Wan, Osman & Mustafa
"I don't want to die alone by the roadside, I want to die in front of my mother" he said
Those were the words of Osman, an HIV positive homeless person in the streets of KL. Osman is a self appointed "supervisor" during our 1901 Food for the Homeless run every Wednesday. Any assistance during our run is welcomed; especially when you are short of volunteers and you have close to a hundred of homeless and urban poor queuing for food.
Osman had many stories to tell. The inset picture was taken yesterday with permission from Osman (Osman is in the middle with Wan on his right & Mustafa on his left). For us, Osman symbolizes a homeless poor who would do anything to distract himself from the predicament he is in.
The Self- Appointed Surpervisor.
This one-eyed guy would usually (hastily) help us to bring down food packs from our cars at Bangkok Bank, one of the spots where to the homeless & urban poor waiting in the queue. In his jovial mood, he would also ensure that every one stands in queue rather than rushes for the food packs. While the other homeless people would sit down on the pavement enjoying their food packs, Osman would move about with plastic garbage bags, collecting leftover and rubbish left by our other homeless clients. I have never seen him idle or even sitting down and eating his food pack. This guy has the energy & enthusiasm of a "super mum".
The Supervisor who Dislikes Chit- Chats.
Throughout the months we have known him, I have never seen him idle - he's either having conversations with us or with the other Homeless & urban poor. We would either have mini chit chat with him while he supervising or the briefly afterwards before he disappears in the busy streets of KL. Most of the times he would cut the conversation short. Whenever we had those short burst of conversations, they were usually intense & filled with tearful stories. And he has the scars to show them.
The One About the Damaged Eye.
Whenever you look at Osman's face, he has one eye lid that is always teary and partially closed. It is easily noticeable as he does not have an eye behind the partially closed eye lid. He mentioned that he lost the eye during some gardening work when a sharp object flew & piercing the eye.
The Ex-Drug Addict with HIV
Osman never holds back telling others, when asked, about his habit in the past. Though he always admits that it was his fault, he claims that he is clean now; having served 14 months in the rehabilitation center. When we started to get to know him, he had never told us that he is HIV positive. All we knew then, he was "the supervisor" and homeless; destitute on the streets of KL. There were several weeks when he did not turned up. I had learned that he has AIDS the week he re-appeared during the Food for the Homeless run. Then, he told that he had been ill. His physical conditions showed. Osman has grown thinner and he has more gray hair now. For the past several months, he has been fighting with a feverish cold sweat at least three times a week.
A Blood Brother Who Doesn't Want to Give a Dime
Osman knows that his days are numbered. He does not want to stay homeless and die alone in the streets of KL. Yesterday he said he had earlier stumbled upon his own blood brother on the streets of KL. He asked for some money from the brother but the brother refused. According to Osman, he has eight other siblings and none of them wants to help him. We are not judging his siblings. Because, probably, they have their reasons for not lending a hand. Another person Osman mentioned yesterday was his mother. He had called his mother earlier and his mother had asked him to "balik kampung" (go back to home town) and stay with her. In Osman's own words "Emak saya seorang saahaja yang nak terima saya" ("My mother is the only one who will accept me").
Train Ticket Back to Sungai Petani & Dying Wish
I have heard that there is no comparison to a mother's love. For Osman, he knows he has no where else to go. I suppose he have been trying his best to stay away from his loved ones so as not to burden them with his disease. But he knows , his days are sadly numbered.
Overcoming the backlash of society as an AIDS patient and handling the many days of being sick are no easy feat. Let alone living on the streets of KL without shelter & food. For us, we are left speechless and dumb- founded of how to help him. We did inform him of the AIDS patients organisation in KL he could contact. He did get some help. We agreed to buy him the train ticket back to Sungai Petani up north in Malaysia. Our policy is that we never give cash to our Street Buddies. We are concerned that they might use the money to buy drugs or alcohol. We agreed with Osman to meet us at the train station, buy the ticket for him and we will watch him board the train. Towards the end of the conversation Osman said he will always remember us for our efforts within the streets of KL. He also said "I don't want to die alone by the roadside, I want to die in front of my mother"
Those were the words of Osman, an HIV positive homeless person in the streets of KL. Osman is a self appointed "supervisor" during our 1901 Food for the Homeless run every Wednesday. Any assistance during our run is welcomed; especially when you are short of volunteers and you have close to a hundred of homeless and urban poor queuing for food.
