See what Kechara is doing in Shanghai!
Please see what our Kechara group in Shanghai are doing. You will be so touched by the stories of the people they come across. You will be amazed. I have students and friends in Shanghai. They were inspired by the Kechara Soup Kitchen I started here in Kuala Lumpur so they decided to do the same in Shanghai. Please see the pictures and read the stories… Share the stories of the homeless people here with your friends and especially children. I thank my friends and students in Shanghai. What you are doing is amazing. Don’t stop. Our lives should be lived serving others…
Tsem Rinpoche
(Click here to go straight to the pictures)
Article written by the Blog Team:
KSK in Malaysia started off from very humble beginnings in 2006, with the first KSK run was executed by 8–9 volunteers in Kuala Lumpur. Our Kecharians never wavered in their spirit and continued to this mission to bring food to the homeless. In 2010, KSK opened its HQ building in Jalan Imbi and since then, its name has been spreading like wild fire! 1 year later, KSK officially opened a branch in Penang to serve the homeless there. Many dedicated volunteers and who took time off their Saturday nights to pack, transport and distribute vegetarian meals to the hungry people of KL and Penang.
Now, KSK has spread its wings and reached Shanghai! If hunger knows no barriers, our Kecharian ladies will prove that KSK has no boundaries! The Shanghai chapter of KSK did their first run in November 2011, and was initiated by Lu Ning a.k.a Tian Tian who was completely inspired and moved by the KSK efforts in Kuala Lumpur. The idea was championed by Phng Li Kheng and Christine, who are also running Kechara Tea House in Shanghai. They saw what KSK was doing in Malaysia and decided to bring over the spirit of giving of KSK by starting one in Shanghai as well. The core KSK team in Shanghai are very hardworking, sincere and have a lot of initiative. They have the world at their feet, but chose to jump both feet into Dharma to do more for others.
Li Kheng (left) emailed some photos of KSK SH activities to the Blog Team, with captions in Mandarin telling the stories of the homeless there. In the photos you can see many volunteers giving out food during the chilly winter nights. Temperatures reached as low as 0 degrees!
KSK SH started out with 10 volunteers and this number has grown to 50 with the help of Weibo (Chinese version of Twitter) and word of mouth. They have developed their own SOP and are nurturing group leaders, which are important for expanding the volunteers’ database and ensure quality and effectiveness of their outreach to the homeless and volunteers.
This is what Li Kheng wrote about her volunteers in her email to the Blog Team: “These young people dedicate 2 to 2.5 hours of their Saturday evenings to reach out to the homeless every week… rain or shine, Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. It is evident in most of them that they are not there just to get through a feel-good session: they engage sincerely and passionately in conversation with our homeless friends. They get to know some of the problems the homeless face and take their own initiative to help, example:
1. They bought hair razors for some of the men to cut their unwashed hair as spring season will arrive soon.
2. They help collect empty bottles throughout the week from their home and office to pass to the homeless so that they can make a few dollars from selling these empty PET bottles.
3. They look for shower venues as we do not have our own facilities yet etc.
Despite the cold, the volunteers do not rush to go home and the debrief meetings are always conducted in detail and constructive sharing. It is inspiring to witness such dedication, commitment and initiative. I strive to learn from them and with them so that the efforts of KSK – Shanghai will reach new heights.”
KSK SH is also helping to find job placements for their clients. Li Kheng informed the Blog Team that there are a number of challenges to do this quickly but her team is determined to overcome them so that their clients can “fish for themselves” again. They are also looking into providing a space for their clients to shower and do their laundry and target to expand their activities to feed 4 small groups by end of Spring (May) 2012.
Congratulations to Li Kheng, Tian Tian and Christine for pioneering the KSK vision of eliminating hunger off the streets in Shanghai. You incredible ladies are doing a wonderful job, and Kecharian’s back in Malaysia are so proud of all of you! Congratulations to all the volunteers and group leaders for helping from their hearts, and treating KSK SH not as a weekend hobby but a sincere commitment to alleviate the suffering of the homeless.
If you would like to participate in KSK Shanghai, please contact Li Kheng (likheng@coffeebean.com.cn).
- Kechara – Caring for the homeless
- Slogan – Refuse indifference, relieve hunger
- In Shanghai city, it is 0 degree Celsius, the people are in a hurry, and the roads are busy.
- At this moment, there are groups of people staying at certain corners of the city, using the weakest voice in exchange for their survival.
- Our care in action has begun again; we hope this act of care will bring some light into the darkness of the homeless.
- In every session we will make some small improvement, today, we invited psychologist Ms You Xiaoting to share with us “How to communicate better with the vulnerable groups of society”.
- After the sharing session and some light refreshments, the volunteers are set to go!
- The stern but compassionate eyes in the background belong to Datuk May Phng, she is the President of Kechara House in Malaysia.
- The preparation before the distribution.
We prepared for the homeless warm food, warm drinks, biscuits and fruits, and we carefully inspect the food before each distribution.
- We wish that all the homeless that we meet in each session will receive the food.
When the food is not enough, the volunteers will run to nearby convenience stores to buy, they will never let the homeless go hungry!
