Assistant Engineer Sets Up Community Food Bank To Help Villagers In His Hometown

By Ammar Haziq  •  16 Jun 2021 in News

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Seeing how hard it has been for the villagers just to get day-to-day essential items during the Movement Control Order (MCO), Ahmad Mizuan Ahamad Tekzemi and his family set up a food cupboard to lessen their burden.

After some villagers lost their income due to the pandemic, the 39-year-old assistant engineer said his family and parents decided to set up the food bank dubbed “Gerobok Rezeki Opah Minah” in his hometown of Kampung Tua in April.

“Some of them worked as van drivers and factory workers and they were really badly affected after being retrenched from their jobs. We realise that we need to do something to help them because they have a family to feed.

Realising the fact, Ahmad Mizuan said they decided to set up the community food bank and named it after his late grandmother, Aminah Zabry who died of old age three years ago.

“Our grandmother was well-known among the villagers here as she always rode her bicycle around the kampung and the villagers always came up to her asking for help,” he told NST.

Villagers who frequent the food rack can find items such as rice, sugar, flour, condensed milk, cooking oil, biscuits, instant noodles and sardines. He said that it was the right call to set up the food rack since those who have been affected by the pandemic have also benefited from it.

“This Gerobok Rezeki not only benefited the villagers here but outsiders as well, especially those from Kampung Nyior and Kampung Belanja. They are entitled to take any items from the food shelf,” he said.

Since sundry shops close at 8pm, Ahmad Mizuan said if they run out of food, they can come here and get the provisions they need. He said most of the villagers would usually come out at night and leave RM1 notes.

“They don’t need to feel shy, they can take whatever they want. No one will judge them because we know everyone is affected by the MCO. Previously, we topped up the shelf once in two weeks but now thrice a week,” he said.

Thanks to the initiative by him and his family, a chain of generosity began as more people started contributing to the community food bank, according to Ahmad Mizuan.

Anyone who wishes to donate can contact Ahmad Mizuan at 012-336 1342 or his brother, Ahmad Shahriman at 019-329 2344.