A meaningful day in Kedai Jalanan

Last week, it was an amazing day to work as volunteer in Kedai Jalanan with my course mates. I took a train to reach Monorail Tuanku Medan with course mate Jagung Wong. 

Picture 1: Jagung and I are on the way to the Kedai Jalanan by taking LRT Sri Petaling to Monorail Tuanku Medan

I thought that Kedai Jalanan will be somewhere at the night market. However, the real Kedai Jalanan is located in the nice  shelter to organize Kedai Jalanan.

Picture 2: The signbroad for Kedai Jalanan

The volunteers and Kedai Jalanan’s helpers were coming to prepare by arranging the clothes, pants and the accessories.

Picture 3: The clothes booth for Female

Picture 4: The clothes booth for Male

Picture 5: The Helpers and the classmates are preparing for the 'Big Sale'

Picture 6: Dr Andrew, Dr Carmen and the helpers are preparing the foods and drinks

Later, the briefing session started. One of the volunteers talked about the purpose of the Kedai Jalanan, how and what we had to do when the urban poor were being served by us, the helpers or the volunteers. Last but not the least, she mentioned that we had to be served them nicely just like a customers.

Picture 6:The briefing session with Dr Andrew and one of volunteer from Kedai Jalanan

The Urban poor started to crowed and waited for the moment to open the gate.

Picture 7: The poor people are crowding and waiting for the moment to open the gate

After waiting few hours, the gates opened.

Picture 8: Poor people are queuing up the lines for foods and drinks

     

         Video 1: the situations of poor people queued up with their excited feelings

Poor people were queuing up to get the foods and drinks.They also came to clothes booth to take some clothes that what they want. 

When the poor people were coming towards position, I was wondering what were their behaviour when I met them. But it turned out that some customers were willing to let us the helpers and the volunteers to serve when they needed. I also surprised that the poor people were wearing the clothes such like us. But they came to Kedai Jalanan to take clothes, I couldn’t believe in my eyes. Unexpectedly, they were urban poor!

                                        

                           Picture 9: The situations of serving clothes to poor people

Some of the poor people had a little rude behaviour without any help from the helpers and volunteers. Until the clothes also out from the donate, the helpers were quickly to pack up everything before left Kedai Jalanan.

We had a group photo session and the sharing session about volunteer work experiences.

 

   Picture 10: A group photo session with my course mates,helpers and volunteers

In the end, although the course mates, helpers and the volunteers are taking place to have a different job, but it still has a meaningful volunteer work even we didn’t have any artistic felt. I learned from that Kedai Jalanan that I didn’t criticizing or looking down the urban poor. After I heard the sharing from Dr Carmen, it was true that nowadays people do not wear like a poor people. Every one of them may have a pride to dress nicely. 

Before I am still thinking that there’s no poor people existed in the society. But I was wrong, because of the social became competitive and social level began to kicked out the people who had low level of social skill of workers out from it. I realized that the educational level was essential just like a first-aid kid. If you injured or get harm, at least you have a first-aid kid to heal your wound. Therefore, we need to share the love and care to the urban poor even we were not one of them. Although I had a pity felt on them because of no living place to stay and poor, but I still blessed I still having a living home with my parents when I saw them.