Our community has been left in a state of chaos with many people going through a myriad of struggles at this moment in their lives. In addition to COVID-19 and the multiple Movement Control Orders (MCO), natural disasters such as floods and landslides have resulted in thousands of businesses  shutting down or going bankrupt and billions of ringgit worth in losses. While some local businesses have temporarily closed, others have permanently discontinued their business. This has spelt out mass numbers of people losing their jobs amid this challenging  time when having an income is vital. It’s during these trying times that we must come together and lend a helping hand to those who have been affected heavily. Here are three ways you can give back to your community and help out during this unprecedented time: 1. Donate This is our opportunity to serve our community and  perform charity. Even from the convenience of your smartphone, you can send your care to those in need in times of social distancing and where some locations pose a challenge in terms of accessibility. Sadaqah does not require us to be a rich person but from a sincere heart and rich in sympathy for others. NGOs like Peace Foundation, Mercy Malaysia or the UNHCR have websites for the public to donate money directly to refugees, orang asli or anyone else who has been affected by these trying times. Kitajaga.co, a website portal that connects those in need to those able to help, is another amazing way for us to quickly reach out to those in need directly within your community. Simply log on to their site and turn on your location services for the platform to connect you to those near you. A clear mind comes a clean and clear space. This is why decluttering is a healthy way to maintain your environment and also help others who are less fortunate. Give away your  furniture, clothes, blankets, cushions and mattresses to flood victims who have lost their homes and belongings and they will be so grateful for your support. Another way you can donate is to buy groceries and food and send them to the various food banks organised by  various religious houses of worship, like mosques, temples and gurdwaras. You can also deliver these items via any last-mile delivery service if you wish to maintain social distancing during the pandemic. 2. Raise Awareness If you can’t afford to donate, you can raise awareness for any fundraising efforts or organisations that champion human rights. This can further spread the word for other people to support these efforts. You can even post and share messages of appreciation and support for any civic-minded civilian who has risked their lives  to help victims of the recent floods and help the  nation combat the coronavirus.  It only takes a few minutes if not seconds of your time to share. It doesn’t  cost a dime to hit the share button! 3. Support Local Businesses Local traditional businesses with no online presence have been most affected by the various MCOs since March as they receive little to no customers at all.  Nevertheless, we can help them remain operational throughout crisis by supporting them. A great example would be to buy from your local mom and pop store which can also save your time since they tend to be less crowded than some large supermarkets. Support your local businesses by buying your food take-aways from local side stalls, small food stalls or your favourite hawker stalls. Of course, there are also alternatives like buying food and groceries online from local eateries and small businesses through platforms like Dahmakan, Beep, Delivereat, and Grab. This also isn’t limited to food. Online grocery shopping is becoming more commonplace now. Take for example, Gogopasar, an online grocery app, has their own drivers and local suppliers. To serve this urgent need and to provide an avenue for anyone to help those in need, Gogopasar created GOGOCARE, a CSR initiative for anyone who would like to ‘deliver’ a helping hand in times of need. Gogocare does all the leg-work while you fulfil your part in giving to society by simply clicking at the link on your smartphone to donate. The Gogocare initiative has prepared various Relief packages that corporations, organisations and even individuals can send to anyone or any group of people they know who might be needing access to  staple food supplies and water. Flood Relief, Immunity Packages and MCO Relief food  and care baskets are some of the items available to add to our community’s food bank efforts. If you enjoy shopping online, make purchases from your local retailers like Gogopasar or subscribe to online services from local markets. It would mean the world to people who lost so much as our small contribution could be the deciding factor in keeping their business alive. Under Gogocare , we offer a platform for the public to contribute together in the form of food basket packages to those in need. Every donation given will be channelled to recipients in collaboration with various agencies, ngos and participating bodies.Here are some examples of food basket packages offered : Flood Relief Package 1: Flood Relief Package 2: Flood Relief Package 3: Pakej Prihatin: Pakej MCO: Click on this link to fill in the Gogocare order form and place your orders today. You can also shop for groceries at www.gogopasar.com or download our Gogopasar app on Google Playstore for a hassle-free shopping experience. Protect yourself from COVID-19 by staying home, staying safe, and increasing your immunity by eating fibre-rich foods.  Order from us Mon-Fri before 10am and get groceries delivered the same day. Orders made after 10am will be  delivered the next day. FREE delivery within Klang Valley for orders above RM50!

