SOME 147 Orang Asli households in Desa Temuan in Selangor received much needed basic necessities, worth RM12,208, to help them through the global uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The aid from #ForestCares, the corporate social responsibility arm of Forest Interactive Sdn Bhd, in collaboration with MoJo Films Sdn Bhd, was targetted at the Temuan community of over 1,100 people in Selangor.
Each family received a food basket consisting of rice, sugar, cooking oil, milk, eggs, bread, canned food and soap.
“The Orang Asli communities nationwide have been greatly impacted as much as we have by the current pandemic, if not more. Some households have up to three generations living under one roof, and during these difficult times, with their livelihoods at risk, it has been harder for the families to sustain themselves,” said Forest Interactive chief executive officer Johary Mustapha.
“We are happy to be able to contribute and do what we can, to help in their day-to-day needs.
“It is a small gesture on our part, but we hope this can further encourage others to give back and help underserved communities.”
In addition to the food donation, #ForestCares also organised a talk for the pupils of SK Bukit Lanjan (Asli) in Damansara Perdana, delivered by Johary.
The sharing session aimed to inspire Orang Asli youths to explore careers in the tech and digital industries. Johary, who frequently speaks to students at engagement events, is a huge advocate of education among future innovators.
“Education has the potential to enable today’s youths, the next generation of leaders, to rise above poverty and overcome their struggles.
“Through this engagement effort with the Temuan community, we hope to be able to show them the positive impact the future of their youth can have on the overall community,” he said.
During an earlier visit to the village, Persatuan Kebajikan & Pengurusan Islam Orang Asli Selangor chairman Norazman Jamalim noted that most families here had no stable source of income.
“We are very thankful for both the donation and the motivational talk to our students.
“The talk, especially, is much needed to inspire the children to study hard and be successful in the future, and to lift their spirits to go to school after staying at home for more than three months since the MCO,” added Norazman.
A donation ceremony was held at the school, then the food was delivered to every household with the help of #ForestCares volunteers after the career talk.
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