- Even at 0 degree Celsius outdoors, with the care and warmth of the volunteers, everybody’s heart also become warm!
The continuation of care
Even when they themselves are the needy vulnerable groups, they still help each other and depend on each other.
A homeless enthusiastically directs us to some other locations, saying that there are more homeless there without food.
- What we put effort in and are persistent about is not only to distribute the food, but also to personally communicate with the homeless, connect and care for the souls, and listen to the story of each homeless.
- The Pride of a Soldier
You may never believe that this homeless was a soldier before. In our communication with him, we felt pride, toughness and a strong sense of honor of a soldier exuding from him.
He has been in Shanghai for 12 years, as an ex-army he would rather collect garbage than to become a beggar. To him, begged food is an insult, striving personally for his his own survival, not matter how lowly it is, is still better than begging.
When he was young, he was expelled from the army for an incident, and then he divorced from his wife. He left the house for his wife and left without a single cent.
His daughter is now 21-year-old, we asked him if he wants to go back and see the daughter, he waved his hand and said helplessly “Without money, everything is fake…”
He may have made a mistake when he was young, but he did regret and repent. As a parent, who would want to be separated with their own children for so long? But the cruelty of this pragmatic world made the distance ever greater…
- Conversation and listening
Local Shanghainese, 63-year-old. Went to Xinjiang to join the army at 17 and survive by his mechanic skills.
But things changed very fast; when he returned to Shanghai, his house was demolished and moved, and his younger brother went behind his back and sold off the moved house and refuse to let him register under the household.
Therefore he could only depend on his handy skills to find jobs. As he aged, there were fewer and fewer jobs that he could do.
Nevertheless, he did not want to bother his sister who lived in the farm village, because his sister was not that well-to-do either. So he survives by doing odd jobs in construction here and there, and he stays outdoor without a house, and he has been doing this for decades…
- Plight and Hope
Life has always been tough, but even under such circumstances, these young men still have high hopes towards life, and strong passion towards learning.
They are migrant farm workers doing odd jobs in the city, sometimes they build stages for musical concerts and earn 10 Yuan/hour (USD1.60), when there are no jobs, they sleep at the entrance of underground train stations.
The one in brown jacket is holding and reading a dictionary that someone donated to him, before leaving he requested every volunteer to sign on the group photo they took with the volunteers. He doesn’t want his family and friends to know that he is sleeping at train station, so he requested his face to be blurred in the photo
- Care doesn’t discriminate by age
Our youngest volunteer is 10-year-old Zheye, he shows no sign of being a spoilt kid, nor is he judgmental in his action, he naturally shows care towards the homeless, it is really “equanimity in giving”, we all have to learn from him.
- The Story in the Eyes
A 15-year-old boy by right should be growing up in the care of parents, but this boy became an orphan when his parents died when he was 8-years-old.
He is 15, but he is only as tall as our 10-year-old volunteer, and his eyes reveal a lot of stories. Perhaps the life of homelessness and wandering these few years taught him to be tough and independent, but he must be still craving for love and care.
He said he has not met bad people before, because the homeless people will help each other. The winter jacket on his body was given to him by an old uncle in Shanghai whom he befriended a few months ago.
- Listening and Communicating
We could not fully experience the loneliness deep inside the heart of the homeless, but what we can do is to bend down and listen and communicate with them.
This is an old uncle from Shandong province, this is the second time he received our food distribution.
Our volunteer Wang sat down and chatted with him for a long time, they chatted about topics from Guangdong to Shandong, from Emperor Qin to Poet Quyuan. This uncle is very happy, because for the longest time, nobody is willing to spend such a long time to chat with him!
- Perhaps it has been a very long time since anybody showed any care towards this old grandmother. When our volunteers held her hands to keep her warm and make her happy, she smiled with such great happiness!
This is the third time that this mother and son is seeing us, they have relaxed a lot as compared to the first time they saw us.
The boy standing is called Wang Yifei, he was born in the year of the pig, so we called him “Little Pig”.
At this age, he does not understand much about life yet, although he is wandering on the streets, he is still very naïve, and he would be very bubbly and laugh and jump up and down when we shook his hand.
- On the road
Our movement has just begun, there is still a very long way to go.
But we will keep on working hard, keep on improving, to provide more help to the homeless.
- Love and Hope
Exhaust every effort, however tiny it is, to bring a glimmer of hope to the homeless.
Let them feel love and care, let our lives have more meaningful continuation!
Kechara Care on the Streets Project eagerly anticipates to your involvement!
- Wang Shuai, a boy who lost his parents since young, he has no home, 5 years ago he took a train to Shanghai, and since then he has been wandering around the streets.
Wang Shuai is being neglected, ignored and lives his life without anybody’s care, but he could still show care and love towards his pet cat, he plays with the cat and gives it leftover food.
- If you have families, friends, or loved ones by your side, please smile and be grateful.
Because under this sky, there are some who find themselves suddenly alone, some who are homeless, some who have pain and sickness, some who are displaced…
Although we are lucky to breathe the same air, but we have different destinies.
Meet, make friends, get together, rise up to the city’s peak.
In this meeting, be touched and inspired.
In this meeting, be grateful and moved.
