Flood Relief Project

31 January 2015 was really a tiresome day, but yet really meaningful to all of us, who joined the charity trip to Kuala Krai, Kelantan. Congrates to everyone who involved!

Flood Relief Project

To those who participate, sure it will bring back your memories of a whole day in one of the Malaysia's state, Kelantan in order to help the flood's victim psychologically as well as distributing items for their uses. The sight-seeing view over there was utterly different than what we might ever imagine of what happened to them. Now, we shall see how the real life at that place.

We departed from IMU Bukit Jalil around 8.30 pm on Friday, 30th January 2015 with a bus which came from IMU Seremban as it fetched the students from there as well. From IMU Bukit Jalil, alhamdulillah 16 students managed to volunteer themselves to participate in this charity trip. 4 girls and 12 boys. From here, this journey began...

The bus stopped at 11.30 pm in front of a restaurant 'Syed Bistro', and most of us grabbed their 'dinner' or supper there. We slept in the bus until we arrived at Hentian Gua Musang, a bus station in order to refresh ourselves by taking a bath, changing attire as well as grabbing a breakfast there. We were given about one hour for that purposes from 4.30 am to 5.30 am. Then, we departed again and stopped at in front of Masjid Laloh (mosque) around 6.50 am to allow those muslims performing their subuh prayer there. The school that we were going was already near from the mosque just about 100 metres. However, all the four lorries cannot proceed to the school to deliver tonnes of packaging, and thus all those items gathered in the mosque where we prayed in that morning. The process of unloading items began at that place.

Prior to that, as we arrived, we were quite surprised with the surrounding environment. A lot of house damaged. Some families cleaned up the mud at their house area. All the shops were in a big mess! and dirts everywhere. Besides, we also barely heard any vehicles' noises. we believed that most of the vehicles were impaired during the flood period.

this is what cooperation means...

Then, we started the unloading process as the lorries also arrived not long after we arrived. There were many items brought along such as toiletries, groceries, insect repellent, mineral water, cooking oil, and blankets. All of them packaged accordingly to ease distribution. In the morning, all of us unloaded all those things from the lorries, and seriously this part was the most tiring task of the day, same as when we loaded the things into the trucks and lorry.

These were all of the abundant items. Even the camera cannot cover it all!

Then, all of us went to Sekolah Kebangsaan Laloh which just about 100 metres distance by walking. In a hall, we saw all of the parents whose their children schooled there. There was a officiation ceremony which include short talks by the representative of each NGOs including one from IMU. The master of ceremony was Cik Sakinah, a medical student who currently in clinical years in IMU Seremban. She also led the games to entertain the children together with Ikhwan.

This is SK Laloh

Here, everyone was divided into distribution group and the group which entertained the children. Therefore, as they proceeded with the game parts. Most of us involved in the loading of the items into trucks and the lorry. The selected villages were Kampung Karangan, Kampung Lela Jasa, Kampung Pemberian, Kampung Manjur, and Kampung Laloh. Before lunch break and zuhur prayer, the items to be given to residents of Laloh were placed in the SK Laloh which transported from the mosque. Only then, all of us took a break to have a lunch and then, perform zuhur prayer and asar prayer (jama' takdim).

At first, the distribution team was divided according to designated villages, but at the end, volunteers were randomly selected for every trip in order to distribute the items. This part was the most interesting part! We could the real life and situation of living in the villages. It was really unexpected view.

Further down the road to enter those villages, we could see plants dying as if there was disastrous drought. The road seems quite silent as if there was no animals around, though we could find some only at certain place. A rubber estate all grew wihout leaves, except at the uppermost part. Trees' trunks were covered with dust from the dried mud of the recent flood. Not to mention, the route through the villages also covered with the dust, and worse when the dust flew up as we get through by the trucks. Our eyes strained very much as we attempted to avoid the dust from entering the eyes. Then, the skin started to feel uncomfortable as the dust irritate the skin very much, worsen by the low moisture.

In this environment, we cannot help myself except to have a mask or anything that can avoid the entry of dust into respiratory system, every time when the dust flew into the air. Other than that, it was fine without mask. But the children, boys kept playing football outside neglecting the dust flew up everywhere as they ran and kicked the ball as if it was nothing. They felt nothing about it. Are they actually, used to it? At nearby area where there was also boys playing outside, some of them asked one of us, if he could give mineral water t them. They asked for it, as if they really begging for it. Then, he just give a mineral bottle for each one of them.

The set of items distributed equally for each family, by groups. For instance, at this area, there were only 5 families, so, prepare those items and called each family to grab their items. Some families may need us to carry it for them to their 'house', since it was quite heavy actually. Some people (male) only wearing 'kain pelikat' to go outside.

"Maybe he doesn't have clean shirts." I think.

Many of the children also wore the old shirts, that I believed that they were dirtied by the mud of flood, though they were washed to be clean.

Along the way, we could also see many damaged houses and properties, as well as dirty shirts. Some families even only have tent for their family to pursue living. Some families were only living under part of the roof which didn't damaged completely, but only fell a bit onto the ground. They kept their family there, on the bare ground, covered with mat. Almost all the wooden house damaged utterly. Only brick houses that kept in structure though they also had damaged here and there.

The distribution continued until at the end of the villages, and we need to gather other remnants of items accordingly as fixed proportion for each family. Not many were left, since it was pre-determined its quantity after the survey beforehand.


Around 5.30 pm, all of us gathered again at our 'base' the mosque in order to have a headcounts, to ensure that everyone was there and safe. Only then, we cleaned up the mosque area as there was rubbish here and there after it became our 'base'. Thanks to Imam, and committee of the mosque because allowing us to make the mosque as our 'base'. We really glad that you permitted us to do so. We truly appreciated your kindness. May Allah bless all of you.

Before we were having a dinner, we cleaned ourselves first, taking a bath. The boys went to a mosque, 'Masjid At-Taqwa' . Meanwhile, the girls went to Ikhwan's house. At the mosque, it was quite unusal view, as the mosque also affected by the flood similar to Masjid Laloh, our base. Some part of the building damaged. Alhamdulillah, the carpet was replaced anew to allow jemaah performing their prayers comfortably.

Then, we had a dinner feast at Ikhwan's house! Ikhwan is a medical students who also currently in clinical years in IMU Seremban. The treat was really appetizing, and delicious! Thanks for the meal, Ikhwan! and his family!

We performed our maghrib prayer and isya' prayer (jamak takdim) in that mosque just right after we were having the meal.

We departed from Ikhwan's house around 8.30 pm. We slept along the way, and most of us, not even take a break at 'Syed Bistro', instead just sleeping. It was really a hectic and tiresome day. we were really lethargic after all that. We arrived at IMU Bukit Jalil at 4.30 am on the next day, sunday, 1 February 2015. Then, we went back to our house at vista.