HEINEKEN Malaysia’s Seven-Year Journey of Uplifting Communities in Sabah Through Meaningful Partnerships
SABAH, 21 November 2024 – In many rural communities, progress is a journey shaped by collective effort, with each member having an important role to play. This holds true in Sabah, where HEINEKEN Malaysia has developed long-term partnerships with a local radio station and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to uplift communities and create a lasting impact by developing water systems, establishing organic farms, and organising women’s capability programmes. Over seven years, these efforts have empowered the community to build a future where they can thrive independently.
Since 2017, HEINEKEN Malaysia has worked with KupiKupi FM, Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia (SIROM), and Hopes Malaysia to improve clean water access by establishing rainwater harvesting systems and gravity water systems in several villages across Sabah. These NGOs provide essential support and resources to communities in 8 villages.
The villagers are then trained and empowered to manage and maintain the systems, some of which are connected to their community farms. Through the collaboration with these three local partners, 8 water systems have been set up, with more than 7,000 community members benefitting from the water systems, making a huge difference during dry seasons.
Stefban Sindeh, a community member from Kampung Kiau Taburi, Kota Belud shared, “I still remember back when we had to travel to the river to carry water back to our homes. Today, our village enjoys water supply for our daily home needs, crops, and fish farming. Having access to a clean and safe water supply means a lot to us and we thank our partners from Hopes Malaysia and HEINEKEN Malaysia for their support!”
Meanwhile, HEINEKEN Malaysia also collaborated with SIROM to roll out a series of initiatives in Sabah that to empower women in rural communities, which provides extra income to the villagers and further enhances their quality of life. One of the programmes includes establishing two acres of land for the organic farm which is connected to the gravity-fed water system for channelling water from a mountain stream to the village. With a reliable water supply to the organic farm, the women were trained to grow crops like leafy greens, corn and tomatoes for their own consumption. The steady supply of nutritious food and clean water helps improve the health and well-being of the villagers.
Laisah Udan, Head of Kampung Gana Women’s Association, shared that “With SIROM and HEINEKEN Malaysia’s support, we have been able to start farming and growing our own food. They helped us set up the farm and taught us how to grow our crops, which has been really meaningful. Now, we have fresh produce straight from our land and clean water every day. We’ve also registered our business to sell our excess produce at the local market! Each harvest helps us become more self-sufficient, strengthening our community.”
As a result, close to 40 women in the community are now empowered and trained in organic farming methods, earning additional income and achieving financial independence while contributing to their households.
Over the past seven years, communities in rural Sabah have seen positive improvements through the collaborative efforts between HEINEKEN Malaysia, and local NGOs under the HEINEKEN Cares programme.
Keeping the momentum, the brewer is continuing its commitment to support local communities with the latest phase of its HEINEKEN Cares programme, launched in November 2024. This phase supports four NGOs focused on selected causes related to water access and food security. For every RM10 donated, HEINEKEN Malaysia will contribute an additional RM40, amplifying the effect of each contribution. Explore the campaign site at sokong.org/campaigns/heineken-cares-2024 and be a part of creating impact today..
Further information on HEINEKEN Malaysia’s sustainability initiatives can be found at HEINEKEN Malaysia’s official website https://www.heinekenmalaysia.com/ or SPARK Foundation’s official website: sparkfoundation.com.my
