The underprivileged and homeless are always thought of during this pandemic and one such person is Aasah Devi who continues to reach out to the underprivileged. Aasah Devi H. Gopal Chand was greatly touched by the scene of old people sleeping on the pavement in Kluang, Johor.
During the interview, Aasah told The Star that she felt sorry and her heart sinks when thinking about what the homeless eat every night. The 56-year-old woman said that this has inspired her to give them good food every week.
Aasah started this last year April where she spend her weekends cooking and delivering food to 70 underprivileged. Every Sunday, she will be at Jalan Sultan, opposite the Sultan Ibrahim Diamond Jubilee Intan town hall to distribute the food.
Aasah, a mother of three said her devotion to aiding the needy is driven by the concept of loving, kindness and compassion. She thinks that even the simplest act of compassion may go a long way towards assisting people in need. As she loves cooking, Aasah stated that giving out to the needy gives a feel of responsibility in the midst of this pandemic.
Previously, Aasah managed an early childhood education centre but due to the first movement restriction order, her centre was closed and she lost her income. She was thankful that her husband was a pensioner and her three sons had already started to earn.
“Consider those who have no one to turn to for help. It is important to support the community even if it is on a small sum” Aasah added who is also doing a small catering service.
Aasah started this task by spending RM300 every week to purchase the groceries the food. After her good deed spread around the community, many people came forward to offer to help towards this good cause.
Aasah who is also selling Indian outfits on her Facebook page (Aasah Devi) said everyone is welcome to contribute to the effort she is doing and it’s not necessary to give a significant amount because the only thing that matters is to guarantee that no one sleeps with a hungry tummy.
Profits from her online sales and the catering business are also used to purchase the meals’ ingredients.
Every Saturday, Aasah goes grocery shopping and begins preparing the meal. She cooks the dishes by herself which includes rice, chicken, egg or tofu sambal, vegetables and dhal fry.
After she is done with the cooking, one of her close friends 52-year-old, Gurjit Kaur along with her daughter Leysha Bala will come over to help her with the packing. Regardless of the weather, Aasah and Gurjit will arrive sharp 5pm at the car park to hand out the food.
“People sometimes begin queuing early, and there is a large queue by the time we arrive and it breaks my heart to watch older adults standing in the rain in line for meals,” Aasah said.
“I can only lighten their load by providing them one nice dinner once every week,” she continues.
Aasah maintains a positive attitude by serving poor people, especially during the pandemic. It is undeniably a difficult job, but she will continue to reach out to underprivileged communities for as long as she can.
Aasah mentioned that one of her biggest rewards is to see smiles on people’s faces. She is grateful to know that she made 70 people smile in a day which is something that can’t buy with money.
Source: The Star
