Earlier this morning, on Sarawak Day, no less, Kuching Food Aid Founder, Shen-Tel Lee, along with Miss World 2018, Larissa Ping and singer Zee Avi, held a fundraiser on Facebook in partnership with property developer Elica Malaysia. The goal? To get as many shares as possible for the LIVE event as for every three shares, Elica will donate one Aid Box to Kuching Food Aid. This generous initiative runs until the 25th July 2021 at 6 pm.
It has been nine months since the entrepreneur launched the community-led initiative. She shares, “I started the Kuching Food Aid with the simple mission of using social media to show food insecurity and the living conditions as well as the daily struggles of the poor in Kuching. My plan was to be as transparent as possible in sharing the stories of the families I’ve encountered, and encourage people to share and help with basic food essentials to those who really needed the help.”
“Fundraising is key cos without the fundraising, we’re not going to get the aid. We just don’t get enough aid in Sarawak and that is why we’re doing what we are doing,” she adds.
What makes the Kuching Food Aid different is that they have partnered with local supermarkets to stock and pack the aids so assistance can continue to flow even in lockdown.
“To date, we have fed over 15,000 families throughout Sarawak, which is just incredible to think that we started last October with just five families and where we are today. It’s really the power of social media and the power that you have in spreading the word of the work we’re doing,” says Shen-Tel.
In the LIVE event, Larissa shares that giving back to society is not about creative massive charity drives. “It’s something that everyone can do regardless of your age, your race or gender. Giving back is about checking in on your friends, family members, neighbours or buying somebody a meal, or it can be something as simple as clicking the share button.”
“Social media has been such a powerful tool. It has helped me to connect those who wish to help to those who need help. I am so grateful to have encountered so many kind and generous people along the way and all of them are friends from social media. We all have this power. Not just me, but you also have this powerful tool that you can utilise to help many people who are in need, especially during this time,” she urges.
To help spread some happiness and light, Zee Avi sang a couple of songs that include her hit single ‘Bitter Heart’. “I think it’s very important for us right now to help each other out and give back to the community and to understand that we can help in any way we can,” she says.
We hope these three beautiful souls have inspired you as much as they have inspired us. With that, happy sharing!
To donate, go to Kuchingfoodaid.com