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After nearly six years running Feed the Need, Michelle Bailey is passing the charitable torch for the community organisation on to the Jidhafs Charity.
In the last few years, Feed the Need has become a steadfast cornerstone of the community, providing and filling fridges all over the island for the needy. With more than 17 fridges functional in restaurants across the kingdom, Michelle has become an anchor in Bahrain’s not-for-profit sector.
She is now hoping to spend more time taking care of her mother who has Alzheimers. The family is also contemplating a move and with a host of changes and responsibilities on her shoulder, she felt the time was right to pass the torch on.
“The plan was always to create something that the Bahraini community can sustain,” said Michelle. “I think the time is right and Jidhafs has been helping people in the community for a few years now. It was just the right fit and I am eager to see it grow forward.
“I want to thank the community of Bahrain, both expats and Bahraini nationals, for the love and support that they have given this project. The last six years have been a lot of hard work but the rewards we get by smiles and the feedback from families that we have helped is priceless. Nothing is as rewarding as making the world a nicer place by loving each other. Our project is now in great hands with the Jidhafs Charity Society.”
It has been quite the journey for Michelle, who trained as a psychologist and moved to the kingdom 15 years ago, looking for a change of scenery.
This island will always have a place in her heart because she met her husband Riyaz Jivanjee here and it’s also due to the diversity and sense of community she has experienced over the years.
Michelle added: “In Bahrain, I can have people from across the globe over for dinner or a barbecue. And there’ll be six or seven different languages spoken around the table, most of which I can’t even understand. It’s wonderful. When my family have come out, they loved that aspect of life here. Back in Australia where I grew up, everyone just spoke English.”
Having a diverse set of friends has been a boon for Michelle in running Feed the Need, which has been used primarily by expat families.
Her personal phone number has become ubiquitous in some of the expat communities and whenever she gets a call for help from someone who is more comfortable speaking in their native language, she has at least a couple of friends from almost every community whom she can tag in for help with translation.
“If I ever got a call from someone who perhaps struggled to talk to me or would rather speak in their own language, friends are always happy to help out,” she added. “I just loop them in, they let me know what is needed and off we go. At the end of the day, human needs are universal, even if languages may not always be.”
While Feed the Need was Michelle’s first foray into the not-for-profit domain in Bahrain, she had plenty of experience helping those in dire straits before.
She grew up in a small Australian town of about 700 people. From a young age, charity began at home as she witnessed her father share whatever they had with neighbours who needed it.
“If anyone was hungry, you’d just take a meal, say ‘Hi, I’ve come to see you,’ while you slid some food over without discussion or debate,” she explained. “I remember, when I was quite young, my dad took two lambs up to the neighbour. I was confused as I watched him cut one up and prepare to guide the other, alive, up the hill. My mom asked him what he was doing and he simply stated that they had seven kids, were short on funds and the husband had lost his job. There was no further discussion. He had a cup of tea with them and left them with a pair of lambs, one ready to be cooked and the other for whenever they might need it. That’s what we grew up with.”
Since this was so close to her heart, after completing her degree in psychology at Edith Cowan University, she worked in welfare and not-for-profit, of which her most satisfying role was helping long-term unemployed residents assimilate back into society.
“These people were really struggling,” she said. “Even though Australia has a great welfare system, these people had lost their self-esteem, their sense of self-worth after being unemployed for over five years.
“Often there were some abuse issues – family, drugs, alcohol or other health concerns. Our job was to step in, help them retrain their skills if needed, address the abuse issues, get them to a point where they were reasonably healthy, mentally and emotionally fit and ready to be an active part of society again. Helping them find talents and worth within, and helping them go from struggling to meet basic needs to the point where they were stable and eager to give back by helping others going through the same issues was deeply gratifying.”
After a stint as the HR manager of a global accountancy and consultancy firm, she moved to Bahrain and channeled that career into a consulting business, EMEA Business Development, where she helps companies address their own human resource and business challenges.
And on the side, she also managed to launch and nourish Feed the Need, retaining some of the ideals she witnessed in her childhood.
“In our house now too, Riyaz never stops me from any of our charitable pursuits,” Michelle said. “I just tell him at the table, we need money for this and he has always just said, “Go for it.” And even though he works in Saudi for most of the week, as a family, on the weekend, we find time to go and help out families.
“We often have garage sales where families in need can come and pick up items like clothing, furniture and appliances that have been dropped up by those willing to help for less than a fraction of the retail price and we use the proceeds to keep our fridges stocked.”
The fridges of Feed the Need have become its hallmark with the organisation’s Facebook page garnering more than 10,000 members. The concept became so popular that charities in Riyadh also started a network of community fridges.
The concept’s value shines in its simplicity - anyone can come, pick up a meal without having to present any food stamps or similar system that may diminish their self-esteem and those who are want to help are able to feel happy in the knowledge that every fil or dinar they donate helps provide wholesome food for someone who needs it.
The first fridge, which was placed outside Hi-Mart supermarket on Saar Avenue, was paid for by Michelle’s daughter Layla when she was six-years old with her saved up pocket money, as the GulfWeekly reported in 2018.
Layla, who is now 11, said: “I have learned a lot through working with Feed the Need. Sometimes I get sad when I see kids tipping out their water bottles only to refill them with cold water. I know many countries don’t have the privilege of clean drinking water and watching them wasting a litre of water, I think that could be enough for a child in need. I would recommend everyone donate their time to a good cause and help others. You get so much from the experience.”
Layla also inspired other children, including her five-year old brother Adam, to help out. Students have approached Michelle over the years, asking to take on their own projects around raising funds for fridges and meals.
Michelle added: “It’s been amazing, seeing students approach me and detail out a full project. All I have to say is go for it and help them coordinate the logistics. The rest of it has all been the fruit of their labour. And the biggest thing they take away is empathy. The students from St. Christopher’s for example, this was a chance for them to step outside the expat bubble and understand how difficult simply getting basic needs met can be, for some of their fellow humans.”
Feed the Need is having an Eid Al Adha Biryani Food Drive where everyone is encouraged to donate towards the initiative.
To reach Feed the Need and Jidhafs Charity, contact Mohamed at 33770778.
