Homelessness is not a crime

1. It was a long, tiring day as I headed home. As I stood at my door, one of those things happened to me. I looked for my keys to no avail. Yes, I was locked out of my own apartment (I’m sure this has occurred to some of you!). It felt so awfully hopeless that I was just one locked door away to home. As much as I wanted to take a good rest after a strenuous day, I couldn’t due to miserable circumstances, by incidence or mistake. In my case, I accidentally left my keys inside just a few metres behind the door. While waiting for the housemate, the next 3 hours felt aimless. I felt ‘lost’ as I walked on the streets.
2. A few months ago, I was out camping in the wilderness. The winter day came with heavy showers and violent gusts. With wind speed reaching nearly 100km/h, the neighbouring tent essentially collapsed. Despite the crazy weather, we knew we had to brave against the conditions to pitch the tents as we needed shelter. True enough, wild winds stormed loudly and struck every corner of the tent throughout that night. The thought of the whole tent collapsing or getting blown away kept lingering. Yet, the tent held firm to the ground. That tent was not just a safe shelter; it was home for that night.

It’s amazing how personal experiences can paint larger pictures. What if we are denied access to the very place we call home? What if we cannot afford a safe shelter to protect us and our loved ones from the cold nights and violent winds?

Homelessness is not a new worldwide phenomenon. What we see today on the streets is a vicious cycle that has been cascading over the years due to numerous mistreated factors. Truth be told, many now form syndicates and work collectively to beg. It disturbs the emotion not because of the sight, but by reality of whether they deserve so for the rest of their lives.

There are countless reasons beyond control that caused them to have ‘no choice’ but to sleep on the stone-cold streets. Some have broken families with heart-rending broken family ties. Some are deliberately addicted to drugs and alcohol. While some, are simply denied opportunity to make an honest living.

Throughout my few times volunteering for soup kitchens, I spoke to a few of those who came for the meals. Many are elderly folks who wander on the streets, possibly no longer having a place they can truthfully call ‘home’. Some younger ones travel from afar to the city in search of jobs, but the living cost is simply too unbearable.

What puzzled me was when I spoke to a middle-aged man whom I was told is/was a drug addict. “The food is not good here, I prefer going to the Masjid because they have better food,” he said. I was like “Woah uncle, free food also mau complain.”

Another elderly man who could not converse in BM or English asked me the name of the fruit which I passed to him, and joked that it was a very hard fruit. As I got to know him better, I casually asked him whether he has family. He simply said, “Don’t mention about them.”

Homelessness is like Tom chasing Jerry, an endless (and cruel) ecosystem with far too many factors. Yet there must be something that can be done than just blaming society. After all, isn’t ‘society’ the people we see in the mirror?

While I salute the relentless effort of soup kitchens, it’s time to take it to the next level. It’s time to get to the roots of the problem, by going on the ground to provide moral support and honest jobs.

Ultimately, many are able-bodied people. Got legs, got hands, got conscience. Why beg?

Homelessness is not a crime. Ignorance of the problem is.

This is nothing close to any senseless sensationalism or religious rhetoric we read in the papers every day. Homelessness is a reality of the many unseen faces and sunken voices across all creeds and faces in today’s fast-paced society.

None of us should boast ourselves as superheroes. Yet we know for sure that conviction speaks volume, that it starts with the smallest efforts from everyone to translate ideas into actions. It’s not just about providing opportunities, but more importantly appreciating their existence and boosting their morale to pick themselves up with the dignity they deserve in this scary society.

#BangunPagi. Coming to the streets of the big city.

This will not be hot chicken poop. Ini bukan hangat-hangat tahi ayam.