One of the ways to encourage your picky lil' eaters to eat more vegetables and fruits in their diet is to add colours on their plate. Seriously, food doesn't have to be dull. Colourful food like tomatoes, carrots, spinach are not only pretty to look at but they are packed with nutrients too! Along with maintaining good health, the nutrients in vegetables and fruits work together to protect against cancer, heart disease, vision loss, hypertension and other diseases. Increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet is a great step to improve your health as it is full of vitamins and antioxidants with less calories. However, we still have to be wary of the amount of natural sugar in fruits, especially dried fruits as it has a higher percentage of sugar compared to fresh ones.   Red fruits and vegetables can protect our hearts as they contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of hypertension and high cholesterol lower the risk of developing different types of cancer improves brain function protect agains heart diseases. Red Vegetables: tomatoes, red cabbage, beets, radishes Red Fruits: strawberries, watermelon, cranberries, red apples, pomegranates, cherries   Blue and purple fruits and vegetables promotes healthy aging prevents heart disease, stroke, and cancer important for your memory. good to regulate healthy digestion protect urinary tract health. Blue and Purple Vegetables: eggplant, purple cabbage, japanese sweet potatoes Blue and Purple Fruits: blackberries, blueberries, plums, purple grapes   Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables protect your nervous system prevent heart diseases boosting your immune system promotes eye health maintain skin health. Orange and Yellow Vegetables: carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yellow bell peppers, sweet corn Orange and Yellow Fruits: apricots, oranges, grapefruit, mangoes, papaya, peaches, pineapple   Green fruits and vegetables protect eye health, lowering the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. green leafy vegetables contain folic acid which can reduce the risk of birth defects in babies for pregnant women. protects from cancer regulate digestion improve immune system functions protect you from high levels of bad cholesterol lowering the risk of developing age-Green fruits and vegetables Green Vegetables: broccoli, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, peas, green peppers, cabbage, Brussels sprouts. Green Fruits: kiwi, green grapes, green apples, lime, avocado   White fruits and vegetables can lower the level of bad cholesterol in your body can lower high blood pressure great immune boosting effect on your body minimize risk of colon, breast and prostate cancer White Vegetables: potatoes, mushrooms, onions, cauliflower, turnips White Fruits: pears, bananas, white nectarines   Credit: www.winmedical.org

Dalam kebimbangan masyarakat menghadapi pandemik COVID-19, ada juga di antara mereka yang mengambil kesempatan terhadap mereka yang cuba menghadapi hidup dalam normal baharu dengan sebaik mungkin. Perkhidmatan membeli barang dapur atas talian tumbuh bagaikan cendawan selepas hujan, namun bukan semuanya jujur berniaga. Baru-baru ini, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) melaporkan kisah seorang pengguna yang telah tertipu setelah membeli barangan daripada seorang peniaga atas talian di Facebook. Elaine (bukan nama sebenar) telah kehilangan wang sebanyak ratusan ringgit setelah membayar barangan yang sehingga kini tidak kunjung tiba. Menurutnya, selepas wang di bayar dan menghantar bukti pembayaran kepada individu berkenaan, nombor telefonnya telah disekat keesokan harinya. Kisah Elaine bukanlah satu-satunya kisah pengguna yang ditipu oleh ‘scammers’ atau penipu di media sosial terutamanya ketika Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) dilaksanakan. “Saya cuba untuk tidak keluar dari rumah ketika PKP dijalankan.  Jadi, apabila akaun Facebook itu menawarkan perkhidmatan penghantaran dan harga barangan yang cukup murah, saya merasakan ia satu pilihan yang memudahkan,” katanya kepada FMT. Setelah menyedari dirinya telah tertipu, Elaine telah membuat aduan di akaun Facebook tersebut tentang servis mereka sambil memberi amaran kepada pembeli-pembeli yang lain.  Walau bagaimanapun, komen tersebut telah dipadamkan oleh admin akaun tersebut. “Saya masih belum membuat aduan ke pihak berkuasa, tetapi saya percaya ramai yang senasib.  Mungkin pada mereka, ianya tidak berbaloi walaupun kehilangan beberapa ratus ringgit tetapi dengan ketibaan Tahun Baru Cina tidak lama lagi, saya percaya lebih ramai yang akan tertipu,” katanya lagi. Seorang lagi mangsa memberitahu FMT yang dia ‘menjumpai’ perniagaan hasil laut atas talian tersebut menerusi iklan-iklan yang dipaparkan oleh Facebook. Walaupun hanya kerugian RM100, pembeli tersebut telah belajar daripada kesilapannya dan hanya akan membeli barangan dari peniaga yang dipercayai sahaja di masa hadapan. “Saya percaya peniaga tersebut kemungkinan mempunyai beberapa perniagaan di Facebook yang menggunakan nama yang berlainan tetapi mempunyai akaun bank yang sama.  