
Apparently it works like this....

People who are involved in voluntary work eventually succumb at some time during their work to various feelings:- depression, resentment, anger, hopelessness, guilt, fear.
These emotions are a direct result of what volunteers see and experience and are part of the process of helping those in need.

In some cases it can be severe with symptoms such as lack of sleep, nightmares, feelings of being inadequate.

The good folks in Sweden who identified this say its quite normal. It may be quite normal but for those who experience this it can be an experience that questions many things in our mind.

Most of us go through this. If you have compassion you do this work. If you do this work you get these feelings from time to time.

I have. I continue to do so from time to time.

But at least I know its 'normal', (that is if I can actually be considered normal at the best of times hehehe)!

An example of this Volunteers Syndrome can be seen from time to time in Reach Out's Street Feeding Programme.

We know that there are an estimated 790,000 hard core poor in Malaysia. We distribute about 2,000 packs of food to those in need each week in Kuala Lumpur.

Look at that number and it seems that Reach Out is doing nothing for those that are hungry!

I say, look again!

If we didn't feed 2,000 who will? Who will give them food? Who will give them clothes? Who will care?

It would be easy to allow our emotions to overwhelm us.

We need to feed more. We need to get everybody off the street now.

Indeed that is a noble vision and something we aspire to. But we have to be realistic and do what we can. Otherwise the Volunteers Syndrome takes over.

And if that happens we become so questioning about the state of affairs we forget the objective which is to inspire those on the street that we care enough to get out there with them and do what we can.

Regrettably another cause of Volunteers Syndrome is the street folks themselves. Sometimes the way they interact with us causes us to question what we are doing.

It could be that they want more.

Want something we can not provide.

Want things for nothing.

Expect us to do everything without any contribution from them themselves.

That contribution is important for if the street folks don't take responsibility for their lives, (all be it with some help from us at Reach Out), all we are doing is creating dependency.

And the more they become depended the more chance we become emotionally involved, and then the Volunteers Syndrome raises its ugly head more frequently. And we lose sight of the objective.

That's why I have said in the heading to this blog Detachment - its Not Inhumanity.

Humanity means we care. Detachment doesn't mean we don't care.

Humanity means we will and can help. Detachment doesn't mean that we won't and can't help those in need.

Detachment means that we treat ever single person we meet on the street the same. That we recognise that some of our street friends will complain, demand, push our heart strings.

Why?
Because they can. Because they are humans and that's the way humans act.
If they complain there isn't enough food on the street I ask myself, 'what are you doing to get yourself off the street and reduce the burden on NGO's like us'.

I know who they are. Been working with them long enough. The ones who complain are the ones who we have tried to get off the street and wont go.

Don't get me wrong. I care for them the same way that I care about all the folks on the street.

Its just that we have to identify who they are.

From that we can overcome the symptoms and emotions we feel doing this work.

Volunteer Syndrome...it aint gonna get me because I have committed myself to this work, with the best that I can, when I can, with what I can.

I understand the street. The street folks have taught me. And I know that every volunteer with Reach Out does the same, the best they can with what they have got.

So humanity and detachment go hand in hand.

If every doctor cried at what they see would we have any doctors left?

What we do makes a difference you know.

That's what keeps us going.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm a sort of 'part time' blogger. Not that I don't want to post but just haven't got the time.

There is so much I want to share but its difficult sometimes to express what I see and experience with Reach Out.

Words really can't adequately describe some of the things.

But I try. Because I feel that sometimes things need to be said.

The last couple of months in Reach Out have been totally amazing.

I always wanted to have an NGO that could empower people to take up the cause of eradicating poverty under our guidance and support, but that was so difficult to establish before because of personalities within the organisation.

The energy was dark, false, without substance.

And now...amazing!

We have so many volunteers, not stay at home read the face book folks, but guys and girls who get onto the street and walk the frontline.
Young folks.
Folks who do this with no other reason than it needs to be done.

And then there are our sponsors. Not all large corporations, but students, housewife's, kids, who donate food, bring water, buy curry puffs, bake cakes, cook their own food with friends.

This is community at its best, everyone sharing and working for those in need.

And that's how it should be.

That's what I always envisioned when I started Reach Out way back when.

Now there is light, truth, and solidity. The energy has to be felt to be believed.

The Run Leaders, Zakir, Hasif, Hafiz, Khairul, Mutaquim, bring an energy of care and compassion to what they do.
I see how our street friends react and engage with our volunteers. There is a respect for them and it goes both ways.
Our people give dignity to those in need. They work quietly with focus, care and true compassion.
They truly inspire, not just others to volunteer with Reach Out, but inspire the poor to get up and take control of their lives.

Because they see that we care. That we give them the voice that they don't have. That we work the hours that nobody else does and in places where nobody else goes.

There's Feexa who works tirelessly for sponsor hip, arranging CSR and other programmes, helping folks get onto the street and work in our programmes. Even at midnight she is available to talk with volunteers, sponsors and the like, making sure all is well for Reach Out.

There's Jenny who works quietly in the background with all the secretarial and administrative needs for the organisation.

There's Maple and Tiki, committee members who live now in Bangkok, but who have been with us since the beginning, and who never miss a committee meeting and are always supporting us although they may be in another country.

There's Dato' Mustafa, who lets me use our offices for packing and storing, and also lets my boys run around delivering and collecting goodies we need for operations.

Each person adding something in their own way for the needs of others.

I may not be the most spiritual person in the world (yes I pray, believe, fulfil my obligations, and live my life as I have been commanded to do), but I do believe, without any doubt, that I am blessed to be able to do this work and work with the people who form the "Reach Out family".

So the darkness ends. The falsehood evaporates. The substance holding back the positive has melted into insignificance.

And there is light, clean, clear and bright. There is truth in the work and the objectives. There is a solid core to those who work with Reach and call themselves volunteers, who are proud of what they do and why they do it.

And that will be the everlasting legacy for those individuals, for Reach Out, and for those we serve.

The colours of Reach Out will always be there as long as someone is in need.