KOTA BELUD – Hopes Malaysia, a civil society organisation (CSO) based in Sabah, has achieved a significant milestone by improving access to sustainable clean water to over 10,000 villagers residing in 15 isolated rural communities.
Over the past seven years, the group has empowered rural communities in Sabah to meet their basic needs and improve their livelihoods through long-term sustainable development projects.
Hopes Malaysia’s initiatives include equipping rural Kadamaian villagers in Kota Belud with the skills, knowledge, and tools needed to collectively address their water challenges.
They have also constructed and repaired gravity water systems within local communities, ensuring a consistent and clean water source for residents.
The journey began with the Kampung Tudan Gravity Water Project, which made a significant positive impact on the 300 villagers struggling with water shortages in the area.
Hopes Malaysia’s founder, Sam Lee, recalls the organisation’s inception and its tireless efforts to fundraise and implement a two-kilometre gravity system to resolve the crisis.
Durable polyethylene pipes were used to connect the natural uphill water source to central tanks within the community.
Lee acknowledges the challenges they faced but stressed that witnessing the families’ newfound access to clean water fueled his passion for creating meaningful change.
This motivation led to more projects aimed at assisting struggling rural villages within Sabah’s interior.
“Together with the local villagers and our kind volunteering friends, we trekked deep into the jungle, pulling lengthy stretches of piping to connect households in the village.
“It was challenging for us first-timers, but seeing the positive impact for the families made the tough process worth it,” he said.
Following the success of the first project, Hopes Malaysia continued its clean water initiatives in 2017 and 2018, including the Kampung Takulung Gravity Water Project and Mega Scale Gravity Water Project, benefiting about 5,000 villagers in six Kadamaian rural communities.
Over the course of seven years, Hopes Malaysia installed over 70 km of piping in Kadamaian.
Lee expressed gratitude for the continuous support from collaborators, including the Mah Sing Foundation, Spark Foundation, and the Malaysian Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which recently provided sustainable water supply to residents in Kampung Sayap Magambai.
In alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Hopes Malaysia aims to equip more rural Sabah communities with clean water through impactful and long-term CSR partnerships.
The Kadamaian area alone is home to more than 74 villages, most of which still lack access to clean water, resulting in generational challenges such as food insecurity and malnutrition.
Rural villagers in the region have repeatedly appealed for assistance in resolving their lack of fresh water access, and more than a dozen villages remain on Hopes Malaysia’s waiting list.
Kota Belud, surveyed as one of the country’s most underprivileged rural districts, is predominantly comprised of disadvantaged B40 families.
Despite its natural beauty, the area’s remote rural settlements often lack access to the public water supply.
Rural families face the daily burden of sourcing enough clean water for their needs, relying on outdated, unmaintained gravity water systems or unsustainable collection of unfiltered water from rivers and rain, putting them at risk of water-borne diseases.
“We believe that clean water is a right for everyone, and are committed to connecting Sabah’s vulnerable rural community with the resources to possess their own sustainable water systems.
“Our past gravity water initiatives have brought lasting benefits to rural families. We can not only work together towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal for clean water and sanitation but also expand to target other important goals for a sustainable future,” Lee said.
“We just need enough support from like-minded corporates and organisations to accomplish this.” – September 21, 2023