After we meet, we won’t forget;
After we meet, we won’t want to let go;
After we meet, we should keep each other company
- Every Saturday, the volunteers would gather at a certain time and commence the “Care for the Homeless” activity.
They were strangers who have become friends; they came from different parts of the city to congregate at the project’s starting point. A type of energy, a strong force of love and care has brought us together seamlessly.
The group leaders would divide the volunteers into smaller groups and arrange the routes, and guide them how to communicate with the homeless.
Senior volunteers share their experience with new volunteers, more and more new faces are joining the volunteer group. Experienced volunteers will take the initative to share their experiences, to help the new volunteers have a better start in the activity.
- The 12th “Care for the Homeless” activity.
We distributed 55 meal boxes, fruits and biscuits, 12 cartons of milk, 40 eggs and 10 winter clothes.
We brought for the homeless hot food, together with our love and thoughts.
- This weekly meeting, weekly waiting, has narrowed the distance between each other.
Our hearts slowly become closer, sharing each other’s life stories, our deepest thoughts.
Yu Youcheng, has a Shanghai accent, survives by collecting garbage, he lives at #1 unit Renming Guangchang. Due to illness he has sold off his house and separated from his family.
A few years ago he was diagnosed with severe stomach ulcer, the doctor said it might develop into stomach cancer, but he has no money to go for treatment.
He can’t eat rice, only cakes and noodles, and he always has stomach pains.
In the future we will bring him noodles and stomach medicine.
Wang Shiyu, over 60-year-old, survives by collecting garbage, he lives in #1 unit Renmin Guangchang. When we asked about his family, he became upset and his eyes turned red and said he didn’t know how to begin… his tone was of helplessness and sadness.
His daily income in 10 over Yuan, after we found out that he knows how to cut hair, we proposed that he cut hair for the other homeless and we pay him, but he refused to be paid, he said “I can offer the service for free. You guys help us with so much care, I also want to be like you all”.
We will help him to get some tools for cutting hair and will ask him to start cutting hair for the others soon, this will help him regain his confidence.
Remember someone once said, the end of the world is coming, they are not afraid, because their lives have been built with their two hands.
Sharing with other charities made us understand that what we need to give the homeless is not just food and care, but to let them be happy, confident and independent.
- Grandma Oo, around 65-year-old, lives near the train station, Shanghainese.
We have conflicting information from her, for example she said her house was demolished and she was not satisfied and have been pursuing the case with a lawyer, but until now there is no settlement, and she has no money continue with the case. We offered to help to find lawyer for her, but she refused.
Later we found out from other homeless people that she has a few children, and when the house was demolished, her children signed the documents without her knowledge and distributed the money among themselves, since then she has become homeless and lives on the streets.
We are very sad after knowing her story but we don’t know how to help this grandma
Many times, we feel helpless, thinking our miniscule efforts have no power, but if we do not give up and never neglect, even the smallest matter will become a piece, with constant accumulation, a single step becomes a thousand miles, a small stream will also become a big ocean.
- Lao Meng, survives by collecting garbage, he is very talented, he even wrote a poem to thank us!
- Lao Zhao, 40+ years old, from Xi’an, he is a special guest in our sharing session.
About a month ago when we first met, he was wearing a clothes donated by another charity centre, now he is the supervisor organizing the workers to construct stages for concert performance.
This time he wore new clothes and looked good, but when he talked about his 70+ years old mother at home, this grown man, in front of 10 volunteers, shed tears. He had just found a job after much difficulties, and now received news that his mother is sick, he told us he is scared, he scared he could repay his mother’s kindness in time, he has thought of letting go of the current job and go back to his hometown, but we encourage him to work hard and save more money and then bring his mother and children to Shanghai, and we will support him, anybody who has work in stage construction or company annual event we hope you will refer to Lao Zhao.
- Why is it that there are homeless who have a home but they have nowhere to go to and no family;
How many homeless people have lost their confidence and courage, fearing change and working hard but only remaining status quo;
How many broken hearts, through the four season, rain and snow, endure pain after pain and hurt;
How should we care, get closer, how to help, how to face it together?
We are working hard, would you join us and work hard together with us? No man is an island.
- Love and Hope
Extend our effort however tiny it is, to give hope to the homeless however little it is.
Maintain love and hope, our lives would then have more continual meaning.
(Slide show #2)
- Kechara – Care for the Homeless project
Slogan – Refuse indifference, abandon hunger
- We hope our persistence will awaken even more love and care.
- Beauties of Kechara ready to go, rain would only make them even more persistent.
- This grandma asked if we can give her one more portion, we didn’t agree because there were many more people waiting for food, we felt bad.
This 18-year-old’s identity card was stolen right after he alighted from the train, he can only survive by collecting drink bottles.
”What would you like to work as?” “I worked in hotel before” “Why?” “Got food and lodging”.
- 75-year-old grandpa Chen, many years ago his brother sold their house and migrated overseas. Since 1984 he became homeless. Every month the streets give him 500 Yuan of subsistence. His shoe size is 45, who has? We gave him a wool jacket.
- In the underground walkway, we put the food next to a sleeping homeless, we hope he will smile when we wakes up tomorrow.
