These words, which mean "We thank you very much" are echoed throughout the calls we made to the families who have been sent the food aid as our teams checked in to see how they were doing.
One staff shared that overall sentiment she got was that the families, feeling relieved that they did not have to worry about food, were able to spend more time together. Parents who were not able to spend much time with their children doing homework or even just watching TV were now able to bond with their family through these activities. Truly it is when the families' basic needs are met, they are able to carry a positive attitude throughout this time.
Gratefulness Evokes Generosity
Pn Sarah* who lives with her family of 10 shared that her husband was not able to work during the MCO period and they only had enough rice, eggs and cooking oil to last them 2 days before this. The food aid has helped her a lot and she has been diligent in using the food given to ensure her family has enough to eat for the entire week. She was also generous enough to cook the chicken she received and shared it with her neighbour who didn't have much!
In an excited tone of voice, she said "This Friday I nak masak nasi tomato. I fikir tentang GG juga, nak beri you all tapi susah la masa ini. Next time I masak untuk GG ya, I suka masak boleh buat durian kek, cekodok semua boleh buat." (Translation: This Friday I want to cook tomato rice. I thought about GG as well, wanted to give some to you all but it's not easy to do so during this time. Next time I'll cook for GG, I love cooking and I can make durian cake, fried fritters and all)
Her comment brought a smile to our faces and it has shown us what a kind and generous soul she was.
Relief from Financial Stress
En. Aidil*, a father of 5 and his wife used to sell pisang goreng and kuih before the MCO was enacted. Their daily earnings of RM30-40 was saved up and fortunately he was able to use those savings to purchase some food for their family. However with the MCO extended, he was slowly running out of savings and was deciding between using the savings to pay for his water & electricity bills or continue to buy food. With the funding GG had, we decided to increase the number of families provided for, so En Aidil would have one less worry for his family.
Speaking to his wife after the family received the food aid, she was immensely grateful for the help she received. She explained that they have a big family and being able to feed all 7 of them without an income was hard--especially when they are business owners and are not eligible for the Bantuan Prihatin National (BPN). Before the aid arrived, they were cutting down the number of meals the family ate in a day, but now they didn't have to worry. Also, with the aid she didn't have to burden her two other children who are married and have their own families to care for. Imagine the relief the family experienced with this simple food aid that you have donated to provide.
Shouts of Joy
Pn. Noor* shared that before this the family would only eat egg and fried rice, but with the food aid given, she was thankful she did not have to worry and could plan her meals as the family continued to survive without an income during this MCO period.
"Keluarga saya bagus dan ok sekarang. Saya berasa lega kerana tidak perlu keluar dan amat bersyukur atas bantuan ini. Kalau jimat, makanan boleh tahan satu minggu" (Translation: My family is well and okay now. I feel relieved that I don't have to go out and am thankful for the aid. If I use it sparingly, the food can last me a week).
Speaking to us the day after she received her food aid, Pn. Noor mistakenly said that she did not receive rice when her child excitedly shouted from the background saying "Ada la, ayam pun ada!" Her child sounded elated for the fact that they even had chicken now as part of their meals.
Jutaan Terima Kasih Kami Ucapkan
Those words which we hear every single time from these families are words that we want to direct to all of you who have given in one way or another. Their sense of relief, shouts of joy and even sense of gratefulness is only possible thanks to you. With that, we at GG would also like to say "Jutaan terima kasih", thank you very much for keeping these families and their hopes alive! #KitaJagaKita