IT all started out with wanting to help students attain access to the internet and attend online classes during the lockdown, but in a matter of months, Chan Min Choo’s efforts have gone beyond SK Wellesley in George Town, Penang, to the Tanjung Tokong community.

Chan, 58, realised that she has much to offer, so she set up Kijata Us – an acronym of Kita Jaga Kita – to help B40 and M40 families in the community.

She first started by providing a few students with SIM cards containing unlimited data plans in July. Currently, she is assisting 19 students in SK Wellesley and three students from other schools in the state to get internet access.

“I do not give them cash, instead I buy the reloads and give them the code to continue their data plans,” the English and science teacher told The Malaysian Insight in a recent interview.

As a result, she saw the attendance for online classes improve by 75%.

“Once they show up for online classes, they will do their homework,” said Chan, who is also a disciplinary teacher.

She advised struggling B40 students to at least show up for the four main subjects – Bahasa Malaysia, English, Science and Mathematics – if they are unable to attend all classes.

Chan shares a good relationship with her students and their parents, and will be informed of the plights of their families.

“A mother came to me asking for money for diapers and milk powder. She has four sons and is currently pregnant.”

After students, she started lending a hand to the cleaners and security guards at her school. Eventually, she found herself serving the needs of B40 families, including sending 280 food packets a day via Kijata Us.

Chan said she hopes to continue her charity work when she retires in 18 months.

“I have been a teacher for 37 years and am on the brink of retirement, and I want to devote myself to this after I retire.”

She said one of her food suppliers is the school canteen operator, who went out of business when the institution closed.

“I got her in (Kijata Us) as a caterer. With this, her business stays afloat and she can help the market in her neighbourhood and small retailers, from whom she gets her ingredients.

“My caterer grew up in Tanjung Tokong, and she also gets calls for help from the community.”

Although the B40 community is more open to asking for help, M40 families are more restrained, she added.

“Most (M40 individuals) who ask for rice are those who have lost their jobs or had a pay cut. People judge them for asking for food when they have a car, but they are facing financial burden only during the pandemic.”

Kijata Us also sets aside food packets for foreigners living in hiding.

“The residents have told me that they know of foreigners hiding in the village. I give them 10 (food) packets a day,” said Chan.

She added that the residents also realised that many B40 families who have contracted Covid-19 and are under quarantine do not have access to oximeters to check their oxygen levels, so they bought and lent the equipment to the families.

“After their quarantine is done, they will sanitise and return the equipment so other families may borrow it,” she said, noting that the poor cannot afford to buy Covid-19 self-test kits.

“If a kit costs RM9.90, and there are two parents and five children, the cost for one family is RM70.”

Even if the price per kit is lowered to RM5.90, the total for the family will still come to about RM24, which is probably half of what they earn a day, she added.

Kijata Us is supported by different donors, including PPB Group Bhd, Little Nyonya, the Penang Christian Centre and Rotary Club of George Town.

However, as Penang moves into Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan, Chan said the need for food aid is declining.

“In turn, more help is needed for employment opportunities.

“A people’s housing project representative told me that many young people are looking for work, most are school leavers. I was also informed that residents who were blue-collar workers and craftsmen have lost their jobs during the pandemic.”

She is currently writing to companies who are willing to train and upskill the B40 community. – October 25, 2021.