Saya selalunya tidak menyiasat terlebih dahulunya kerana ia tidak menimbulkan keraguan dan saya sudah biasa membeli barang atas talian,” katanya. Dalam pada itu, presiden Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang, Mohideen Abdul Kader berkata memandangkan dunia digital bersifat pantas, ini menyukarkan pihak berkuasa untuk menjejaki sindiket penipuan di media sosial. “Ia amat sukar untuk memerhatikan perniagaan atas talian.  Walaupun laman berdaftar seperti Lazada dan Shopee, orang ramai masih boleh tertipu atau terpedaya, membeli barangan yang berkualiti rendah,” katanya. Tambahnya lagi, pengguna boleh membuat aduan ke Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) tetapi ia mungkin memakan masa yang Panjang.  Oleh itu, pengguna haruslah mempelajari untuk menjadi celik IT untuk masa akan datang. Tidak dapat dinafikan, ramai yang mengambil inisiatif untuk mencari rezeki dengan berniaga di atas talian terutama sekali dalam keadaan ekonomi yang tidak menentu apabila berdepan dengan pandemik. Walau bagaimanapun, memang ada di antara mereka yang akan mengambil kesempatan terhadap orang lain lebih-lebih lagi dalam keadaan sekarang di mana pergerakan agak terbatas sejak PKP dilaksanakan. Apa-apa pun, jadilah pengguna yang bijak dan belilah dengan peniaga atas talian yang dikenali atau mempunyai reputasi yang tidak menimbulkan keraguan. Jangan gusar dan pening kepala...Gogopasar kan ada! Mari membeli tanpa was-was dengan Gogopasar. Mudah, segar dan murah! Lawati laman sesawang www.gogopasar.com sekarang atau muat turun aplikasi kami di Google Playstore hari ini. Kredit: Free Malaysia Today, Kredit foto: Free Malaysia Today

Milk is an essential part of healthy eating and is considered as a ‘superfood’ as it is packed with essential nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium and protein that is vital for the well being of our families.  Essential nutrients found in milk can help build stronger bones and teeth as it is an awesome source of calcium. Hence, why adults are also encouraged to drink milk as it can prevent osteoporosis when as you get older. Nutrients found in milk can also boost muscle growth and support healthy weight. Having said that, Gogopasar is proud to have Bright Cow, a locally produced  fresh milk and dairy products from FGV Dairy Farm Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of FGV Holding Berhad) on board our platform. Bright Cow fresh milk comes straight from their own 10 acre dairy farm in Linggi, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.  To meet the growing demand for fresh milk and dairy products, FGV Dairy Farm imported 122 Jersey Friesian and Holstein Friesian dairy cows from New South Wales, Australia, in March.   The dairy cows are well taken of, fed with only the best feed and live in a conducive environment to ensure quality yield of production so that they stay bright and happy…hence the name Bright Cow! The best thing is, Bright Cow products can be in the homes and shelves of their consumer market in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya within 24 hours as they promise the ‘Order today, reach tomorrow’ delivery system so that their customer can consume the freshness of the the Jersey fresh milk and taste the difference themselves.   Imagine having a fresh glass of milk as if it has just been milked! Bright Cow fresh jersey milk comes in 1 liter and 2 liter bottles and has a 14 days shelf life due to the fact that it is  lightly pasteurised at 80 degrees Celcius to ensure the freshness of the milk without having to sacrifice it’s nutritional value. Fresh milk should not have a long shelf life, because that basically means, it’s not fresh! Originally, Bright Cow produces raw milk which is unpasteurized and non-homogenized because there is a market for premium fresh raw milk, especially from restaurants, and hotels simply because raw milk tastes the best! Aside from dairy milk, Bright Cow also produces cheese products like mozarella, ricotta, and paneer.  Not only that, Bright Cow is the only buttermilk manufacturer in Malaysia and buttermilk is a good substitute for people who is lactose intolerant as it is easier to digest, high in probiotics and promotes healthy gut. Bright Cow’s fresh buttermilk is being sold in the market at RM6.60 for 1 litre.  The range for Bright Cow products is from as low as RM6.30 for 400g of fresh natural yogurt, RM9 for 1 litre of fresh jersey milk and up to RM43.50 for 1.5kg of greek yogurt in vanilla. Aside from vanilla, the yummy greek yogurt from Bright Cow also comes in a variety of flavours such as banana, mango peach, strawberry, mix berries, and passion fruit. The brand prides itself for being the freshest locally produced fresh milk in the country and the price is very competitive compared to the other brands which have been in the market for a longer time. Gogopasar supports the idea of ‘from farm to table’ and being locally produced, you really can’t get any fresher than that!