Soup kitchens can be found in many of the world’s cities. They exist to provide basic meals to those who go hungry, not because they are lazy or are looking for handouts, but because they simply cannot get enough food or proper nutrition. Those in need may include children, parents and the elderly. Malaysia’s economic success and prosperity has ensured that hunger is not a matter of not having any food at all, but whether those in need are getting enough food on a regular basis and whether we care enough to provide food to them.

PERTIWI Soup Kitchen project was established to provide regular meals at various locations around Kuala Lumpur on a regular basis. This community outreach effort is established and managed by Pertubuhan Tindakan Wanita Islam (PERTIWI), one of Malaysia’s longest running NGOs, with the support of corporate and individual sponsors.

Soup kitchens provide an important way to give back to the community by offering a healthy meal to those who are in need. The few soup kitchens that do operate in Kuala Lumpur are already providing this critical service but there are still too many hard-core poor and homeless people in our city who are unable to eat on a daily basis. This project complements these existing efforts by working towards the following objectives:

• To distribute basic pre-packaged healthy meals and clean water 4 nights a week in inner-city neighbourhoods where various recipient groups are located.
• To raise awareness of the number of hard-core poor in our city.
• To encourage corporate and media sponsorship, and regular volunteer participation to feed the hungry.
• To operate the programme in a sustainable manner that will enable it to serve an increasing number of people.

PERTIWI Soup Kitchen provides a humanitarian food-aid service to the homeless and hard-core poor irrespective of race or religion. By interacting with various destitute inner-city communities on a regular basis, additional support has been given to assist those who are ready to become more independent. Our medical service helps those who seek basic treatment for common ailments.

Delivery Locations and Frequency

The areas served are Chow Kit, Kota Raya and Masjid India on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Between 550-700 packets of food are served each night.

How You Can Help

There are three ways you can help:

1. The public or corporations can contribute by donating funds to pay for the cost of the meals provided. RM1,140 will provide a meal for at least 300 people. To make a financial contribution to this project, kindly make contributions in favour of ‘PERTIWI’, RHB Account Number 2-14035-10201591. All donations are tax-exempted pursuant to Section 44(6) Income Tax Act 1967.
2. Soup kitchens attract public interest because the experience of feeding someone who is hungry is immediately rewarding. If you are able to contribute your time on a regular basis, even once a month, you may be interested in becoming a volunteer.
3. You can also help by telling people about this important community project.

For further information please call Munirah Hamid at +6012 236 3639 or email us at pertiwisoupkitchen@gmail.com, or view our work on Facebook page PERTIWI Soup Kitchen.