THESE are extraordinary times. As we take refuge in our homes to slow the spread of the coronavirus, life as we know it has drastically changed.

The Movement Control Order (MCO) was announced by the Prime Minister on March 16, imposed under the Control of the Spread of Infectious Disease Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967 from March 18 to April 14.

This partial form of lockdown has seen all places of learning, from kindergartens to higher institutes, and vocational schools closing for the duration of the MCO, with higher education institutes transitioning to online lectures in some cases.

All mass gatherings in the country, including religious, sporting, social and cultural events, have been (and should be, if they havent already) postponed or cancelled. All places of worship and businesses, excluding essential services, have been closed as well.

Through the MCO, the government has established a form of mitigation of flattening the epidemic curve to lower the odds of a spike in infected numbers which are even at this stage overwhelming the healthcare system.

As terrifying though the coronavirus may be, it can be turned back. China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan have demonstrated that, with furious efforts, the contagion can be brought to heel.

For Malaysia to repeat her successes will take extraordinary levels of coordination and money from the countrys leaders, and extraordinary levels of trust and cooperation from her citizens. It will also require international partnerships in an interconnected world.

So how does that affect us? We. Need. To. Stay. At. Home. As limiting as it may feel, and while some of us may be experiencing a bad case of cabin fever, this may be our only chance of combating the spread of this pandemic.

With people being told to work from home and stay away from others, the pandemic has deepened reliance on services from the tech sector, with an array of lifestyle solutions making social distancing easier.

But more than that, now is the time we need to also spare a thought about how we can make the lives of the underprivileged easier. There are ways to do this, and there are new ways organisations are trailblazing to reach out to those in need.

Here are some examples of how people, organisations and businesses are spearheading and turning to ways into bringing services to the masses while observing the necessary precautions that have been set to protect people.

Theres a chance to stop the coronavirus. And we have a role to play in this.

DAILYMUSCLE GYM

Kimbeley Yap conducting one of Daily Muscle's virtual classes.

With the MCO announcement on March 18, gyms, fitness centres and even public parks are closed, making at-home workouts the only option if you wanted to get some exercise in.

Despite the availability of workouts on the Internet, lets be honest, its hard to stay motivated when you exercise alone at home and there are plenty of distractions.

Noel Maniraj Chelliah and Kimbeley Yap-Chelliah, the husband-and-wife team who run the DailyMuscle gym at Glomac Damansara, realised that their members would be missing out on staying active so they established [emailprotected], a series of live-stream group exercise classes run over video-conferencing.

Each class is 30-45 minutes long and capped at 30 people so that everyone gets individual attention, live feedback and coaching. The classes are designed so that they can be done in limited space, with zero equipment and at any time. Those who missed them can watch the class recordings to follow along.

I finally got around to work out at home when I saw that these classes were available. I appreciate the efforts of Noel, Kim and their team to keep us connected while were all quarantined at home. Even my two kids joined in the classes and they loved it! says Charlotte Robert, one of the class participants.

Since the launch of [emailprotected], DailyMuscle has gained over 30 new online members from around the globe, and Noel and Kim are eager to spread the happiness of fitness around.

Weve opened the classes to all so even if youre not an existing DailyMuscle member, we still want you to be able to work out with a community, says Noel.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR WELLBEING

Exercise aside, being deliberate about daily routines and habits during the MCO period is also key to maintaining good physical and mental health.

The extra time that we have at home now can be used to eat mindfully, move more when doing errands (such as walking to your TV remote), drink more water, and catch up on sleep. Our bodies fare best with structure, so we can use this time to train ourselves to build better habits, advises Noel.

Adding, he says: Its normal to feel more down than usual because our routine has been disrupted. Eating nourishing foods and keeping a daily gratitude journal help me stay focused and to serve our 400-plus member gym community who are all staying at home now, yet connected virtually, so we can come out of this season feeling like weve achieved something instead of just wasting time.

[emailprotected] is priced at RM97 for 14 days of unlimited classes, however it is now being offered for free to everyone who wishes to join. For more information, contact Noel at [emailprotected] or send him and Kim a DM on Instagram at @dailymuscle and @kimbeleyyap.

C3 (CHRISTIAN CITY CHURCH) RELIGIOUS ORGANISATION

C3 Senior Pastor Joseph Ramayah recording his sermons with the help of his wife Pastor Stella Ramayah.

GROWING THE FAITH VIRTUALLY

We had to be crystal clear when the MCO was given. We wanted to hear it from reliable sources as speculations were aplenty which only created fear. We want to work with wisdom and prudence, says senior pastor, Joseph Ramayah.

The leaders of his churches were assembled and put their heads together to figure out how to reach and encourage their many members spread throughout Malaysia. They used technology and social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and emails, and ensured that none were left out.

Some of the steps included counselling via phone calls and WhatsApp calls, and mobilising members to help the elderly in doing their shopping for them while observing the necessary social distancing and sanitising.

Encouraging messages on social media are posted almost every day, including devotions and prayer. Sermons are pre-recorded from the pastors and leaders, and broadcast via YouTube and other platforms on Sundays.

Were focusing on building faith in God while respecting and obeying the instructions given by authorities. As this has never happened in our country before and everything is new, touching base with our members is important as we want our people to know that the church isnt a building but a community of people who are precious and important to God and to us, says Joseph.

The social recession, he points out, will hit certain groups especially hard older people, people with disabilities, people who live alone. But well all feel isolated to some degree. And as long as it remains unwise to gather in physical spaces, well need to create virtual spaces that can encourage and build our faith.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUALITY

Attending Sunday service online.

