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.
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.
A group of villagers unravelling a roll of polypiping in the jungle
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.
Checking the new water flow from piping
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.
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.
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.
Two women from the village with MSF logo
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 pr.hopesmalaysia@gmail.com or contact +60162417838.