- “Are you guys going back to your hometown during Chinese New Year?” “Without identity card we can’t go back, we can’t find jobs, we can’t find a place to stay.”
Some of them lost their identity card, some were denied household registration status… their illegal status is the downfall of these heroes.
- Communication is far more important than giving food alone, who would ask about their well-being?
A little care from you can transform hatred and make the world a better place!
- Remember this man with a tie? He taught us dignity! Everybody has dignity, don’t look down at people who are poorer than you.
- This stage construction workers sleep at the train station, they queued up orderly to receive the food. Have we ever thought that the stages on which celebrities performed were built by them?
- Uncle Xue from Jilin, he said if he sleep on Jilin’s street he would die in the cold, it was –20 degree Celsius there.
He is not a beggar, but he waits near the train station for people to hire him to do odd jobs
Recently there were no jobs. so he sleeps here daily with his friends.
He has a flu, and said maybe he would fall asleep and never wake up again… we told him this would not happen, we would come to see him again next Saturday.
- Love is ageless
Our young volunteer gave warm milk to this garbage collector, a child’s mind is simple and pure, we hope this activity will give them good memories in their growing up years.
- Both Grandpa Wang and Grandpa Chen are over 70-year-old Shanghainese, after their houses were demolished, they used up the compensation money and have been homeless since then, their relatives were unable to take them in, they will only visit them during festive season. Our young volunteer gave them some hot milk, they were very happy and kept saying thank you.
- Has it ever crossed your mind that this is an old Shanghai man’s “house”?
This is the “car house” of Grandpa Chen, aged 75, Shanghainese. He was labelled as counter-revolutionary during cultural revolution, his brothers sold their house and left China.
He worked in clothes factory before and has been homeless since 1984. Every month the streets give him 500 Yuan subsistence money. Who has warm shoes of size 45?
- Master Zhao form Jiangsu, sleeps on the street, we didn’t notice him last time.
He has a 22-year-old son, he also has a “home”, his wife is mentally disabled and works in a charity factory.
He got addicted to gambling earlier before and had conflict with his family, whenever he went back he would quarrel with his wife, so he left the house a year ago and has some income by collecting garbage, he would visit his son from time to time and give him some money.
- Love and Hope
Extend our effort however tiny it is, to give hope to the homeless however little it is
Maintain love and hope, our lives would then have more continual meaning.
Activity Summary – 12th Homeless Care Food Distribution Round
During 12th February’s rounds, we distributed 55 boxes of food (including rice, fruits and biscuits), 12 cartons of milk, 40 eggs and 10 warm clothes. Volunteers who took part were Lu Ning, Christine, Betty, Calrk, Joyce, Xiao Xiong, Lao Duo, Tao Qing n daughter, Zhang Xi, Xu Ming, Tong Ling, Goujer, Li San Chuan, Jue Jiong, Li Xun Zhi, Wang Yuan Qing, Alejandro, Dou Chun Yao, Yin Han Qing, Natalie n Husband. The weather was relatively warmer then the last few weeks, Since the sky was clear, we decided to distribute from one spot, where clients were invited to collect food from. At the same time, Xu Jia Hui and his team had gone to distribute at Tian Mu West Road , Fu Min Road and Tian San Road .
Profile of some of this week’s clients:
Lao Zhao
Forty year-old (estimated), originated from Xi An. He was invited as special guest to attend volunteers’ sharing session.
When we first met Lao Zhao a few months ago, he was wearing cotton jacket given by other charitable organization, now he his working as foreman, leading a team of workers building, stages for performances. Tonight he was wearing new cloths, looking very healthy and fresh, however he couldn’t hold back tears when he told us about his 70 year-old mother, although he now has a job, he is very worry about his mother’s health, he said, “I am very afraid” he is worry that he might not able to be filial to her, he considers giving up this new job to return to hometown in order to take care of her. We encouraged him to earn more money in Shanghai and bring the mother to Shanghai with him, we are willing to support him by referring new jobs to him.
Wang Shi Yu
Sixty+, survives by collecting recyclables, sleeping at Ren Min Guang Chang No.1 Exit.
When asked about his family background, he answered with teary eyes, full of frustration and bitterness…
“Young ladies, how should I begin? How do I tell you?…” This old uncle collects about RMB10 a day; we came to know about he’s skill in haircut and suggested to pay him to provide haircut to other clients.
His reply was, “I am happy to do it for free, I would like to be able to help others, just like you do”
Uncle Wang’s toolbox (for haircut) does not include shaver, we plan to support him in getting a new one in the form of ‘loan’. Dou Chun Xiao volunteers to take up this ‘project’, we will start the haircut session next Saturday, the main aim is for Uncle Wang to gain back his dignity.
Yu Cheng Zhong
60 year-old. Speaks with Shanghainese accent. Survives by collecting and selling recyclables.
Sleeping at (same spot as Uncle Wang, above) Ren Min Guang Chang No.1 Exit.
He sold his house in order to get medical treatment, hence was separated from the family. His medical history started with severe gastric ulcer, according to Doctor, this will evolve into stomach cancer if left untreated, but then he had already ran out of money to continue the necessary treatment.
