Acts of kindness tend to abound in Ramadan, as many who observe it go to all odds to serve the community. Among them is a group of van drivers who are distributing meals to families in need around Singapore.
Doing so every Sunday of the fasting month, they spend several hours and quite a sum of money helping families of all races and religions.
This, despite facing struggles of their own.
According to BERITAmediacorp, around 40 or so drivers would gather every Sunday for the Ramadan charity drive.
They comprise members from the following clubs, led by Abam-Abam Van Singapura (AAVS):
Together, the men would pack hot meals to break fast with, as well as kitchen essentials like biscuits and instant noodles.
They then distribute the items to 50 families in need across Singapore, at locations like Yishun, MacPherson, and Jurong.
Not all of the families are Muslim, as they aim to reach out to people regardless of race or religion.
The drivers’ sincerity also shows in the fact that they cover the $3,000 worth of groceries using their own money. Only a small portion comes from external contributions.
The amount may seem significant to us, but perhaps even more so to Mr Freddie Zainal, the chairman of AAVS.
A father of 5 children aged between 3 and 12 years old, he works 2 to 3 jobs to support his family. He told BERITAmediacorp about how monthly expenses would often include roughly $300 for milk and diapers, as well as over $600 worth of tuition fees for his school-going kids.
To cope with the costs, he’d take on jobs as a technician, delivery driver, and sometimes a Grab driver.
Nevertheless, nothing stops him from doing charity work, which his club has been engaging in for the past 5 years.
Explaining his motivation, Mr Freddie told BERITAmediacorp in Malay that,
We think we’re struggling, but there are other families who have it harder than us.
Believing that giving is better than receiving, he attested to this by explaining that their contributions have paid off, now that more volunteers are joining and chipping in.
Another volunteer, fellow driver Mr Abdul Khalid, stays in a 1-room rental flat with his wife and 5 children aged 2 to 15 years old.
On top of faring for his school-going children, he also has to pay for his wife’s cancer treatment, ever since her diagnosis 2 years ago.
Source
An active member of AAVS since 2017, the 34-year-old admitted to BERITAmediacorp that he occasionally struggles to contribute money to the club.
But I don’t think that I can’t do it. No. I’ll keep working hard to find money and donate together with the rest. Everyone chips in for this good cause.
Indeed, the drivers’ positivity was apparent during their charity drive last Sunday (25 Apr), which former Member of Parliament (MP) Amrin Amin joined.
Some of the members’ family were also present, uplifting their already jovial spirits. When the sun set for the day, they broke their fasts together, digging into meals sponsored by Pu3 restaurant.
Despite facing difficulties of their own, the van drivers and volunteers prove that kindness, dedication, and hard work can go a long way towards helping others in need.
There’s no need to wait till we’ve accumulated enough wealth, as we can still help with whatever we have.
We tip our hats off to these kind volunteers, and wish them the best in everything they do.
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Featured image adapted from Amrin Amin on Facebook.
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