Every home deserves access to clean water

Originally published on Malaysiakini. Published: Dec 23, 2024

Heineken Malaysia Berhad (HEINEKEN Malaysia) has been a devoted supporter of local communities, making a lasting impact through its commitment to empowerment and growth. With over 30 years dedicated to uplifting diverse groups, the brewer continues to foster meaningful change across Malaysia, investing in initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for communities in need.

Fostering community resilience

HEINEKEN Cares is a programme by HEINEKEN Malaysia aimed at uplifting communities in need, aligned with its Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, to foster positive impact and build a brighter, more sustainable future together.

The programme was first launched at the height of the pandemic in 2021 to support vulnerable communities and disaster victims through food aid and urgent care packages.

When devastating floods hit the districts of Kota Belud, Penampang and Papar in Sabah, the brewer responded to the call for urgent humanitarian aid for the communities affected by the tragedy. In collaboration with local radio station KupiKupi FM, HEINEKEN Cares provided essential food supplies to residents who had lost their livelihoods.

As the pandemic’s intensity waned in 2022, the programme transitioned from providing short-term food aid to launching community farming projects that supported longer-term capacity building for local communities.

Partnership with Sokong

In December 2023, HEINEKEN Malaysia and Sokong by Malaysiakini joined hands to collaborate on HEINEKEN Cares 2023, a community impact initiative aimed at strengthening community resilience in the face of changing social and economic challenges. Through the programme, five partner organisations - Hopes Malaysia, Hope Place Kuching, Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia, Ferris Wheel Organisation, and Yellow House KL - were selected to implement projects in the areas of food security, community farming, as well as access to clean water and renewable electricity.

Renuka Indrarajah, Corporate Affairs & Legal Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia, shared, “We recognise that meaningful change happens through collaboration. By working hand-in-hand with our partners and communities, we are able to make a lasting impact on underserved communities. By investing in sustainable community initiatives, we go beyond addressing the immediate needs of the community; it paves the way to build resilient communities.”

Hopes Malaysia - making a sustainable difference

Kota Kinabalu-based Hopes Malaysia is one of the NGO partners working with HEINEKEN Malaysia to reach out to the underprivileged rural community in Sabah. Founded in 2016, the group aims to empower these communities to break the cycle of poverty by providing them with basic needs for sustainable living.

Rural communities in Sabah face a common challenge: remote villages lack access to public water systems and reliable water sources. This issue is particularly challenging for farmers who rely on inconsistent rainwater and mountain streams for their livelihood. Recognising this need, Hopes Malaysia took action to enhance water systems and provide farmers with a dependable water supply.

Hopes Malaysia’s initial endeavour was the Gravity Water Project, through which they successfully constructed seven gravity-fed water systems, including 30km of pipelines. These systems deliver clean water to remote villages in Kota Belud, positively impacting over 8,000 rural residents. Additionally, the team empowered local farmers by providing training to maintain and repair the water systems, ensuring a reliable water supply for future generations.

As a result, farmers in the Kota Belud villages have successfully cultivated a variety of local fruits and vegetables, allowing them to sell their produce and earn a stable income to support their families for the long term.

Hopes Malaysia also contributed by educating rural farmers on providing nutritious meals for their families through fish and poultry farming. The community can now sustainably harvest 70kg of fish each month and collect 60 chicken eggs daily, helping them maintain their livelihoods.

HEINEKEN Cares x Hopes Malaysia

HEINEKEN Malaysia’s partnership with Hopes Malaysia started in 2021 through the HEINEKEN Cares programme during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through this initiative, more than 240 families and care centres received fresh food aid supplied by farmers from the Kota Belud project. The collaboration also supported the farmers by increasing their monthly incomes by up to 50 percent during the difficult time.

In 2023, the “Sustainable Gravity Water Project for Food Security Collaboration” project was implemented to assist the remote and impoverished Kampung Pinolobuh in Kota Belud. Carried out in collaboration with HEINEKEN Cares, the project focused on upgrading the village’s gravity-fed water system to provide clean water and promoting sustainable farming to enhance long-term food security. The community worked together to install piping from a natural water source located 5km uphill to their village tank.

With a reliable water supply for their farms and the skills, knowledge, and tools gained through workshops and community training, families have successfully cultivated leafy vegetables for their own consumption. Surplus harvests are sold locally in the Kota Belud community and at Hopes Malaysia’s Gerai Tamu Kita vegetable stall.

Next-phase plans

With support from HEINEKEN Malaysia and Sokong, through HEINEKEN Cares 2024, Hopes Malaysia is currently focused on repairing and reconstructing the degraded decades-old gravity water system in rural Kampung Nagarai Tuguson in Kota Belud, to cope with its growing population.

“Through this collaborative initiative, more than 40 underprivileged families will be empowered to repair and upgrade their old and damaged gravity water system, finally having access to sustainable clean water at home by early 2025. An empowered community with the skills, knowledge and tools for lasting benefits,” said Aaron Bosuang, public relations executive for Hopes Malaysia.

This would open up many more livelihood opportunities for families to work towards better futures - ones where all their basic needs are fulfilled.

“This is another step for sustainable progress as many local rural families still live without basic necessities, such as clean water. We at Hopes Malaysia shall consistently strive to sustainably empower Sabah’s rural community in overcoming the deep cycle of rural poverty,” he added.

Transformed lives: Voices of beneficiaries

“Being a part of Hopes Malaysia and HEINEKEN Malaysia’s gravity water project in Kampung Kiau Taburi is an achievement in my life. Seeing the daily impact it has had on my family and community makes all the hard project work worth it. We used to be a village struggling and fighting for clean water every day, but now we have enough for all our needs, all the time.” - Encik Stefban, Kampung Kiau Taburi community project leader.

“I started my journey with Hopes Malaysia as a project beneficiary during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sustainable initiatives helped my family get through that tough time. We have a better life because of those projects. Now, my wife and I work under Hopes Malaysia to directly help rural communities in Kota Belud, spreading lasting change to others. My hope is for a sustainable future where all Sabah families can have the basic needs to improve their lives.” - Encik Efandi, Hopes Malaysia ground team member and previous beneficiary.

“Providing a better life for my family is my priority. I volunteered during the Kampung Kiau Taburi project, and am very thankful for the results of our community’s efforts. I used to spend time waiting to get water every day, but now I can use it anytime I need to at home - for cooking for my family, bathing my children, washing our clothes. I don’t have to worry about our water finishing. We can use this clean water for years to come.” - Puan Malim, Kampung Kiau Taburi beneficiary.

How you can make a lasting difference

Building on its commitment to community support, HEINEKEN Malaysia continues its collaboration with Sokong to support the efforts of Hopes Malaysia in the new phase of its HEINEKEN Cares initiative.

You too can do your part to support the work of Hopes Malaysia and help transform the lives of underserved Sabahans in rural areas. You can do this by contributing via the Sokong platform. For every RM10 donated, HEINEKEN Malaysia will add RM40 to amplify the impact of your support. Join this meaningful cause today by visiting https://sokong.org/campaigns/heineken-cares-2024.

To learn more about HEINEKEN Malaysia’s sustainability efforts, visit HEINEKEN Malaysia’s official website or SPARK Foundation’s official website.