He is unable to digest rice, can only take light food, including cakes and noodles, he is currently suffering from frequent stomach pain. Moving forward, we will prepare special diet for him and volunteer Zhang Xi will bring him some medication for his stomach.
Granma Wu
Around 65 years of age. Shanghainese. Has been staying at Subway Exit No.1
After speaking to her for several times, we found her ‘stories’ varies, and sometimes she gives us conflicting information, e.g. she is in law suite with regards to compensation of demolition of her house, kept loosing her identity cards but cant replace due to lack of money to pay penalty. We offered to help but was refused by her.
From another client, we came to know her real background: she has a few children. When her house was demolished by the authority, the children, behind her back, signed acceptance letter and split the compensation money among themselves. Hence she is forces to live on the streets. We feel very sad for her but do not know what is the best way to help her.
Lao Meng
Rubbish collector. Stays under the bridge of Tian Mu West Highway .
Lao Meng is talented, after written a thank you letter, he gave us a poem:
In this year of intercalary month, cold late spring,
Homeless folks’ suffering can hardly be told.
Messengers of love came to our aid,
We cant thank them enough!
If the divine is ruthless, there are human who cares,
This is the spirit of mutual sharing and help!
There was another episode during our rounds, when we were distributing food at the roadside, a middle-age Shanghainese man stopped his electrical bicycle and demanded to know what we were doing?
Will we ‘spoil’ the homeless by giving them food? After Joyce’s kind and patient explanation, his attitude took a 180-degree turn, he understood our intention and praised us for what we do. Two young men who were watching us went to a shop and took out a brand new winter jacket, they gave us the jacket asking us to pass to whoever needs it. This is the sign of true love, from our sincere and pure motivation, we can promote a series of changes. Thank you for your kind attention and involvement, we will continue to spread the love and care to the needy.
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
It is very heart warming to see Kechara Soup Kitchen has footprint not just in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, but also in Shanghai. The loving kindness of His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche and his students set no boundaries in helping the homeless and the people in hunger or in need. True compassion goes beyond nationality and race.
Thank you Rinpoche and Li Kheng for being the exemplary in caring for others.
Humbly, bowing down,
Stella Cheang
[…] See what Kechara is doing in Shanghai! (https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/kechara-soup-kitchen-ksk/see-what-kechara-is-doing-i…) […]
Wow ! Great News ! we have KSK in Shanghai , I am Alan Chan from KSK Johor ( Southern of Malaysia ) , It really inspiring us that KSK Shanghai giving love to the homeless , keep it on , Hunger knows no barriers !
Thank you my friends in Shanghai for your time, effort and most importantly your love towards the homeless at this winter. I’m so touched when I was going through the pictures and words at the side of the pictures. Thank you for sharing your love to the people who has lost it for the longest time. I would love to join all of you when I visit you in Shanghai in future. Hope it won’t take me too long.
感谢上海的同修们，你们的用心把爱传播到上海各个地区，让无家可归的流浪汉多了万分的温馨与关怀！
从图片与文字中看得出你们的用心和真心关爱，有多少人在现今社会真的关注无家可归的流浪汉呢？你们正树立着好榜样给予年轻一代，让他们醒觉在努力打拼事业之余，还可以付出他们的爱心于一班被社会遗忘的朋友。
很多时候，不是他们要选择过这样的生活，而是被别人带着有色眼镜看待他们，从而被逼于社会断绝来往，唯有和他们有个人联系才可以打开他们的心房，这样才能协助他们振作重回社会怀抱。
感谢你们的不眠不休为他人点燃一盏光明的灯照亮别人，继续加油！
It is very heart warming to see how KSK in Shanghai is benefitting people, and being homeless in a cold country is much much more difficult than being homeless in a warm country. People in such cold countries without proper clothing they would last the night. The people in Shanghai under the leadership of Li Kheng really does great work on the streets of Shanghai.
当社会发展越快， 社会问题就会越多。 Kechara Soup Kitchen 伸出温暖的双手， 是希望这些流浪汉有温饱，与希望！
各位， 就从身边开始， 关心每一位！停始，更多的流浪汉与社会问题的发生！ 爱应该从自己，身边的每一位开始！
上海的朋友，在冷冷的夜里没有自个儿躲在被窝里，反而想着受寒的人，还用行动献出爱与关怀，你们太棒了。
虽然只是照片，但是流落在街头的人所受的身心煎熬都一一表露了，恍惚他们就在我眼前，第一次照片的时候，留=流下了眼泪，因为自己做得不够多而愧疚的眼泪……
朋友，继续努力！我也在这里继续努力离开我的舒适区……
上海的朋友，您们的爱心不分疆界， 非常感动！加油
Yeah Kechara is going around the world!!! Feeding people around the world too!! Really good that our very own Kechara Soup kitchen has worked so hard to feed people in China, Shanghai. Kechara Soup Kitchen is also going all out to feed the homeless all around the world! Wondering which part of the world they will be feeding next, can’t wait to know!
Posting for Sean:
Wow… thank you, Rinpoche, for sharing what we’re doing in Shanghai and a big Thank You to all who have responded with their kind words and encouragement. It means a lot to all of us here.
