Written by
Kim Lim

Since we’ve started running The Picha Project in, every Ramadan or Raya, we try our best to break fast and celebrate this festive season with our families, house by house. It’s a time for us to check in with the families and also make sure that things are going fine for them.

This year, we are celebrating the 3rd Ramadan with Rania and 2nd Ramadan with Nawal.

You see, we met Zaza and Rania (Zaza’s wife) before Nawal met them, but when Zaza was sick, Nawal reached out and helped Rania in so many ways.

During those painful periods, Nawal took care of Rania’s son and also visited Zaza  in the hospital very often. It was during Rania’s son’s stay in Nawal house that he learnt to be more disciplined.

When Zaza passed away, Nawal was there to go through all the tears and pain with the family as well. We have never thought that two families can get so close together through Picha.

Since then, Nawal’s family has been great friends with Rania’s, and Rania constantly supports Nawal during her low times too.

Last Friday evening, we sat at the dining table with Rania and Nawal who prepared delicious food to break fast with, and we ate together like a family. Malaysians, Iraqi and Syrian gathered together having a wholesome and peaceful meal, us in the twenties chatting and laughing with them in the fourties, exchanging cultures, talking about tea and coffee, and just having loads of fun. What a night!

At that moment, I knew clearly that if one day Picha ever get into any trouble, these two mothers will be there backing us up, just as much as how we backed them up throughout their troubles.

It’s not because we have helped them before and they should repay us, but it was just purely because we are a FAMILY, and these two amazing ladies have shown us how much we can bond, even across borders.

Sights like this always reminds me why we started this work, and I’m truly thankful for it.

To many more families across borders in Picha.

Selamat berbuka puasa, my friends!