As we journey through this pandemic together, let’s shine the light on humankind. On humans being kind to one another. Taking care of each other.
Seeing each other through.
Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash
Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash
Through stories. We choose not to feed the virus of fear, but of love. To focus not on isolation, but on connections. Not on differences, but on commonalities that unite us.
So we’re asking you during this time of lockdowns and quarantines:
Where did you see love today? How did you foster a connection? When were you on the receiving end of compassion?
Scroll down for the answers from our community across Asia, and from the Our Better World team.
To submit your own answers, click here. Or post on social media and tag #OurBetterWorld.
Let’s lift our hopes up for each other, together.
1 APRIL 2020
When kindness bridges divides
By Hasan, Founder, Al-Hasan Volunteer Network, Malaysia
During this crisis, everyone is suffering, even our donors. And the communities who usually are suffering the most, suffer more. Not just refugees, but Malaysians who are low income, single mothers and so on. But when we asked our refugees if they wanted to volunteer and cook free meals for frontline healthcare workers, the response was amazing.
This initiative is organised together with Beyond Borders Malaysia. Each day, a different chef will volunteer to cook and we bring to government hospitals to distribute to healthcare workers. We want to show that refugees can contribute and show appreciation during this time.
Refugees in Malaysia cook, pack and deliver meals to frontline workers. (Photo by Hasan Al-Akraa)
Refugees in Malaysia cook, pack and deliver meals to frontline workers. (Photo by Hasan Al-Akraa)
After we shared the initiative it went viral, and 99 per cent of the comments were positive, with Malaysians thanking the refugees. I have never seen this before...usually when you see news on refugees, most comments are negative. But because of this initiative, Malaysians are thanking refugees and saying that refugees are part of their community, and when they used the hashtag #kitajagakita, they included refugees.
When I shared the initiative with the refugee community, I was really scared that no one would participate. But on the first day, we got 10 chefs. Most chefs are happy to participate using their own money. But we managed to raise about RM1,500 (US$340) that will be given to needy families to get groceries. I know the chefs are also struggling, but when they had the chance to give back, they did. I'm really happy to see that.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
We want to hear your stories of humankind.
Where did you see love today? How did you foster a connection? When were you on the receiving end of compassion?
To submit your own answers, click here. Or post on social media and tag #OurBetterWorld.
To read more heartfelt stories from our community, click here.
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