A few of us had the amazing opportunity to experience the original KSK in KL last year when we all flew to KL to celebrate Rinpoche’s birthday. We were so inspired by what the KSK team in KL is doing that we wanted to do the same for the homeless in Shanghai.
But where do we start? How do we start? There were so many questions, so many things to consider… but it starts with “one” so we took the plunge.
And now, here we are. We have 2 main groups of regular volunteers and an ever-growing list of new volunteers. We’re searching new routes where we can spot more homeless people who are not already on our list. We’re fine-tuning our Standard Operating Procedures and also how we deliver them to new volunteers.
But, the most heart-warming – and amazing – thing of all, is seeing how we ourselves develop. Yes, we’re giving food to the homeless once a week and therefore they have warm food at least once a week. Yes, we bring them some hope that they are not forgotten, that they are still a part of society, that they have a face. Yes, they feel a bit of warmth and love from people who genuinely care. But they are not the only ones benefitting from our weekly activity.
The volunteers who gather every week, without fail, all started out with already the best intentions but we learn something about ourselves and each other, and we find strength through each other’s commitment. As the older members welcome new volunteers and explain what we’re doing, we need to be clear about our intentions and actions, about why we’re giving food to the homeless.
Through these explanations, we automatically ask ourselves questions in order to be ready to answer questions coming from the new members. And so with each new question, we learn something new about ourselves. And to be able to explain with conviction every time, we have to be dead honest with ourselves. And we don’t do this only on Saturdays.
As we recruit more volunteers on any day of the week, we repeat the whole explanation, from how the idea was born (in KL, then Shanghai), to what we actually do and how we do it. It’s like a constant purge of pretence and any selfish thought that becomes a daily routine.
There cannot be any pretence and selfishness in what we’re doing. We get asked by some new volunteers if we will take a break during public holidays or festive celebrations. Our simple answer is this: No, because the homeless don’t take a break from being homeless during public holidays or festive celebrations, we can’t either.
We’re learning with every week’s experience. When we hear something inspiring said by a volunteer when talking with a homeless person, we share it. When we see one of us doing something accepted and welcomed by a homeless person, we try it. Hunger knows no barriers but our hunger for learning knows no boundaries!
We welcome any friends who are moving or travelling to Shanghai to join us, and to spread love and kindness. We challenge more good-hearted people out there to outdo us, wherever you live: if you succeed, thumbs up to you and we’ll try even harder!! 🙂
Dear Rinpoche, I won’t be surprised if that was all part of your master plan in the first place. To plant the seed for KSK so that we find our own way to learn… it’s so brilliant… Thank you.
A few words to my fellow volunteers in Shanghai: I haven’t met all of you yet since we have several locations and it’s not always easy to swap groups (we need to show familiar faces to the homeless to build trust and they must come before our own curiosities to experience other groups and locations) but my heart goes out to each and everyone of you for your commitment and love.
With love and respect (and a warm feeling inside),
Sean
Posting for Christine:
The group in Shanghai was inspired by the Soup Kitchen in KL. What we’re doing now is really small compared to what KSK is doing in KL. We hope we can be as strong as the KL team one day and to be able to help as many people as we can. I believe that will happen one day. Our team hasn’t stopped one weekend since we started on 27th November 2011 and we are still learning but we will not stop. Every time we see the homeless people gathering to wait for us, I know it’s not only about a package of food. It’s a relationship and it’s a commitment.
Thanks for Rinpoche’s teaching which keeps us going for the right reason: it’s not just a weekly event, it’s about helping others. Some volunteers admitted that they have never noticed the faces of the homeless people before volunteering. They were just another object on the road like a tree or a chair. Now, they start seeing PEOPLE, just like themselves, except in another life situation.
I appreciate the opportunity to volunteer in KSK Shanghai. My weekends are so much more meaningful! I get to meet so many nice people and make new friends with kind hearts. May our work grow steadily and bring more warmth to the homeless.
Christine
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As a member of Kechara Soup Kitchen, I am deeply impressed by the positive attitude of these homeless people. When they are sufferring such a difficult life, some of them still keep the hope of future. They share with us the story and why they don’t go home. They thank us in their way like poem, smile and their trust even I think we did help them so little compared with hard environment they lives. This makes me think, people like me who are born in a good family, have parents and friends love me, how can we complaint the unfair? I will keep involving in this activity and try my best to support the homeless achieve their little hope and dream.
Very very touching stories. Hopes more people would join in their “love” movement. Going to forward this story to my other friends, hopes more of them can join in this activities in Shanghai. Or even in other countries.
Thanks to Guru too, if without H.E a lot of people till today would not even have a look on who are those people. Dato’ Ruby have did an excellent job of bringing awareness about them.
This is the article that really touch the heart and shed some tears. I can feel the pain deep inside. All the glory fighting for the country,hope of moving towards to bigger city for better life and to live comfortably with loves one during the senior year were shattered. Instead, they had to find comforts on the roadside and live by the kindness of stranger. Imagine them as your close friend, father, mother or siblings who had to live in despair, picking garbage for living and enduring staring eyes and mocking of the cold society and lingering on the slightest of pride for survival. They could have fight against grueling stomach, but what antidote could cure the lonely heart on the long winter night. Its a stark contrast of a fast moving city,modern building and bright neon lights. The city thta promises hope in the making, but instead many were stranded in the quest. Lurking on the dark corner are the lonely souls still clinging or perhaps had giving up the hope long time ago, wishing for one day to be back to warm embrace of their family back home.
