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This Inspiring Malaysian Couple Spends 14 Hours A Day Feeding 1,500 Refugees!

They travelled to help refugees in Calais with a plan to stay there for a week, but almost a year on and they are still there helping refugees in the 'Calais Jungle'.

Cover image via Kitchen in Calais via The Independent

People who are truly kind are rare gems

This Malaysian couple is feeding free meals to 1,500 people in the Calais "Jungle", a refugee and migrant encampment in the vicinity of Calais, France, where migrants and refugees live.

In September last year, Jamalulail Ismail and his wife Sofinee Harun had left for the Calais in order to help refugees in the Calais Jungle

Planned to stay less than a week, but almost a year later, they are still there, helping refugees through their initiative called Kitchen in Calais.

The initiative that began with one caravan in 2015 serving 100 refugees each day, has now grown into a compound with volunteers working to keep the kitchen running.

Image via NST

They spend 14 hours working a day in order to feed 1,500 refugees. However, they still can't feed even half the people at the camp.

Not to mention that it costs roughly RM16,000 every day to feed 1,500 refugees, most of which comes from supporters and donors.

"All the food we use comes from donations which have been flowing in, thankfully. Last month, someone from Bradford donated six tonnes of rice, two tonnes of dates, two tonnes of lentils and 20,000 bottles of mineral water," Jamalulail told The Star Online.

His Kitchen In Calais uses 120kg of rice, 60kg of potatoes and 100 tomatoes and 100 iceberg lettuces for the salad — because, Jamalulail says, "for the Syrians, salad is like sambal belacan is to Malaysians. They must have it with their meals" — each day.

They plan on continuing their kitchen for the foreseeable future

While the help of cash and food donations allows the kitchen to stay open and serve hungry refugees, Jamal and Sofinee do have to travel back home in County Durham, every two weeks in order to also take care of his business.

"I'm juggling between these two tasks. There are so many things to be done in the "Jungle". It's like a new country. They are starting with nothing. We start with a small, tiny thing - food," he said, adding, "Nothing is impossible if everyone works together."

Jamal, his wife and the volunteers at their kitchen.

Image via Kitchen in Calais via Facebook

Wondering how you can help the couple in their selfless act?

Get in touch with them through Kitchen in Calais on Facebook.

Similarly, there's Rayyan Haries, a 25-year-old from Subang Jaya, who's on a mission to volunteer and travel around the world:

Speaking of refugees, here's a rare glimpse into what do people, in their most desperate time for survival, hold most dear:

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