By Karen-Ann Theseira
MASAI, JOHOR — Caritas Malacca Johore Diocese of Human Development (Caritas MJDOHD) held a three-hour Kindness Bazaar or Bazar Sumbangan Kasih on June 17.
Racks, tables, and banners were set up at the void deck of Block C, Flat Hijau in Taman Plentong Utama, Masai, providing its residents with an opportunity to “buy” and also contribute new and pre-loved goods. Although at first glance it may have appeared to be a simple thrift shop, the bazaar was more than just a sale of pre-loved goods.
The organising team put much thought and effort into ensuring that all who came to the bazaar felt the friendly and festive atmosphere while keeping to the slogan Take What You Need. Spare Some for Others. Give What You Can and promoting ecological consciousness.
The bazaar featured a children’s games area to keep the young ones occupied, allowing mums and dads to go bargain hunting amidst the colourful array of clothes, jewellery, gadgets and household items. Fostering their artistic creativity, several children created Father’s Day cards using recycled materials. Additionally, a section of donated toys allowed the young ones to select items they liked to take home. Environmental consciousness was not forgotten, as a table was set up to demonstrate the process of making eco-enzyme using jaggery, fruit peel and water, along with its various uses.
Take What You Need
The Malacca Johore Creation Justice Commission (CJC) Diocesan Team Lead, Dr Maria Lee, explained why it was necessary to incorporate environmental awareness at the bazaar. “Earth is our common home, as highlighted by the Pope in his encyclical letter — Laudato Si’ Mi Signore. We must reassess our lifestyles which are fast depleting our natural resources. Our throwaway culture continues to add to the already fast-increasing mountains of waste. Pope Francis calls upon the Church to respond.”
“The task of the CJC is to encourage everyone to live in a more sustainable way to slow down the current state of environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources. The bulk of the goods at the bazaar came from the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Johor Bharu through the monthly Resource Recovery Activity programme. This programme allows pre-loved goods to find new homes. Many of the items donated were new or unused.”
Spare Some for Others
On how the idea of a Kindness Bazaar came about, Caritas MJDOHD Executive Director Andrew Leo said, “We have seen many thrift shops set up in a church or in places where people have to travel to get there. So we thought, why not go to the people instead? We collaborated with our partners — those serving the needy, POHDs of Plentong and Masai, and Creation Justice Ministries of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and Church of St. Theresa, Masai, which rallied 25 volunteers to help in this bazaar which aims to serve the community through the sharing of pre-loved goods, bringing about a greater awareness of the benefits of up-cycling, waste reduction and promoting the use of eco-enzymes.
“We added the word ‘kindness’ to emphasise the importance of this value following the example of Caritas Philippines’ Kindness Stations, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, where people could donate foodstuff which was picked up by those in need from various stations or points.”
Give What You Can
Following the success of the event, Caritas MJDOHD plans to extend its outreach to other communities in need, including migrants and Orang Asli villages, as well as other locations. “We would like volunteers from our apostolates, BECs, and youth to step up and serve the community through such projects. This is a good way to demonstrate our faith in action and play our part in environmental sustainability. Hopefully, more will want to give their time,” said Andrew.
Dr Maria added, “People who learnt about the bazaar donated what they no longer needed. Such a bazaar allows those living here to acquire necessary items. This unique mobile event helps prevent resources that are still in good condition from ending up in landfills. Proceeds from this bazaar go back to the needy through future Caritas programmes and projects.”
This bazaar also celebrated our Muhibbah spirit by fostering teamwork and collaboration among diverse communities, including our brothers and sisters from East Malaysia and our Filipino friends. If you would like to find out more about how you can spread kindness through such events, please contact Andrew at 019-7298574.
 held a three-hour Kindness Bazaar or Bazar Sumbangan Kasih on June 17.){kind=link}