'Street Kitchen' programme provides food to the less fortunate

IPOH, July 15 -- Concerned with the plight of those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of movement controls, the ‘Street Kitchen’ Programme was created by providing cooked food to be distributed to those in need.

The initiative is a collaboration between a restaurant, D'Legasi and Warisan and two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) namely Sahabat Perak and Padu Perak aimed at supplying food such as rice, fish, chicken or meat as well as cooked vegetables to be given to recipients who are less fortunate.

Street Kitchen Programme Coordinator Muhammad Fadhli Ismail said the programme was implemented four times a week every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at three locations, namely in two mosques and a surau in the Ipoh district since July 8.

“We supply 800 food packages for a period of a day and we are targeting about 15,000 food packages a month to be distributed to those in need.

"We receive donations in terms of cash and raw materials from various parties who are willing to provide assistance to implement this programme and we will continue it as long as we receive donations," he said.

He was met by reporters at the programme which was also attended by State Rural Development, Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Committee chairman Zainol Fadzi Paharudin and State Women and Family Development, Welfare, Community Well-being and NGO Community chairman Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin at the Al-Ittihadiah Mosque, Manjoi here, today.

Dr Wan Norashikin said the state government always supported the efforts made by anyone to donate necessities or food to those whose income was affected.

For Mailan Muhammad, 62, the food donation helped her a lot because she no longer had to cook.

“I came here on a bicycle to pick up the food that was prepared, I live alone so it was convenient for me not to have to cook anymore,” she said.

Farilah Hashim, 41, a single mother of three, said the food donation was much needed and she was happy to see her children could eat delicious and nutritious food.

-- BERNAMA