‘Rocky’ rides to the rescue of starving families
GEORGE TOWN: Once known as the “Rocky Balboa” of Malaysia for his martial arts exploits, R Vairavasundaram now rides to the rescue of those who cannot put food on the table.
Veera, as he is known, rides his motorcycle to deliver free meals to about 50 families every day, setting out from the garden-like banana leaf restaurant under a tree near the Free School Road roundabout.
Business has dropped because of MCO lockdowns over the past year, and he has been forced to dip into his savings, especially with the rising prices of vegetables for the past month.
But he has managed to stay afloat, through donations from well-wishers and sales of his set meals with nine dishes starting at RM8.
Veera, 59, said most of the proceeds from the shop goes to feeding the poor. He said he has a group of about 10 people who make donations from time to time, which allows him to prepare more food for the poor.
He posts a full account every month of how he spends his money.
He also “rescues” leftovers from stalls nearby, taking soya bean milk, sweet potatoes, kuih bachang from food stalls and unsold meals from a caterer. These are then sent to the needy.
“One day, I saw a soya bean milk seller pouring a big can of milk into the drain. I asked him why and he said he was closing for the afternoon. I told him, rather than wasting it, give it to me and I will send it to the nearby orphanage. It is terrible to see good food going to waste when there are people who go hungry.
“Today, the soya bean milk man and three other food sellers will call me when they have leftovers. I went to food stalls giving my number, asking them to call me when there are leftovers. I told them I would come and pick them up,” he said.
Currently, he delivers only around Taman Free School as he has to juggle running the shop with his wife, Rathina, 51, and their two daughters. They also have two part-time workers.
When he is free, he ventures further to help the homeless in George Town.
“I am looking for people to help deliver more food to the needy and also need contributions so I can make more free food available to all. Also, if you have leftover food, please send them to me,” he said.
Veera’s children, Priyanka and Kowsalya, aged 24 and 21, are following in his footsteps. Priyanka received the UK’s Diana Award, one of three Malaysians so honoured, for her work with poor students, motivating and coaching academically weak children of poor families.
Kowsalya helps her father in his decade-long self-motivational programme called “Zero to Hero”, which strives to keep young people from poor families from becoming delinquents and social outcasts. The father-daughter team has helped over 10,000 students to date.
It is a far cry from the day Veera, then 49, took down a 22-year-old Thai in a kickboxing championship held at Penang Pesta fairground.
A 3rd dan black belt holder in karate, Veera also practised san-shou, a Chinese martial art, and was adept with the katana and judo. He represented Malaysia in many martial arts championships.
After retiring from professional fights, he went on to train students of martial arts and gave motivational talks to the poor. Veera is proud to have trained Sharwhin Siva Ragu, now a national basketball player with NS Matrix. - FMT
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