Filling Tummies and Warming Hearts

A well-fed person is a happy person. Unfortunately, not everybody has the privilege of enjoying regular nourishing meals, and a large population in the world still goes hungry.

All humans deserve the right to be free from hunger. Demonstrating a dedication to this cause, the Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) chapter of the Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) is adamant to do its part in eradicating hunger by volunteering with the Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) in Johor Bahru.

Nabila Huda, the Organising Chairperson of the AMSA NUMed x KSK endeavour and Year 2 MBBS student, explained that monthly volunteer recruitment drives are conducted via email.

“The selection of volunteers is based on a first-come-first-served basis, with priority being given to those who have not volunteered before and those who can drive,” she added.

AMSA NUMed sends 10 students to volunteer with the soup kitchen each month. Volunteer sessions are held from 7pm to 9pm at the Johor Bahru City Centre. During this time, the students will walk around the area to hand out food and basic necessities to those who need them. In addition to that, they may also choose to participate via a medic route, whereby they can assist doctors to provide medical attention to those in need.

According to Nabila, AMSA NUMed receives an overwhelming response in their call for volunteers.

“The response from students has been amazing! We are always overwhelmed by the number of registrations we receive each time. Many of the volunteers appreciate the experience and look forward to volunteering again in the next month.

“My journey in starting and organising the soup kitchen activity for AMSA NUMed has definitely been a privilege for me. Through this initiative, I have met countless students who are as passionate as I am in giving back to the community. I look forward to Kechara Nights, as we call it, every single month,” she shared.