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Man buys food from struggling hawkers to feed the hungry

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Despite his own troubles, Francis Poh has been giving back to society by ordering food packets from struggling hawkers to feed those in need.

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Free Malaysia Today
Francis Poh is a Klang local helping to feed the poor while also helping out struggling hawkers. (Francis Poh pic)

KLANG:
While thousands of Malaysians continue to suffer due to the rough economic climate caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is inspiring to see many individuals stepping forward to help the less fortunate.

Klang’s very own Francis Poh is one example of yet another kind soul who is out there making a difference despite his own troubles.

Poh has found a way to simultaneously alleviate the financial burdens of street hawkers and the hungry, by ordering food from the former to feed the latter.

Once a performing artist and entrepreneur, Poh’s own struggles began last year, when the various movement control orders (MCO) all but halted the entertainment industry.

“I know some of my fellow performers and entertainers made close to nothing last year,” he lamented, revealing that he lost 95% of his projected business revenue in 2020.

Free Malaysia Today
Small-time hawkers such as this nasi kukus seller are finding it hard to make ends meet during the MCO. (Francis Poh pic)

Despite his best efforts, Poh was forced to shut down his dance studio as it failed to generate any income, even though there were brief moments of relief in between the various MCOs.

So, what inspired him to head out and help his local community? As it turns out, Poh has always had a passion for life-giving endeavours.

“For the past eight to nine years, I have been involved in rescuing animals such as dogs, cats and even reptiles,” he said, explaining how he sometimes releases captured snakes into the wild.

However, 2020’s financial hardships led to Poh being medically diagnosed with depression, something he has learnt to successfully cope with since.

“On June 27, when MCO 3.0 was announced, I knew I was going to be overwhelmed by another anxiety attack. This time however, I decided to shift my focus and energy towards helping others around me.”

Free Malaysia Today
Poh buys more than 100 packets of food from each stall and then distributes them to the hungry. (Francis Poh pic)

His renewed positive outlook was further bolstered by many of his friends who decided to contribute a total of RM20,000 to his charitable initiative.

This unwavering support he has received has “brought him back to life” he said, and he remains hopeful that he can do more to help others.

“As an entrepreneur, I can relate to the struggles of business owners during this period, especially these small-time hawkers. So, I want to help them stay afloat and prevent them from experiencing suicidal thoughts and anxiety attacks as well,” he said.

“Even if it’s just a one-off contribution, I know it makes all the difference in their lives.”

Poh’s charitable endeavour is simple – he identifies struggling hawkers and restaurants in his neighbourhood, and places bulk orders with them, which are then redistributed to the less fortunate.

These small-scale food hawkers include roadside burger stands, mamak restaurants and kopitiams.

Free Malaysia Today
He largely focuses on stalls and restaurants that are struggling to make any kind of income. (Francis Poh pic)

“As I know most of them on a personal level, I also know that their business has dropped by at least 50%,” explained Poh, while noting that many of these businesses still foot their full rental costs.

Despite the challenges, Poh’s efforts have reinstated many smiles, like in one instance, where a nasi lemak seller was so grateful to him for purchasing her entire stock of food, to be given to the poor.

According to him, he has helped about five stall owners and fed about 500 to 600 hungry folks so far. He also plans to help up to 30 more stalls in the near future.

He hopes that his small gesture will inspire and prompt more Malaysians to rise to the occasion and help those in need.

Free Malaysia Today
So far, Poh has helped four stalls and hopes to help out a total of 30 more in the near future. (Francis Poh pic)

“Even if you’re alone, you can still make a difference and do something about it,” he exclaimed.

The outpouring of support for his charitable efforts have been encouraging, leading him to say, “Malaysians still have hope and faith in overcoming these trying times, together.”

Like most Malaysians, Poh hopes for an eventual return to normalcy. He also longs for the day when he can finally go back to his true passion, of rescuing dogs, cats and especially reptiles.

But in the meantime, he is devoted to the struggling and less fortunate of his Klang neighbourhood.

“Whenever possible, I will help,” he said.

For those looking to support Francis Poh’s charitable cause, you can contact him directly via his Facebook page.

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