Campaign launched to aid Kalimantan residents affected by haze

PETALING JAYA: The Care 4 Kalimantan campaign is seeking the help of Malaysians to aid the people of Kalimantan who are the worst affected by the unrelenting haze.

The focus of the campaign is on communities in Kalimantan, who suffer the brunt of the haze and have had to bear Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings of up to 1,889.

Many people in the region suffer from Acute Respiratory Infection caused by the particles borne in the haze.

The campaign is specifically looking for donations of N95 masks, eye drops and adult safety goggle as well as monetary donations.

A crowd-funding page has also been set up to collect monetary donations with the goal of raising US$3,100 (RM13,314).

Funds raised will be used to pay for the purchase of the items and to cover the cost of packaging and shipping them over to Kalimantan.

The campaign also plans to send a team of 10 volunteers to Kalimantan to help distribute the items as well as to educate local residents on the importance of using N95 masks while the haze persists.

Together with collecting physical and monetary donations, there is also a social media campaign requesting Malaysians to pledge their support for the campaign.

Those who want to help are asked to take a picture of themselves with a simple message of support and to share the picture on social media using the hashtag #Care4Kalimantan.

The campaign, organised by the Rotaract Club of Bangsar, works in collaboration with Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Kalimantan and Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia.

Both these local organisations have a direct presence in the affected communities and will be helping with the distribution of items to the targeted communities.

For more details on the Care 4 Kalimantan campaign, visit its Facebook page or the Indiegogo crowd-funding page.