A Big Thank You - RM100k Milestone and Beyond
When we kick-started the #RaiseforFood campaign on the 28th of March, we were not very confident of how much we could raise. Despite knowing that many Orang Asli (OA) villagers were in dire need of food relief, we thought that if we could raise RM25,000, it would be a good start to support our fellow OA friends.

However, the generosity and compassion of people from all walks of life who came forward to support this campaign has blown our mind. We have since revised our goals twice to the latest RM100,000 and we are proud to announce that we have reached this goal as well!  This is a testimony of how a global crisis is bringing out the best of our humanity and it is something we should truly acknowledge. 

With the funds raised, we have been able to deliver food relief to a total of   1,975 OA families   as of 24th April 2020. To date, we have disbursed a total of  RM74,343  from a total of  RM100,809  to provide essential relief to OA families consisting of essential food, medicine, milk powder, et cetera. For a full report on the #raiseforfood donation campaign, please click the 'Donation Report' button below.
Despite reaching our targets, our work does not end here. Today marks the 4th week of the MCO, with an additional two weeks extension until the 12th of May, 2020. Although the 1st round of food aid has been distributed, many OA families are stretched thin from hanging on to food supplies that was meant to last for 2 weeks. As such, we are looking to raise a total of RM200,000 to provide for the 2nd round of food relief.
Why Food Aid Matters
Many OA villagers rely on ad-hoc work and daily wages for income. As they are now unable to travel due to the MCO, many OA villagers are no longer able to work and sell produce such as serai, petai and rubber. Many of them also fear traveling out of their village to purchase food due to fears of police presence and Covid-19. This, coupled with severe food shortages in village grocery stores and restrictions on travel to forests and rivers to forage for food, has left many of them out of options to put food on the table to feed themselves and their families.

Nora, an OA resident and teacher at Kampung Sena, reached out to us for help:  
“The villagers could not go out to work at the moment. Those who work 
outside could not work, thus, cutting off their source of income. While those who
are self-employed, also lost their
source of income as the
farmers could not sell their produce
to the distributors. 

The villagers are feeling disappointed
and sad, as they’re helpless at
the moment. I hope that many people
could help the villagers here, especially those who are genuinely in need.”
Pak Soh, a grandfather and village representative at Kampung Terubing 2A, also shared his experiences on how Covid-19 and the MCO has affected his income:




“There isn’t anymore (food)…nothing. 
We want to sell our lemongrass by the roadside, but we’re unable to
due to the recent case.
(situation with the MCO)"
Something Small With A Big Hope
Although Covid-19 and the MCO has left many communities across Malaysia in dire circumstances, our team continues to find inspiration daily, in the joys that simple acts can bring to one another. We would like to share some of this inspiration with you.
 
One of our friends from Kampung Sion shared with us pictures of the white rice and salted fish dinner she had prepared for her family, along with a happy note and a bittersweet thank you voice message from her son. Her message touched us deeply. A simple meal can truly make a difference to our OA friends, bringing joy to them and their families.
Our inspiration also comes from you – our donors, supporters and followers. Our team has been incredibly touched by all the countless acts of kindness, respect, selflessness and empathy that you have shown to one another. It is in times of distress like this that we must remain hopeful of the beautiful capacity that humankind has in blessing each other.
Next Steps
Although the government has been intensively providing aid to OA villages, some villagers are left out in the process, including those who live in non-registered villages. With the MCO extended, it is imperative that we realign our strategy to ensure no one is left behind. We are currently working with the OA Collective , a platform where NGOs across Malaysia can come together to work to prevent any overlap in relief efforts and become better equipped to fill gaps in aid to support OA families.

If you would like to learn more on this initiative, please click here .
Our team will continue to do our best to provide food relief to OA families who are in need. This includes extending relief efforts to encompass essential care products such as milk powder and pampers to ensure that mothers have sufficient care products to take care of their babies. Even after MCO is lifted, we foresee that many OA families will continue to need support as their livelihood will not recover immediately. Our team is currently working on a plan to assist them in developing more sustainable livelihoods and resilience for the future.

Let not any Orang Asli family go hungry during this trying time. You can make a difference by donating and/or sharing this plea to help our fellow Malaysian brothers and sisters.

Transparency is of utmost importance to Global Peace Foundation Malaysia. 100% of the funds raised will be channeled as food relief for our beneficiaries. At the end of the campaign, an account will be reported to the public to show how the fund has been spent.
Every Cent Matters
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