MALAYSIANS KINI It was 17 degrees Celsius in Greece where he was, Rayyan Haries informed Malaysiakini during this interview over Skype.

That is considered warm for winter, Rayyan said, though he donned a knitted sweater and beanie.

Exuberant and expressive, Rayyan, who hails from Subang Jaya, seemed completely at ease discussing about anything, from his family to his passion for cooking and to his volunteer work.

The only time he hesitated briefly was when he revealed he was kicked out of college in 2012, after failing a paper and losing his scholarship.

Three years later, he is based in Skala Sikaminea, a coastal village in Lesbos, Greece, where he serves over 2,000 refugees in his soup kitchen as #TheVolunteerCook.

A travel blogger and a digital strategist, he first ventured into volunteer work in disaster zones back in 2013 and has done volunteer work in the Philippines, Japan and Nepal, among many other places.

Rayyan also has a passion for cooking, which led him to try out for Masterchef Asia, though he failed the audition.

Just as he was about to settle in Rome to study Italian cooking, he saw the picture of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, whose body had washed up on a beach.

That was when he decided to pack up and move to Greece to do whatever he can for the refugees.

This is Rayyan's experience, in his own words:

"When I first got kicked out of college (in 2012), I was devastated because I still held the thinking that we have to have a degree. But now, if I can say something to the people in college who kicked me out, I'd say, ‘thank you. Because of you, I found myself’.

"I had the Asian 15-year plan (back in college), but in 2012, it was gone in just a second. I don't have a 15-year plan anymore; I know in 15 minutes I might order a cake.

"When I first started volunteering at disaster zones in 2013, my mum was scared, which is totally understandable. Like any mother around the world, they must think their son has gone bonkers.

"I think what's amazing about my mum is that she has grown with me in the process. I hope she's proud of me.

"When Typhoon Haiyan happened, I told myself I needed to be there (in the Philippines). I told my mum I was going to stay there for seven days. I ended up staying there for a year."

"When I was in India, the Nepal earthquake happened, so I started #TheVolunteerCook movement. When I was there, the second earthquake happened, and that's when I really saw how a disaster can destroy a country.

Not just people crossing borders

"When I first heard about the refugee crisis, I thought it was just people crossing borders on boats. It's something that happens regularly.

"It wasn't until I saw the Aylan Kurdi photo that I realised this wasn't something normal and that's why I decided I can do something about this.

"I was supposed to go to Rome to study Italian cooking, but then this refugee crisis happened. I knew I could do something with #TheVolunteerCook so I raised funds, got about 1,000 euros and came to Greece.

"People always ask, how am I able to sustain the soup kitchen with only 1,000 euros. What happens is that people come in and donate things, like some of the old ladies here will bring in vegetables or spices. Donations come in so many forms. People online also send me money through my PayPal account.

"There's no NGO in the world that goes to a disaster zone solely to provide food. I've never seen that. I though about this idea, and it's working.

"I'm still keeping my job as a digital strategist. It helps to keep me afloat here, helps me to pay my rent and keeps me going.

"My boss and the company I work with, they're supportive of what I do. So now I am working two shifts. From 6.30am to 10am do my work as a digital strategist, then from 10am onwards, I open my kitchen.

"We want people to remember that this crisis is happening and this is the biggest migration since World War II. I've never seen a disaster this massive in my life.

"There's something so intense about seeing these people, especially children, go through a really dangerous route to get to Greece.

"I think everyone is so thankful and happy when they get to Europe. You can see it in their eyes.

"I usually make curry, just to help them (the refugees) heat up the body and regulate the blood because they've been in the water and cold. I give them oatmeal to give them a sense of heartiness because they have to keep walking.

"Children usually get more food like croissants, milk and juice. If we have extra money, we give them hot tea and apples.

‘Your soup is so good...’

"I try to make my food flavourful. Having something flavourful when everything is numb kind of perks you up.

"There was this guy one night, they had just come in a boat and we weren't too busy. He kept coming back for more soup, saying, ‘your soup is so good, I don't want to leave, I want to stay here’. (Things like this) inspire you to keep doing what you do.

"The way I see the world and the wars and the (refugee) crisis has changed so much. I used to think it's their war and so it's not my problem. But at the end of the day, it is what happens to the citizens that matters.

"The way I see it, human lives are so different now, because now I know the extent of the damage being done. Human lives are not just a number or a figure; human lives are human lives. Human values are what we need to talk about.

"To all the young people out there like me, stop listening to the older generation and just do something you're passionate about, as long as you're not hurting society."

MALAYSIANS KINI is a series on Malaysians you should know.

Previously featured:

The radicalisation of Mandeep Singh - from suits to streets

Malaysia's accidental Bob Dylan says he's no guitar warrior

Razlan Rafii - Umno 'thug' or misunderstood modern man?

Saving Pekan Ampang, the small town in a big city

How the indie publishing mafia sparked a reading renaissance

Subversive book club thrives in Shah Alam and beyond

Meet Syed Saddiq, your freedom of speech crusader

‘It’s not punk rock, it's punk ideology’

Paramedic goes ‘white to black’ to lead medic team at Bersih 4