As a volunteer for KSK penang, i had also seen many of the scenarios. It’s a life changing experience I start to appreciate food and care for the people around me.
Shanghai Team, PLS do continue with the good effort and bring some warmth and hope into their live. At least they know thta there are someone out there who still care for them and ready to lend a helping hand. From the bottom of my heart, i really thank you all for the kind effort and selfless act.
You guys not only filled their hungry stomachs but you have touched and filled their hearts too!
Thank you, Li Kheng and Kechara Shanghai Team for sharing this inspiring updates with us. May KSK Shanghai continue to flourish to help all those in need!!!
Really touching….the writeup in chinese brought tears to my eyes. I am sharing this with my friends. All these possible due to the kindness of Rinpoche who inspired so many others….
Really touching…the writeup in chinese brought tears to my eyes…. I am sharing this with my friends. All these would not be possible without the kindness of one man who inspired so many others. Thank you Rinpoche
Kechara Shanghai Team is doing a marvelous job in Shanghai under Li Kheng’s leadership. It is truly inspiring and I rejoice at their young, capable and caring energy.
Fantastic work by our Shanghai Group. Rejoice! It is so nice to see Rinpoche’s work spread to China, it will definitely spread to other parts of the world too! We will work hard to fulfill Rinpoche’s wish, ie to bring Dharma to all sentient beings, to benefit all sentient beings.
Its very hard warming, touching and inspiring!!!
Thank you Kechara Shanghai Team…you guys are awesome!!
Great updates with great pics. Regardless of the town, city or country, the homeless people are out there. It would be wonderful if people would start a similar KSK in their own country. The millions of hungry people may not all be fed at once but if we do our part it would make a difference.
上海的朋友们， 谢谢你们将我们这里的克切拉精神延伸到那里！ 看了这整则文章， 我超感动的！人情冷暖, 肌饿不分疆界。 你们愿意付出你们宝贵的精神， 时间及金钱， 去帮助这个社会的弱势群总， 这份出自真诚的爱心，必定会让受益者在艰苦的环境中感到万份温暖。希望我们不分彼此， 抛开自私自利的想法， 去为这个社会尽一份力， 让这个世界温暖些。。
同修们，请继续加油！
Li Kheng congratulations on the success of Kechara Soup Kitchen in Shanghai. Having witnessed the needs of ‘street people’ in Kuala Lumpur during the few times we participated with the wonderful dedicated Kechara KL Soup Kitchen team, we can imagine the even larger scale of challenge you and your team of volunteers face in a mega city like Shanghai. We wish you and your Kechara team in Shanghai great success with this truly humane wonderful charity-in-action project and may it be replicated throughout China in the future. With folded hands — Roland & Lin Lee
Dear Li Kheng and Shanghai Kechara Team – KSKSH
Thank you for such a wonderful job you are all doing in Shanghai. Being so far away and still holding up the commitment and dedication is truly inspiring. You are making a big and warm difference to the many who are so often left uncared for and conveniently forgotten.
Kheng, I am so very proud of you for all this and leading the team with yet so much on your plate with the business and all. Stay strong and focused… You will get to where you want to be!
Much love and respect,
Li Kim
Bravo to KSKSH team !! Really was touched reading all the individual stories of the homeless you hv helped . Each have a reason to be on the street . Each have their own challenges . But because you have taken the effort and time to listen and care, you have made a difference in their lives . Inevitably , they have made an impact in your lives too ! In all our lives !! Thank you to Rinpoche for giving us the opportunity to practice giving , compassion and love for others .
Rinpoche, this was extremely difficult to read – the part about Granma Wu (whose children sold her house behind her back, and then split the compensation money between them) made my blood boil. I don’t know what their side of the story is, but I cannot believe anyone is so cold as to turn their parents out onto the streets, to suffer the brutal Shanghai winter.
It just goes to show the importance of instilling Dharma in our children. If we do it out of compassion, it’s because we want our children to make the right decisions when they are older. If we do it out of selfishness, it’s because we want them to express filial piety when they’re older, and not turn us out onto the streets…either way, it seems logical to me to teach our children kindness and compassion when they are young!
I rejoice very much in the Shanghai group’s work amongst the homeless of China, and I pray their work will grow. May they continue to be an example for others in rejecting indifference and apathy.
Such love and care for people who really need it! Despite the cold and sometimes raining… You all went and cheered them up! Truly an inspiration for all of us who read the post. Do keep up the good work and help those who are in need!
It is so amazing how Rinpoche is able to help the homeless in two separate countries now! You are so amazing how you inspire people to give. <3
Amazing how Kechara Shanghai Group had taken the next step after ShangHai Tea House into spreading compassion to fill the hunger of the homeless in the street, really inspiration for many. They brave the bone chilling cold just to give not only warmth of food and drinks, but the most precious Warth of love and compassion. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the work of Kechara Soup Kitchen Shanghai. I hope that this blog post will create more awareness that the work of Kechara goes beyond national, cultural and racial borders. This is aligned with the KSK statement: Hunger knows no barriers. I pray that the growth of Rinpoche’s work internationally with inspire more people from other parts of the world to take action and materialize their personal Dharma aspirations to be a contribution to society.
