As part of Great Eastern Takaful Berhad’s (GETB) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy to demonstrate long-term impact in the communities it operates in, the company recently embarked on an initiative that provided Orang Asli villages in Pahang with energy and clean water.
In collaboration with Saora Industries, the company rallied volunteers consisting of staff and their family members into Kampung Sungai Gabong and Kampung Kepong in Bentong, Pahang to install solar powered lights and water purification systems in the villages.
Approximately 60 Orang Asli have been living in these villages without adequate electricity and access to clean, filtered water. The collaboration between the two organisations provided the villagers with basic necessities for a safer and healthier life. To top it off, the company additionally held a donation drive of household items prior to the on-site activity, which included clothing as well as school supplies and other basic amenities.
The CSR initiative is just a starting point for GETB as it shifted its long-term strategic focus to align with global sustainability efforts and ensure that greater emphasis is placed on the environmental, social and economical aspect. The collaborative CSR campaign will run throughout the year with Saora Industries providing reports to GETB for impact-measuring.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to take on this initiative for the villagers. Going in and being able to actually witness the living conditions there is a real wake up call for all of us. They really lack life’s basic necessities. I think this is a good stepping stone for us to come in and install the solar powered lightings and water system for them. Insya’Allah (God-willing), we can continue to do more for them in the future”, commented En. Shahrul Azlan Shahriman, Chief Executive Officer.
As an added objective, GETB isn’t limiting themselves to providing energy and water to these villages, “Initiatives like this is long-term and there are numerous ways we can assist this community specifically. The collaboration with Saora is still at its infancy stage yet we have started discussing ways in which we can cater to the development of the Orang Asli community so that they can self-sustain”, added En. Shahrul.
Plans to look into other Orang Asli villages in other parts of the country will also be considered in the future.
