Kechara Soup Kitchen founded by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche wins World CSR Leadership Award
Kechara Soup Kitchen has recently been conferred the World CSR Leadership award for ‘Excellence & Leadership in Poverty Alleviation for its ability to contribute to society in a powerful and positive way.
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – April 8, 2018 /MarketersMedia/ —
Kechara Soup Kitchen fondly known as KSK founded by H.E. The 25th Tsem Tulku Rinpoche has recently been conferred the World CSR Leadership award for ‘Excellence & Leadership in Poverty Alleviation’. The award ceremony took place in Mumbia, India during the World CSR Congress & World CSR Day, established with the objective of uniting organizations and individuals for a common cause, and to spread the message of sustainability.
KSK was won the prestigious award which cites amongst its key criteria, the ability of the individuals or organizations to contribute to and impact society in a powerful and positive way. A special research cell was set up to find suitable nominees from around the world and then began the careful task of tracking and recording the performance of those shortlisted before a list was presented to a jury comprising of senior professionals and leaders in various fields from around the world. Winners were chosen on the basis of the quality of their work, contribution to lives in the community, their reach especially to neglected rural areas, outlook and ability to add value to the quality of the society they influence.
Accepting the award for KSK was its Director of Operations Mr Justin Cheah, who has become a familiar face in Kuala Lumpur, not just in the neglected backstreets where the homeless seek shelter, but also in corporate sponsor’s boardrooms as well as offices of the Malaysian government who have strongly supported KSK and similar NGOs in the country’s efforts to combat poverty and lift the quality of life of its people. KSK is assuming an integral part in helping the Malaysian government come up with ‘Pusat Transit Gelandangan Kuala Lumpur’, a first of its kind halfway home for the homeless in Malaysia.
Cheah is a student of H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche who founded Kechara Soup Kitchen in 2006, having experienced hunger and homelessness when as a teenager, he made his way from Howell New Jersey In America to India to become a monk. En route, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche suffered abject poverty and realized that hunger, like all human suffering, does not discriminate against race, nationality, gender and religion and so neither should kindness. ‘Hunger Knows No Barriers’ has become KSK’s slogan and a constant reminder of KSK’s creed which is to serve the homeless and poor which they regard as their ‘clients’ so there is no mistaken who is to serve whom.
Cheah credits Tsem Tulku Rinpoche for KSK’s success, especially his advice that practicing kindness and serving the community is the highest spirituality, more important than religious labels and rituals. To Cheah, providing warm and nutritious food consistently without fail is the way to win the trust of his clients and only with trust can KSK truly help the homeless by taking them off the streets, heal and train them and then place them in gainful employments. To date KSK has served more than 1,500,000 meals: 10,000 vegetarian based meals per month to approx. 1,200 homeless.
Today 99% of the activities in the organization are run by volunteers who are from diverse backgrounds and professions, ranging from doctors, to business owners, to working class persons, retirees, college/university students, homemakers and other relevant fields. A regular volunteer and a benefactor of KSK is none other than Her Royal Highness Datin Paduka Tengku Zatashah of the Selangor Royal Family who has inspired many with the strength of her kindness and humility. Others whom Cheah says has empowered KSK’s mission to success are the Hong Leong Foundation, KFC, TESCO, Segifresh, AM Bank, Khind, the IMU Foundation, Starwood Group of Hotels, Zubedy and the tireless volunteers who have traded comfort and taken to the streets night after night to care for KSK’s clients.
Currently, KSK also runs a food bank program to assist poor households by putting food on their table and help lessen the burden of the NGO’s partners. The Food Bank program delivers 6,500kgs of dry provisions and 35,000kgs of fresh surplus produce (vegetables/fruits/bakery items) to 93 NGO partners nationwide (consisting of 11,777 underprivileged individuals) and 1,271 poor households nationwide, covering 5,720 individuals. KSK maintains a database of 7,499 homeless individuals, collected to provide valuable information about the clients’ medical conditions, treatments, behaviors and other records that helps KSK facilitate their recovery.
About Kechara: The Kechara Buddhist organization was founded by H.E. The 25th Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, known for his teachings that make the ancient dharma universally relevant to the modern time.
Contact Info:
Name: MK Chow
Organization: Kechara House
Address: No. 7, Jalan PJU 1/3G, SunwayMas Commercial Centre, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, MALAYSIA
Phone: +60172474418
For more information, please visit http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/
Source: MarketersMedia
Release ID: 326673
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