Businesses that crop up do not only provide a supply to demand but they also provide much-needed job opportunities for people to work and earn an income. One of these businesses is Grab, an e-hailing and delivery service made up of everyday people who own a car or at least a motorcycle to execute the job of transporting customers or delivering food and other items.
Thanks to the accessibility of this service, many Malaysians from unprivileged and lower-income communities have registered themselves as Grab drivers/riders in order to be able to make an honest living for themselves and their families.
Here are the inspiring stories of just some of the Malaysians from these communities who are thriving as Grab driver-partners and delivery-partners, despite their monetary and physical challenges:
1. This hardworking Grab rider who makes deliveries despite not having hands
This story of a man named Syahrain is not something you hear of every day. He suffered a terrible accident back in primary school and it resulted in his hands getting amputated. In spite of this, Syahrain still managed to learn how to ride a motorcycle.
Syahrain’s story was shared by a netizen named Edmund Gan, who by chance got Syahrain as his Grab Food delivery rider. In his story, Edmund described his encounter with Syahrain as not only surprising but also inspiring as Syahrain rode a motorcycle like any other person and even made a casual joke about not having hands.
Being an amputee may have impacted his options in choosing a career, but his determination to work and earn a living on his own led him to Grab, where he is now able to make his own income independently.
2. Sumaiyah, a relentless lady who makes deliveries in a wheelchair
This story told by Berita Harian Singapura is about a lady born with cerebral palsy. Sumaiyah Ghazali grew up not being able to walk ever since she was born due to her condition. This disability had bound her to a wheelchair for life and quite frankly, limited her career options.
But being the highly motivated person that she is with a desire to help support her family, Sumaiyah signed up to work for Grab and found a steady source of income despite making her deliveries in a wheelchair. Sumaiyah explained that it also helps that her customers are very empathetic towards her, as she asks for their understanding towards her condition.
3. This dedicated man with a standard-5 education and only one leg
Just like the story of the amputee, this Grab Food rider by the name of Syed is without a leg and holds an education of up to standard 5 only. According to Oriental Daily, Syed was involved in an unfortunate car accident when he was a teenager which left him with severe injuries to his right leg, resulting in amputation. Being handicapped and having a limited academic qualification, his options for work evidently became severely limited. Despite being handicapped, he has been given the chance to earn an income independently on the back of an electric scooter.
4. A 60-year-old lady who drives Grab tirelessly to support her cancer-stricken husband & disabled child
It’s nearly impossible for senior citizens to find a job these days. But for one Malaysian lady in her 60s however, she managed to get a job as a Grab driver to earn a much-needed income to support her husband who is suffering from cancer and her child who has a mental disability.
This opportunity has given her a fighting chance to support her family and has saved her from a life of hopeless hardships.
Apart from these inspiring stories, there are many more just like these of Malaysians who work hard in spite of their disabilities and struggles. Thankfully for these individuals, Grab has provided opportunities for them and for people from all walks of life.
Aside from providing jobs, Grab has also been helping the underprivileged community through their Drivers Representative Committee (DRC).
We reached out to Grace, a DRC member from Kuching, to learn more about their activities and contributions to the undeserved communities. From the time the Movement Control Order (MCO) was put in place, Grace had been working with Grab and a few Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to distribute food and sanitizers to underprivileged families around Kuching twice a month.
She has distributed food and sanitizers to more than 20 homes and over 100 people.
When asked why she chose to contribute this way, Grace explained, “I am grateful for what I have now. When I see others who are in need, I feel the need to help them and so I offer my help by delivering food to them. When I see their smiles whenever I make these deliveries, I feel so fulfilled, like I did something good.”
“You know, life is short, if there’s something we can do, we should help.”
*Recipients’ faces have been blurred to protect their privacy
Grace delivers food and sanitizers to families on her own and some of the goods are bought out of her own pocket! In the coming weeks, Grace and a few of the DRC members plan to deliver kurma (dates) to Muslim drivers for buka puasa.
In addition to this, Grab’s community of users also rallied to donate 29 million GrabRewards points to a list of curated NGOs in the GrabRewards catalogue. To date (15 May 2020), this has generated donations worth over RM200,000 for the various charities they are supporting.
The best part is that you can do your part by donating your GrabRewards points too!
All you need is the Grab app and GrabRewards points. Here’s how you can contribute:
- Open the Grab app
- Go to the GrabRewards page
- Pick a charity to donate to!
The charities you can donate to:
- Malaysian Federation of the Deaf (MFD)
- Islamic Relief Malaysia
- Charity Right Malaysia
- PERTIWI Soup Kitchen
- Make-A-Wish Malaysia
- Projek Pelangi
- Teach For Malaysia
- Fugee School
- Taman Megah OKU Children’s Home
- National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
- UNICEF
- WWF – Malaysia
Your contribution will make a difference, no matter how big or small because these people need all the help they can get from fellow Malaysians, especially in this time of crisis. With your help, these communities’ lives will be enriched and uplifted from the challenges of life.
Additionally, if you know of an NGO that could benefit from the support of GrabExpress services, you can direct them HERE.
To further help the cause, Grab even takes part in:
- Partnering with NGOs like the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf (MFD), Dignity For Children, and many more to lend a helping hand during this trying time.
- Offering subsidised rates for GrabExpress to over 20 NGOs to move food and essentials to underprivileged communities
- Raising over RM500,000 for NGOs supporting people with disabilities, including MFD which they have been working with for more than two years on their #BreakTheSilence initiative to help uplift the lives of the deaf and disabled community.
What’re you waiting for? Be sure to take part in this awesome initiative and look out for those around you who are in need! You can help them through Grab!
