KECHARA - Malaysia’s Soup Kitchen Turns 10!

A quest by a single committed individual to ensure no one went hungry as he did in his youth, gave birth to a food distribution network which is today a well-known name across Malaysia due to the sheer scale and impact of its outreach work which extends from feeding the less privileged to mobile clinics, food banks, upskilling and training for single mothers, job placements and shelter for the elderly.

First founded by H.E Tsem Tulku Rinpoche in 2006 and registered as an NGO two years later, Kechara Soup Kitchen or KSK as it is referred to, gathers over 10,000 Malaysians annually to help their fellow Malaysians in a multitude of ways. This includes serving over thousands of meals, delivering regular food parcels to families and helping doctors and other medical personnel treat thousands of patients annually, and even helping with free eye-checks and hair-cuts!

KSK has one of the largest databases of ‘clients’ in its system, which is painstakingly updated each week to ensure the accuracy of the information collected. The data is also accessible via an App. Each individual seeking assistance has to be registered prior to obtaining a service and referred to with respect and by name where possible, which ensures no one from any marginalized community is ever ‘faceless’. Clients are also only able to get access to food, medical or other services once they produce their identification card, which is an important tool for KSK to help identify the root cause of homelessness and poverty in urban areas. This is also critical in fund-raising, planning and operations, especially during peak periods and extreme weather conditions. Medical records in the database are also essential information for the doctors to follow up with the client’s health status. KSK also works closely with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Federal Territory Ministry to tackle homelessness issues, and has collaborations with over 30 NGOs across the 8 states it has a presence in.

To help celebrate its milestone in Malaysia, and the impact the NGO has had on thousands of lives over the past decade, KSK has organized a Food Bank Symposium which included 7 global experts sharing their expertise in food collection and distribution with the aid of corporate partners and logistics companies critical for the food supply chain. The event was graced by Y.A.M Tengku Zatashah Idris, a regular KSK volunteer who has over the years worked alongside Malaysians of all ages and backgrounds to bring food and medical care to the needy. Tengku Zatashah also initiated the #zerofoodwastage program. The event was also graced by YB Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail, Minister of Kementerian Perdagangan dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna and also YB Dr Ong Kian Ming, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry.

“While we have grown in scale and impact over the past decade, we have remained true to our original mission of feeding the less fortunate. Hunger knows no barriers, and there are hundreds who go hungry daily in the heart of the Golden Triangle alone. Identifying the hot spots and providing aid in the most respectful and thoughtful manner possible is the ethos of KSK. We are proud of what we have achieved but much more needs to be done,” Henry Ooi, President of KSK said.

To support or donate to KSK please visit : http://www.kechara.com/soup-kitchen or email [email protected] or call 603-21416046.