PETALING JAYA: For Love, Hope Charity NGO founder S. Megalah, 37, being kind and helping others is in her blood.
Having lost her mother when she was just 10 years old, Megalah was raised by her father to be a carer to her four siblings. She played the role of a mother to her sisters and brothers, ensuring their homework and meals were in order.
This caring nature continued when she visited a retirement home in Klang during one of her charity runs.
“I remember sitting with a lady. She was in her 60s and she was coughing so hard. She then held my hand and leaned on my shoulder. I was speechless,” she told theSun at her office in Subang Jaya.
Feeling sad, she asked what the residents wanted and to her surprise, it was simple home-cooked meals such as chicken and mutton curry.
“I was told we had to be mindful of their diet. But we were finally permitted to prepare a small feast for them. It is not often that they got to enjoy such meals,” Megalah said.
She also raised RM1,000 to purchase dry goods that she delivered to the residents.
“We wanted to make their day and put a smile on their faces. All we had to do was cook for them.”
That simple gesture turned into a full-time vocation, especially when Malaysia was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people had lost their jobs or were struggling to get back on their feet.
The impact of the first movement control order in March 2020 came as a shock for Megalah.
At the time, she had been working as an executive at an oil and gas related services company for nine years, but the staff were informed that the company had gone bankrupt and everyone would be laid off.
Given that there was no promise of retrenchment benefits, Megalah chose to quit her job.
“It was not an easy decision. I worried about how I was going to meet my financial obligations.”
“For five months, I did not want to leave home. I fell into depression.”
But the news of others facing a similar plight inspired her to help others.
“By helping others, I realised I would be helping myself,” she said, adding that she thought of the low-income families with children living in low-cost flats in the Klang Valley.
She contacted those on her list and visiting them. When the government eased restrictions, parents came to her seeking help with school items.
“I was humbled by the fact that I had been entrusted to get the items for their children. The youth are our future leaders and we should do everything we can to support them.”
Megalah roped in friends to source funds and sponsorship. Their first programme called “Back-to-School” in late 2021 garnered RM16,000 for 150 students in Sabak Bernam, Puchong, Klang and Shah Alam. The funds were used to buy uniforms and stationeries.
Now on their third run, Megalah needs to raise RM46,000 and sponsorships to buy school bags, shoes and socks for 300 students, including a prosthetic leg for a nine-year-old boy in Puchong.
Megalah said she was thankful she was able to help others and chronicled her journey on the Spread Love and Charity Facebook page.
“The one most important take away from my experience is that Malaysians have to pull together during hard times. If we do this, we will all come out of a negative situation with greater resilience and strength.”
