By Ravindran Raman Kutty

The world is at a standstill. Quiet streets, empty eateries, absent hawkers, closed offices and banks. Our lives have been brought to a halt by a microbe called COVID-19. The pandemic is surging worldwide like a rapid fire, countries are in shock, leaders are panicking; 4.5 million people have tested positive with the virus, over 300,000 dead.

COVID-19 is the highlight of the social and mass media. However, the humanitarian elements revolving around the crisis and providing hope for all especially for those who toil day and night, must be given a mention, too.

Vishan Nair, a young engineer from the University of Sheffield, doing his PhD in Rocket Propulsion, was attracted to help the frontliners after watching a viral clip on how they had to make their own PPEs (shields) due to dire situations at the start of the MCO.

He said, "Having a 3D printer at home and knowing I could make a small difference, no matter how small, I took the responsibility to act. Knowing that my current capacity would be impossible to supply to hospitals consistently, I engaged a friend, our network grew into 14 members and we formed a small team to help frontliners who approached us mostly through our social media contacts.

"We assembled 160 shields with one printer in 14 days; collectively as a team we have produced 1,520 pieces as of April 2020 and supplied 16 hospitals. This is humanitarian national service for me and my team."

Vishan Nair, a classic case of how we can do our bit to make it better for our medical aides. 

Mohamad Faisal Ghazali, co-founder and trustee of Food Aid Foundation, grew up in a family of 12, his father doing odd jobs to support them. They lived within a multiracial neighborhood with most neighbors being laborers.

He says the life lesson of family bonding, hardship, relationship, friendship, compassion and sharing gave him the inspiration to help the needy. Love has no religion. Love is so universal.

"I observed and admired my parents sharing and helping those who were really in need although we barely had enough. I have tried as much as possible to emulate their way of life since my schooldays," adds Faisal.

A professional interior designer by profession, Faisal is married to Razina Abdul Rahim with four adult children and three grandchildren. Besides managing his interior design consultancy office, he is also president of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID). He is the Fellow of MIID, Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) and International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers.

Faisal’s interest was made a reality when Rick Chee, his friend and business associate of more than 25 years, shared his vision and mission on food banking for the needy in 2011.

Born in Muar, Johor, and married with three children, Rick is an entrepreneur with 30 years in the food service facility planning. Besides fulfilling the role as managing director of F&B Facilities Sdn Bhd, he is also the founder of Food Aid Foundation, a non-profit organization that collects all types of surplus food from hotels, restaurants, hypermarkets and manufacturers, and distributes the collected food to welfare homes for the poor and needy. He is also an advocate against food waste in Malaysia and wants to bring change to connect the world of waste to the world of wants. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia. 

"I have been blessed to be in the hospitality industry for many years and witness the amount of surplus food going to waste and thought why not get it connected to people who need it most, the poor and needy.

"We collected over a thousand tons of food yearly, equivalent to over 3,000 meals per day. The least we could do was to end hunger and nourish hope, hopefully we could get people out from the crack of poverty."

Currently serving 65 welfare homes in Klang Valley and to urban poor, refugee centers and Orang Asli communities, Rick and his team have a branch in Kota Bharu and also collaborations with other NGOs in Kuching, Alor Setar, Penang, Kulai and Mantin.

Mandeep Singh, son of a retired Malaysian Armed Forces Corporal Kertar Singh, spent his formative childhood years growing in military quarters where his father served, including Mindef, Sabah, Melaka, Perlis and Wardieburn Camp, Setapak.

"This early exposure to military discipline was an impetus to my success later in life and passion to serve for the greater good of humanity," adds Mandeep.

"I operated an air conditioning business until 2013 and was forced to close my business when it collapsed due to uncollected payments and unavoidable disputes from delinquent clients.

"I was good at delivering work but very poor at collecting payments from my customers. Guess it was the charity instinct that crept into me," quips Mandeep.

"I was completely knocked out and lost all my savings and business. I lost everything in my life. After meeting and being inspired by none other than the late humanitarian and aid worker Rishiwant Singh, I decided to go out and help the community by joining the United Sikhs Organization and Malaysian Food Bank Organization as a full-time unpaid volunteer.

"I had nothing on me except plenty of willpower and good planning insights to prevent any mishaps. The darkest hours of my life became my brightest turning point when I became a full-time jack-of-all-trades volunteer with the United Sikhs Organization and served as a driver for their flood relief missions.

"I stayed at Kampung Pandan Gurdwara in Kuala Lumpur and traveled by road almost daily to Gua Musang. I have made it my personal mission and goal in serving humans irrespective of race, color and creed. I will help any community without any preset conditions as I subscribe to the belief that all human beings are my brothers and sisters. I remain non-judgmental and my only aim is to help in one way or another."

These heroes, Vishan, Faisal, Rick and Mandeep, have one thing in common: to serve the needy, to serve mankind irrespective of race or religion. They are not mere humans, but divine beings who show the path for the people who are desperate, lost and in need.

COVID-19, a silent and painful dread, is an eye-opener for mankind. No amount of wealth, surge of power or level of education can prevent this microbe from hovering over us all. It is the burst of kindness, charity of the heart and the boost to help that will sooth the fever brought on by COVID-19.

These heroes, whom I managed to track down for my story, are not measured by their height or weight, but for wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Their outstanding feats touch the hearts, minds and souls of the recipients and the families around them.

This philosophy has certainly made my mission in serving humanity so much easier and seamless. It is the unconditional love for humanity that drives and makes every day a great one for me.

I want to help the down-trodden, the neglected, the forgotten segments of society irrespective of race, religion or creed.

Tears are colorless. Poverty has no racial preference or boundaries.

COVID-19 will pass. It is my hope these heroes whom we are talking about shall never pass. There are many more heroes silently working round the clock to save the world with no demand for credit or reward, but to meet the call of every race and religion to serve mankind and to be served.

To these heroes, we salute you.

(Ravindran Raman Kutty is an active social worker.)