Mah Sing Foundation (MSF) and Sabah Civil Society  organisation (CSO) Hopes Malaysia continue to sustainably impact rural communities in Sabah’s  underprivileged districts, with phase 1 of this year’s life-changing CSR collaboration tackling the water  crisis faced by the 323 disconnected villagers of Kampung Talungan in Kota Belud.

For years, the poverty-stricken households of the village were faced with a serious water crisis. The  community was forced to rely on a decades-old 10-kilometre gravity water system with no proper  maintenance, resulting in decaying and damaged pipelines, hardly transporting any water to homes, sch.  

Moreover, the influx of residents and climate change over the years had also lessen the community’s  water source. With more than 70 families struggling to use whatever water reached they home daily,  many of these large households were on the brink of survival after facing this crisis for years. 

“If we didn’t collect river water or buy bottled water, we would not have enough to bathe or drink every  day,” confesses village project representative Losuin. A life with almost no water at home was a grim  reality the rural community woke up to each morning, more so for those who were not able to travel or  purchase water. 

For over five years, MSF has worked closely with Hopes Malaysia in avidly supporting its sustainable  rural empowerment initiatives in Sabah’s remote settlements. The 2024 continuation of this years-long  partnership focuses on empowering the Kampung Talungan villagers to obtain better access to the  human right of clean water and diverse food security, with the former Sustainable Development Goal  (SDG 6) accomplished in June 2024. 

Starting in March 2024, more than 30 volunteers from the local community united and worked together  to carry out upgrading work on their dilapidated gravity water system, with guidance and materials  provided by MSF and Hopes Malaysia – all on the mission for sufficient water for their families’  wellbeing.  

Battling the heavy Sabah rains and dense jungles surrounding the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, the  hardworking villagers conducted tasks such as unrolling, carrying, laying and connecting pipelines across terrains from the uphill water source to the centralized village tanks. Damaged and leaking PVC 

piping channels were upgraded to more durable polypiping, with an additional sustainable water source  connected to the infrastructure, providing enhanced water flow to cater to the expanding village  population. 

Within 4 months, the volunteers had successfully completed the piping work, along with the  construction of concrete slab foundations to safely support hygienic HDPE centralised water tanks. The  final set-ups were done, with the villagers connecting water pipes to their homes. Many were joyous to  finally have a stable natural and cost-free water supply whenever needed.  

“My family was always worried of the river running dry, or suddenly running out of our stored water  during droughts. Now my children and I don’t have to be burdened anymore,” volunteer Dahia breathes  a sigh of relief that her family of 6’s water issues are now solved.  

To ensure further long-term sustainability, several villagers joined the CSO’s project committee and  were not only empowered in the system’s construction skills and knowledge, but also in its maintenance  and repairs, to essentially put an end to water scarcity for generations to come. A healthier and eco friendly future for the families. 

“There are no more water shortages in this community and the families can finally use their taps without  worries. No issues have been reported since completion. We are grateful to help these families with  MSF and share the same lasting vision as them, to sustainably uplift marginalised communities in  Sabah. Water is life and a basic need for all,” states Hopes Malaysia’s Founder Sam Lee. 

Utilising the new efficient water supply, a further 20 committed families are ready to join Phase 2 of  the village initiative and start sustainable small-scale farming to achieve fresh food security at home  this year. An exciting journey towards progress and change - sustainable livelihoods and breaking the  cycle of rural Borneo poverty. 

Aligned with the United Nations' SDGs in this Decade of Action, Hopes Malaysia aims to equip more  rural Sabah communities with clean water and sustainable basic needs via impactful and long-term CSR  partnerships. For more details on Hopes Malaysia's sustainable charity projects and CSR projects,  kindly email pThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact +60162417838. 

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