I met Hanifi when I joined a convoy to Kuala Krai into the flood areas there, he was one of the leaders for the group that does mission relief work in many flood zones since day one it happened. A 4WD group made of good friends and volunteers.
“What’s your thoughts about all the mission relief work happening for the floods today?”
“People think it’s easy to just raise funds and send aid to those effected here, there is so much effort that we need to do up front, forget sleep, work or health. I learn from my past mistakes on how to do it more effectively. During the last year flood mission we sent food aid directly to the aid centre and learned that most of the aid never reached the people who live far inside. Mainly the elderly and children. It gets wasted or misused there.
“So what do you do?”
“The best way is to send it directly to the needy, don’t get lazy or do it for publicity reasons, we give the aid by hand to those effected. We don’t send to aid center as we learn as some centers the relief/food aid is distributed based on political standings.”
“Wow that’s just sad, so how about the rest?”
“I saw an old man walk for 2km one time, half submerged in flood waters to an aid center, he was asked to eat food there at the center and was not allowed to take food aid back to his families. How about his wife and children who are stuck in the flooded homes!!?”
“Also one time another volunteer heard this boat man refusing to help the flood victims to cross a river and asked for a big fees just to use his boat, so he drove his 4×4 thru the water to help transport trapped villagers who wanted to get out. Another experience is that I heard a flood victim saw the baby drown while clinging to a tree to save himself. So we always choose to help directly as thats our preferred way, we are thankful donors support us and we can keep going. We don’t spend time thinking about the bad but we need to see the good in people. I’m sorry but I have tears in my eyes when ever I talk about this.”
Today Hanifi is unwell and has been suspected to have leptospirosis due to the infected waters or animal bacteria. He is awaiting his medical result.
– The unsung heroes (East Coast flood aid volunteers – Malaysia)
Share to pray for his recovery and humanity
