Date: Sunday, 17 May 2020
Distribution area: Kebon Jahe and Jelambar
Weeks ago, if it had been any other Saturday morning, I definitely would not have set my alarm clock for 6 AM in the morning and spend a good three to four hours cooking. I definitely have not been much of a cook and would probably have reserved those post-sunrise hours to sleep in instead.
However, after months of planning and reaching out to people, setting up some accounts and calculating our budget, I found myself standing in my kitchen and heating up some oil in a pan. This was my second time cooking for Food For the Heart - a nonprofit organization that I had started with Janice, Jordan, and Caitlyn. (If you would like to know more about what we do, click here!) Learning from last week's batch, I've decided to fry my tofus the night before so I could chop them into tiny little pieces and pan-fry them with some vegetables to save time the next morning. After all the cooking, I packed them into reusable boxes that I then sent to Caitlyn's house right after.
If anyone had told me before this that cooking proper food was hard, I wouldn't have believed them. After all, how much effort does it take to pan-fry 150 boxes of mixed vegetables and tofu right? Little did I know how wrong I was. Now, I can't deny how much it really takes to get up and cook first thing in the morning. However, although it was challenging to keep track of time and strategize how I should be cooking, it also served as some sort of motivation.
It is no doubt that a lot of people are struggling through this pandemic. COVID-19 has definitely taken a toll on my everyday mood and energy by keeping me from going outside to the world that I can now only see through my windows. Every time I cooked for Food For the Heart, it meant that I could at least go out to send my food - even if it's just staying in my car. I was excited to finally step out after two months.
Later that night, although I was unable to go down to the streets and see how the living conditions in Kebon Jahe and Jelambar really are, the pictures and videos themselves are extremely eye-opening. A lot of people do not have the opportunity to receive nutritious meals, let alone medical resources and treatments. As teenagers who don't have access to as many resources as the working population does, we can only hope that our organization plays a small part in helping them out - to see their faces light up, even for just a second, is heartwarming. We encourage that more people around the world help anyone they can, especially in a crucial situation. As we work together, hand-in-hand, we can slowly realize that this is a battle we are fighting together: a battle between the world and COVID-19.
We appreciate everyone who's helped us start this organization and we cannot thank you enough for turning our dreams into reality. Here are ways you can support us further!
These are some pictures and videos of our team contributing to help this situation! Hopefully, this can paint a better picture of other people's living conditions out there and why we do what we do.
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