YAP CHEE KEAT (CEB150170)

After planning a long time, it’s the day we finally get to start our first social engagement work at Dapur Jalanan. Dapur Jalanan is a social organization that set up to provide free meal to the urban poor around Kuala Lumpur. The center of Dapur Jalanan is base at Kelab Bangsar Utama, Bangsar, the preparation work will usually done over there and they will distribute the meal at Jalan Panggung, Kuala Lumpur, nearby the Petaling Street every Sunday at 5.30pm. The cost of preparation for food of Dapur Jalanan are mostly donate by the society in terms of money through bank in to their account or food, then they will use the donation to buy the ingredients to prepare food. Besides than donation, Dapur Jalanan also welcome the society to involve themselves to volunteering in their activities such as preparation of food and distribution of food. The food menu of Dapur Jalanan are different every week, it based on what is the chef of Dapur Jalanan are going to cook that day.

The food menu of the day is Chicken Rice, fruit salad and egg sandwich.

As a group leader, I have learnt responsibility to ensure all the group member are safety arrive the place and we manage arrived there around 2pm and it is in an old building, above a restaurant. The stairs to go up is very small and dark, it doesn’t seems like there will be a social organization above, but once I went up to the place, the surrounding is totally different as what I imagine at first.

The organizers of the club did some the art and painting on the wall, it makes the place looks modern and comfortable. The interior of the place also decorate with some of their painting art by hanging it on the wall.

I and my group members started helping out to prepare the food. I have learnt how to work together as a team to each other especially as a leader, besides than just ordering them, I actually work together with them in order to achieve our target. I get to make fun with everyone when preparing the food and that was the moment where our friendship and teambuilding are getting closer. Thankfully with the great communication and teamwork with each other, I and my group member manage to prepare all the food on time.

After I and my group member have done prepare the food, the organizer of Dapur Jalanan gave us a short briefing about what we are supposed to do during the food distribution. They also told us about the history and establishment of Dapur Jalanan, I sincerely feel the effort they paid off to the country, the nation, and the society, without asking for any return yet to improve the society living live style. Their spirit and effort to the country and society is one of the things that impressed me the most and I respect for.

Around 5pm, I and my group member was led by an organizer of Dapur Jalanan to Jalanan panggung to start our food distribution. Each of us was assign for different task such as food distribution, trash collection and so on. I was assign to collect the waste with some of the group members. What I have observe about the poor and homeless whom came to claim the food is that they are very polite and responsible. This is because they will say thank you to the people whom serve them including me and they will even divide the waste and trash into a different rubbish bag to ensure our work will be easier and clean up their mess. This is what I personally feel we should really learn from them even they are poor or homeless and most of the people in the society this days often forget about this two basic moral value which is manner and responsibility. Besides that, the when I talk to poor or homeless people, they are usually willing to answer our question, as shows my respect to them, I never ask them about some sensitive question about reason they are poor or homeless, instead I ask them about the taste of food and so on which shows caring to them and I feel this has really encourage them.

The activities end at 6.30pm and we also head back to UM by train. I sincerely thanks to Dapur Jalanan, our lecturer and also the team member to make that happen and also involve myself to be part of the effort to improve the society.