In the past 4 months of food distribution, KSKSH (KSK Shanghai) became the platform and channel for the personal growth of our homeless friends, volunteers and society in general.
It is so touching to witness the joy in the faces of the homeless every Saturday night as volunteers reach out to share a hot meal and listening ear. Amongst the younger group of homeless at People Square, it is like a little “party” where friends meet and catch up on what’s new. The core of the effort is in the conversations shared over a meal…not so much the meal as there are other kind individuals who actually bring food to the homeless. The homeless also manage collect enough money from sales of PET bottles etc. to obtain something to fill their stomach. These conversations are what reignite the sense of “being a person” amongst our homeless friends.
It is very inspiring to see the young and dynamic volunteers dedicate their Saturday evenings consistently towards making someone else’s evening better. Instead of dawning fashionable clothing to paint the city red, these young and up-coming individuals put on walking shoes and windbreakers to be in the freezing cold with the neglected homeless. It is evident that they do not just engage in this activity to make themselves feel good or less guilty about their own indulgences because these volunteers do not rush the process and put a lot of heart in supporting the KSKSH leaders develop a Standard Operating Procedure to make the effort sustainable on their personal time. Sometimes, I have to remind the volunteers that it is getting late and time to leave! In the process of giving, the young volunteers develop leadership that inspires as well as get to know themselves better.
Not everyone gets to contribute but with the consistent effort by KSKSH leaders like Tian Tian and Christine, regular updates and communication are made to create awareness about the work of KSKSH. This awareness is a seed that is planted in the mindstreams of many people and, perhaps one day, these seeds will open and their journey to make someone else’s life better will begin. For example, there are individuals from outside Shanghai who got to know about our work and made financial contributions in support. I trust that one day, when they are in Shanghai on a Saturday evening, they will join us on our rounds!
Hunger knows no barrier…suffering is ferocious. It is through action-oriented teachings from great masters like Tsem Tulku Rinpoche that we are empowered to make decisions and take actions to start a new flow in society: go with the flow of benefiting someone a meal at a time, a conversation at a time, a blog post at a time
Thank you KSK Malaysia for being the pioneering manifestation of Rinpoche’s compassion.
Thank you for sharing this with us. Very inspiring stories of people living on the streets. It is so wonderful to see what Kechara Shanghai Team is doing for the people there… Kechara does reach out to all walks of life. May KSK in Shanghai continue their magnificent work to bring hope to those that need their care.
Rejoice! Kechara Shanghai team is so caring and kind.
You have taken the time to really know the people you met on the Soup kitchen round. Besides feeding them with food,I’m sure you ‘ve touched their hearts.
I’m very touched by the stories of the homeless people in Shanghai and the Kechara Shanghai team has done a wonderful job by giving love and hope to these people as shown in the photos, our Kecharians Boleh!
在上海的同修，真开心看到你们那么的用心，无私的付出。在这个物质充斥的世界，真心的关爱是极为需要的。希望通过你们，这类的慈善活动会如雨后春笋般不断的成立发展。谢谢你们将人与人之间的关系拉近了。
Thank you for all your sharing and all the happening in Shanghai Kechara. It is truly inspiring to see the work you guys have done. Keep it up.
So much love and care for the homeless!Very inspiring.A true Kecharian spirit!A big thank you to the Shanghai Kechara team for an amazing work well done.
I believe that at every level of Society, whether familial, Tribal, National or international, the key to a happier and more successful World is the growth of Compassion. We do not need to be religious, nor do we need to be an ideology. All that is necessary is for us to develope a good humanity! Try to treat whoever we meet as an old friend, and this gives one a geniune feeling of happiness. This is said to be one of the practices of compassion, I was told. Syabas to Kechara Shanghai Team for a worthy job well done. May you all be greatly blessed!
上海的朋友，你们太棒了！！
饥饿真的不分疆界，但关爱可以跨越心墙。谢谢你们带给我们那么动听的街头故事。原来大家只要用爱出发，触动的灵魂总会带来那么多的感动。
愿这盏爱火继续蔓延，为更多在城市冰冷角落的人点燃希望。在大马和上海，我们有一起加油吧！
q(n.n)p q(n.n)p
You all are truly inspirational! This story makes me realise how much can be done for those in need, and shows us all that even a small group of people can change the world – one piece at a time!
Kechara Shanghai Team is not only doing a good job in giving out food the homeless and giving hope to them by caring for them, they also did a very good job in promoting the cause!
They have a professional photographer who take good photos, and have someone to edit the photos and put the subtitle on the photos.
It is important to publicize the good cause, not to make ourselves famous, instead, to let other know there are people who care, and to inspire others to care for others!
Whenever a heart is warmed, a hope is given, an empty stomach is fed, it is only natural that we feel an immense inner happiness that words cannot describe.
Thank you Kechara Shanghai Team, the spirit of love and care is seen in all these photos! And thank you for a wonderful update….
I am going to share this on my FB.