JOHOR BARU: Driven by empathy, Poonam Singh, leader of a non-governmental-organisations of expatriate housewives called Glocal Helping Hands (GHH), led her band of do-gooders this week in response to the mushrooming of white flags in this southern state capital.
"It's heartrending what we saw at the homes where white flags were hoisted – children with hungry looks, mothers distraught at their helplessness before hungry children and jobless husbands," said this wife of an expatriate engineer who four years ago got a band of like-minded women to form GHH to help the less fortunate.
From yesterday, GHH dug into their resources to go around this city to help several families that raised the white flag and others in similarly dire straits.
The ladies from the NGO, wearing the green T-shirts that are its identifying colours, surveyed conditions at the homes which hoisted white flags where they distributed food parcels containing the standard fare of rice, cooking oil, noodles, sardine cans, eggs, milk and milo tins.
"Heaven knows these families need food that's more substantive like meat and vegetables, but this is what we can afford to give them at the present moment," said Poonam.
"The whole of this week we will go around to the desperate and the distraught to provide them with food parcels," she added, in line with their NGO's catchphrase 'Lend a hand, fill a heart'.
"This is the least we can do for people who would otherwise be helpless and starving. Adults may be able to starve but children can't," Poonam said emphatically.
She stressed that many families really need help these days but they can't say it aloud so they hoist the white flags.
A grateful recipient of GHH's largess was Muniandy Ramasamy, 56, a dialysis patient and amputee.
Muniandy, who also suffers from asthma, worked as a prison warden in Singapore but lost his job when Covid-19 broke out early last year.
He said, "Life was like a turned turtle for me. I can't support my family now."
His only daughter is 14 years old and is in school while his wife is a homemaker. The family lives in a low-cost flat in Plentong.
"This has been the worst year for us and I don't know what would happen to my family if something happens to me," he said amid sobs.
He expressed his gratitude to GHH for dropping by to provide the necessary rations for his family.
Another recipient of GHH's food parcel, Yow Kow, 67, lives with his wife who is wheelchair-bound in a low-cost housing area in Taman Rinting, Masai.
Yow has four children who are people with disabilities. They reside with him.
"It's not easy when four of your children are OKU," said Yow.
He said he has to keep watch over his wife who has been in a wheelchair for several years now.
"I'm thankful to GHH for extending their hands to us especially when we are facing a tough time," said Yow.
Yet another recipient was Kamaruzaman Yusoff, 62, who lives with his wife Rashidah Jaafar, 60, and an only daughter Nor Kamariah Kamaruzaman, 34.
Kamaruzaman is wheelchair-bound while his daughter suffers from cerebral palsy.
His wife is a homemaker and the family is living on a shoestring budget.
"Life had been tough for us but we are thankful for at least GHH is here to provide us with some sustenance," said Kamaruzaman who went to the clinic when GHH visited his family.
"It has been not an easy road for us but by God's grace some good people out there came to our rescue," he remarked.
According to the GHH leader, the suffering she has seen this week has motivated her and her team to think of more impactful ways of helping the needy.