While many of us take our daily meals for granted, there are those among us who still go hungry and are in need of assistance.
For many, enjoying a decent meal a day is already a blessing as many Malaysians are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, which affected their jobs, businesses and income.
A teacher in Terengganu recently shared a moving story about a student who has been coming to school, even on days she did not have to, just to get something to eat.
The student was part of the Supplementary Food Aid (RMT) programme and she has been coming to school just so she could get something to eat.
Under the National Recovery Programme, primary school students are divided into two groups and take turns to come to school.
“However, I noticed this little girl coming in to school every day and I assumed she did not know about the rotation system.
“I called her and explained it to her and she clearly understood what I said. However, the next day, I saw her again,” she said.
One day, when the teacher was on break duty, she noticed the same student eating in the canteen.
“She was eating her rice with chicken curry so eagerly like she was very hungry.
“I watched her eat and at that point it dawned on me that she was coming to school just so she could get something to eat,” she said.
The teacher stopped questioning the student and hopes she can enjoy getting the free food.
She said many parents lost their jobs during the MCO period and teachers at the school were also doing what they could to assist the students.
The post has since gone viral on social media with many netizens expressing sympathy for the student.
One user said, “This reminds me of the time when I was little, I was lazy to go to school. But my mum asked me to go because RMT at school was delicious. At home, my mum couldn’t afford to feed me. I remember this so well.”