Osman had many stories to tell. The inset picture was taken yesterday with permission from Osman (Osman is in the middle with Wan on his right & Mustafa on his left). For us, Osman symbolizes a homeless poor who would do anything to distract himself from the predicament he is in.
The Self- Appointed Surpervisor.
This one-eyed guy would usually (hastily) help us to bring down food packs from our cars at Bangkok Bank, one of the spots where to the homeless & urban poor waiting in the queue. In his jovial mood, he would also ensure that every one stands in queue rather than rushes for the food packs. While the other homeless people would sit down on the pavement enjoying their food packs, Osman would move about with plastic garbage bags, collecting leftover and rubbish left by our other homeless clients. I have never seen him idle or even sitting down and eating his food pack. This guy has the energy & enthusiasm of a "super mum".
The Supervisor who Dislikes Chit- Chats.
Throughout the months we have known him, I have never seen him idle - he's either having conversations with us or with the other Homeless & urban poor. We would either have mini chit chat with him while he supervising or the briefly afterwards before he disappears in the busy streets of KL. Most of the times he would cut the conversation short. Whenever we had those short burst of conversations, they were usually intense & filled with tearful stories. And he has the scars to show them.
The One About the Damaged Eye.
Whenever you look at Osman's face, he has one eye lid that is always teary and partially closed. It is easily noticeable as he does not have an eye behind the partially closed eye lid. He mentioned that he lost the eye during some gardening work when a sharp object flew & piercing the eye.
The Ex-Drug Addict with HIV
Osman never holds back telling others, when asked, about his habit in the past. Though he always admits that it was his fault, he claims that he is clean now; having served 14 months in the rehabilitation center. When we started to get to know him, he had never told us that he is HIV positive. All we knew then, he was "the supervisor" and homeless; destitute on the streets of KL. There were several weeks when he did not turned up. I had learned that he has AIDS the week he re-appeared during the Food for the Homeless run. Then, he told that he had been ill. His physical conditions showed. Osman has grown thinner and he has more gray hair now. For the past several months, he has been fighting with a feverish cold sweat at least three times a week.
A Blood Brother Who Doesn't Want to Give a Dime
Osman knows that his days are numbered. He does not want to stay homeless and die alone in the streets of KL. Yesterday he said he had earlier stumbled upon his own blood brother on the streets of KL. He asked for some money from the brother but the brother refused. According to Osman, he has eight other siblings and none of them wants to help him. We are not judging his siblings. Because, probably, they have their reasons for not lending a hand. Another person Osman mentioned yesterday was his mother. He had called his mother earlier and his mother had asked him to "balik kampung" (go back to home town) and stay with her. In Osman's own words "Emak saya seorang saahaja yang nak terima saya" ("My mother is the only one who will accept me").
Train Ticket Back to Sungai Petani & Dying Wish
I have heard that there is no comparison to a mother's love. For Osman, he knows he has no where else to go. I suppose he have been trying his best to stay away from his loved ones so as not to burden them with his disease. But he knows , his days are sadly numbered.
Overcoming the backlash of society as an AIDS patient and handling the many days of being sick are no easy feat. Let alone living on the streets of KL without shelter & food. For us, we are left speechless and dumb- founded of how to help him. We did inform him of the AIDS patients organisation in KL he could contact. He did get some help. We agreed to buy him the train ticket back to Sungai Petani up north in Malaysia. Our policy is that we never give cash to our Street Buddies. We are concerned that they might use the money to buy drugs or alcohol. We agreed with Osman to meet us at the train station, buy the ticket for him and we will watch him board the train. Towards the end of the conversation Osman said he will always remember us for our efforts within the streets of KL. He also said "I don't want to die alone by the roadside, I want to die in front of my mother"
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