For the past eight years, Lotuss Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Lotus’s Malaysia) has partnered with the PINTAR Foundation to enhance the educational experiences of Malaysian students in underserved communities through its #KitakanJiran SMART UP school programme. The aim of the programme is to nurture students’ interest in learning and innovation for a more sustainable future.
In 2023, Lotus’s Malaysia raised RM150,000 during its inaugural Lotus’s Ceria Charity Run in Setia Alam, with support from over 3,000 registered runners and key corporate sponsors such as Payments Network (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (PayNet Malaysia) and Sinar Karangkraf Sdn. Bhd. 100 per cent of the proceeds from the run have been used to refurbish three classrooms in SK Pandan Jaya and SK Methodist ACS Seremban. Currently, Lotus’s Malaysia adopts 63 schools across Peninsular Malaysia under the PINTAR Foundation’s school adoption programme.
Head of Communications and Sustainability at Lotus’s Malaysia, Hanim Hamdan, said, “Our Ceria Charity Run started with the commitment to reduce barriers in learning for students from low-income households and underserved schools. With the support of communities and partners, students in SK Pandan Jaya can now attend their science classroom lessons in a renewed, termite-free science laboratory. We are incredibly grateful for all the contributions received from our partners and the support of runners from all over Malaysia.”
The renovation works for SK Pandan Jaya’s science lab included repainting, and replacing its furniture and electrical outlets, costing approximately RM70,000.
Earlier in August, Lotus’s Malaysia, the PINTAR Foundation, and its partners officially handed over a newly refurbished computer lab and a design & technology classroom at SK Methodist ACS Seremban. Both projects took around five weeks to complete at a cost of RM80,000.
“We hope these improvements will help to further motivate all 1,000 students and teachers in both schools to attend and conduct their lessons in a more cheerful, comfortable, and conducive learning environment.”
The handover event at SK Pandan Jaya was attended by its Senior Administrative Assistant, Haji Baharuddin Yassir; Hulu Langat District Deputy Education Officer, Mohd Fadzli Abu Bakar; PINTAR Foundation General Manager, Norazlina Masom; Sinar Karangkraf Head of Marketing and Branding, Nik Justin; and PayNet Malaysia Head of Commercial Division, Ng Kein Ai.
This year, Lotus’s Malaysia continues its fundraising efforts for schools with its 2nd Lotus’s Ceria Charity Run, which will take place at its Ara Damansara outlet on 29 September 2024. Registration is open until 27 September 2024. As in the previous year, RM20 from each ticket will be channelled towards improving learning experiences in underserved schools in collaboration with the PINTAR Foundation.
To sign up, the public can do so via the JomRun application or at https://www.jomrun.com/event/Lotus%27s-Ceria-Charity-Run-2024-Powered-By-JomRun.
