Letter to editor
CHARITY starts from the kitchen. At least, that’s what the founder of Pertiwi Soup Kitchen, the late Datuk Munirah Abdul Hamid or fondly known as “Kak Muni” (main pic, third from left) had been doing since 2009.
I know Kak Muni in 2020 when I was at the lowest point of my life. It was Kak Muni who allowed me to be a volunteer at the Pertiwi Soup Kitchen. She opened my eyes to see that there are people who can be worse off than us.
Kak Muni’s devotion to care for the poor and homeless has touched many hearts from all walks of life.
Here are some of the tributes to Kak Muni in the Pertiwi volunteer group chat:
Zuhairah Ali, Education group in Pertiwi, volunteer:
“Datuk Munirah is the role model of grit, determination and patience when it comes to the poor and destitute. She practically knows the names of all the mums and children we fed and nurtured through our education initiatives.”
Azimah Abu Bakar, teacher, Pertiwi volunteer:
“She is a guiding light when you experience a life blackout. No matter what pushes me to first help out at Pertiwi Soup Kitchen, Kak Muni is the reason I keep coming back to volunteer.”
Willem, Pertiwi volunteer:
“Kak Muni liked to challenge me, primarily joking, and then she knew I would be super motivated to prove her wrong. The final outcome is things were done better, faster and more efficient. Thanks to her.”
Selvarani Samthosam, retired teacher, Pertiwi volunteer:
“I was impressed with her work and I learned so much from her regarding the homeless (they love sweet food) and how we can help them. They all have a story to tell.”
Andrew Ong, assistant writer and researcher, Pertiwi volunteer:
“Munirah helped me through a dark time of my life. She gave me a purpose of life by allowing me to be a volunteer.”
Amila Kamarudin, Pertiwi committee member:
“Her genuine kindness, humility and modesty shine brightly and set an example for all of us to follow. I only know her for 14 months but feel like knowing her for ages.”
Najwa Awadh, Pertiwi volunteer:
“Her name evokes a great sense of valor, benevolence, wit, affection, tenderness, transformation and steadfast belief that where there is a will, there is a way. This is what she showed us.”
Kevin Woon, Organiser of BersamaMu Better Together T-Shirt Fundraiser, Pertiwi volunteer:
“We are proud to know her when we volunteered at Pertiwi to raise funds under the BersamaMu Better Together project. During the monsoon period, she even extended her help to rebuild the homes of the affected families.”
Ali Mukhtar, executive writer, Pertiwi volunteer:
“Datuk Munirah always remain active in her social work. She genuinely cares and didn’t mind getting her hands dirty.”
Sanna Shah, general manager and Zia Shah, medical affairs manager, Pertiwi volunteers:
“She inspired us to stretch beyond what we thought were our limits, to help others and make an effort to cherish the people around us.”
Elly Fazaniza@Van Dalen, Pertiwi volunteer:
“She is an “auntie” figure who often advised me to be the best version of myself.”
Bovin Chan, account manager, Pertiwi volunteer:
“Kak Muni has taught me so much about helping people without asking for any favour in return. She has impacted many lives throughout the years.”
Khairul Anuar, CIMB Bank personnel, Pertiwi volunteer:
“Datuk Munirah is often seen on the ground helping out. Her demise left a legacy for all of us to continue her vision and help more people.”
Adrian Lim, business owner, Pertiwi volunteer:
“She is that one in many millions who have that drive to fix things, manage a soup kitchen systematically and inspire us all to go down with the streets to serve with her.”
Azlyn Balqis, editorial director, Pertiwi volunteer:
“Aunty Munirah always had a way to make us feel like a family.”
Amir, coffee runner (Friday team), Pertiwi volunteer:
“She taught me what it is to be humane. Most of the time, we get so busy in our own perfect lives that we forget that there’s people struggling out there in the world.” – Sept 5, 2023
Francis Yip is a fashionista and an award-winning writer and HRDF (Human Resource Development Fund)-accredited trainer. He is also the CEO of Franciswriter Dot Com and guest lecturer in The One Academy.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
