After her plight was made public, many generous Malaysians came forward to offer assistance.

“I would like to thank all the kind-hearted souls who donated money and ordered my food,” the 24-year-old tells FMT, adding that she has managed to settle outstanding rent and bills.

Jocelyn, who had to drop out of school after Form 3, reveals that she received several job offers that were located far away, some of which required tertiary qualifications.

“I’d have to spend on food and transportation, and wouldn’t be able to save much money in the end,” she reflects.

“I’d rather continue cooking and selling meals from my home. This way, I can still take care of my family and do my household chores.”

Jocelyn also points out that not having a Malaysian identity card complicates matters when it comes to finding employment.

“I was born in Hospital Kuala Lumpur but my late dad, who is Malaysian Indian, and my mum, who is from the Philippines, only registered their temple wedding a year later,” she explains.

As such, she has a birth certificate that says “bukan warganegara”.

“Because of this, I still can’t open a bank account, and my mum and I aren’t eligible to apply for any financial assistance.”

Undeterred by her hardship, Jocelyn aims to open a stall selling either nasi lemak or mixed rice around the Masjid Jamek LRT station in the near future.

“To do this, I first need to save money. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many food orders in the past couple of months,” she says.

She explains that she requires a minimum order of 50 packets as she only makes a profit of RM1 per meal, and appeals to individuals or companies to purchase her food in bulk and redistribute them to orphanages or the homeless.

“That way, I would be able to save up enough money to open my stall after a few months,” she says, adding, however, that she would first have to settle her siblings’ school fees.

All said and done, the feisty and spirited Jocelyn is determined to stand on her own feet and do what it takes to provide for her loved ones.

Those interested in purchasing meals from Jo’s Kitchen or helping her family can contact her at 016-2010261 or via Instagram.

Hearts of gold

In June, Francis Poh decided to do his part for the community by buying food from small traders and redistributing them to the hungry.

“I initially wanted to help 20 stalls, but when FMT’s article came out, I received over RM60,000 and managed to help 100 stalls,” he says, adding that he was truly amazed by the generosity of fellow Malaysians.

In the following two months, Francis spent most of his time buying and redistributing food.

“The pandemic made me feel like I was going through the worst period of my life, but I realised helping others made me feel good,” says the 39-year-old, who reveals that the isolation and financial hardships he faced led him to be diagnosed with depression.

Late last month, Francis spent six days helping those affected by the floods in Hulu Langat. Besides distributing food, he also braved floodwaters that were full of dead rats to rescue victims.

“It was quite depressing to see the impact of the floods, so I’m currently taking a short break before I head out there again,” he tells FMT.

In addition, he managed to save three cobras during the floods before releasing them back into the wild.

“I’m not a trained rescuer, but I like doing it and have been doing this for many years,” he says, admitting that he has been hospitalised several times after being bitten by monitor lizards and a cobra.

Having been in the events and entertainment industry for over a decade before the pandemic brought it all to a halt, Francis says volunteering has allowed him to interact with people again, which has added meaning to his life.

“I might not have as much money as before, but I have a healthy body and mind, so I’ll keep doing what I can to help others.”

He believes that although there are many who are selfishly motivated, there are even more who possess hearts of gold.

“During the food mission, many people – friends and strangers – banked huge amounts of money into my personal account. They trusted me just like that,” Francis says.

“This has led me to believe that if you have the right mission, people will be supportive, regardless of your background.”

Follow Francis Poh’s charitable adventures via his Facebook profile.