Plagues of global proportions might seem biblical, but coronavirus is creating new challenges for faith leaders. Many mosques, churches and temples have decided proactively to cancel their normal gatherings.

Resist panic. This isnt to say there isnt any reason to be concerned, or that we should ignore the sound advice of medical professionals and public health experts, says Joseph, adding: Panic and fear are not from God. Peace and hope are. And its possible to respond to a crisis seriously and deliberately while maintaining an inner sense of peace and hope.

Care for the sick and underprivileged. This pandemic may be a long haul. Do what you can to help others, especially the elderly, disabled, poor and isolated. Take the necessary precautions; dont be reckless and dont risk spreading the disease, but also dont forget that its our fundamental human duty to help others, he advises, before concluding: Well move through this together, with Gods help.

THE LOST FOOD PROJECT NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION

The Lost Food Project practices social distancing when delivering food to their charities.

The Lost Food Project (TLFP) is still in operation as theyre deemed essential service, i.e. TLFP provides food for our charities. However, it is forced to minimise its operations due to food shortage as a result of the closing of Pasar Borong Kuala Lumpur, which was one of its main sources of fresh ingredients.

Usually the charities receive their vegetables weekly, however, this is no longer possible as they have to respect the actions taken by the government.

TLFP has 55 charities under its care that receive food and other goods weekly, but TLFP doesnt have enough right now to provide for all. Weve decided to focus on our most vulnerable charities; the ones with little support and rely mainly on donations for sustenance, says general manager Mohd Syazwan Rahimy, adding: The good thing is that were receiving lots of calls and people sounding out their support in wanting to donate food to our charities.

The support TLFP gets from people, points out Syazwan, is tremendous, be it from those who want to donate financially or want to contribute their time and energy for their cause.

This crisis has shown us that humanity isnt lost, and this is best exemplified by our volunteers, many of whom would go to great lengths to help us even during these trying times, says Syazwan.

A lot of their deliveries are still being conducted by their volunteers. Of course, he says, theyre reminded to always take precautions when carrying out their tasks, and theyre more than willing to follow advice given by (WHO) the World Health Organisation and the Health Ministry.

We realise this is a difficult time for everyone, especially for the underprivileged who are sometimes unable to provide for themselves in the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic crisis, says Syazwan.

As such, TLFP will continue to provide sustenance for the most economically-vulnerable members of the community and help alleviate some of the burden felt by the charities.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR RESOURCES

For anyone whod like to support this cause, TLFP is in need of essential foods like rice, noodle, cooking oil, milk products, canned goods and others, including vegetables, onions, potatoes, etc. which can be delivered to its warehouse located at Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Malaysia, 54 Lengkok Belfield every Monday and Thursday (9.30-11.30am).

You can email to [emailprotected]@gmail.com if youd like to identify the charities that you can deliver directly to. Donations are also welcomed so that they can continue operating during this crisis and after. Donations can be made to its Maybank account The Lost Food Project 514897068927.

There can be a temptation during times of crisis to think of oneself and ones family first; and depending on your situation, you may not have the resources to do more. But for people who do have the ability to support others, its a crucial time to do so, says Syazwan, concluding: You can still help and make a difference.

PIT STOP COMMUNITY CAFE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

With the help of RELA members, Pit Stop Community continues to feed the homeless and the urban poor.

Malaysias my home, and this is my home improvement, Joycelyn Lee declared in an earlier interview, while explaining the start of the social initiative called Pit Stop Community Cafe.

Together with co-founder Andrew Tan, Pit Stop Community is a social enterprise focusing on homelessness, urban hunger, urban poverty and those with food security issues.

The social enterprise runs as a commercial eatery by day; by night, it turns into a soup kitchen of sorts where it serves between 130 and 180 people and up to 250 portions of food six days a week.

After a year of feeding the homeless (or street clients as Lee and Tan refer to them) and the urban poor, the cafehas now become a known place of refuge and respite among the community.

We also function as a food rescue facilitator, rescuing food for both our own use and for our partners and beneficiaries, including food banks, soup kitchens and other grassroot organisations dealing with marginalised communities, explains Lee.

But with the Covid-19 outbreak and with dozens of new cases confirmed every day, Lee knows theyd have to make changes. For decades, soup kitchens have relied on a cadre of volunteers who quite suddenly arent able to show up. With millions staying home during the pandemic, charities that help the countrys neediest are finding themselves in need.

We got feedback that food on the streets have dried up; no more random drive by groups, no more makeshift soup kitchens on the streets, wrote Lee on the social enterprises Facebook, adding: They were hungry, thirsty, tired, many with their shoulders slumped, some with their heads hanging down.

We have to continue helping, says Lee, pointing out that the social enterprise is now working closely with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Federal Territory Ministry and the social welfare department to ensure the continuity of food supply on the street for the homeless and the urban poor.

Social distancing is a major challenge when dealing with hungry people but were managing, with the help of Rela personnel, courtesy of the ministry, says Lee.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR GIVING

For members of the public who want to help, please visit Pit Stop Community Cafes Facebook page at the Pit Stop Community Cafe and find out how you can contribute food/non-food items and even financially.

Furthermore, if you want to help and dont know where to go, visit http://www.kitajagakita.us, where theres a list of organisations there. Choose one closest to you if you want to donate items.

Please, please listen to the authorities, obey the MCO. Stay at home, pleads Lee, adding: Break the chain. We need everyone to be healthy so that we can take care of those who have the least.

[emailprotected]

See more here:

How you can make the most of your time and still contribute during the Movement Control Order! - New Straits Times