NEWS & UPDATES

Tegulang, 7th March 2014: In line with Sarawak Energy’s on-going efforts to support the indigenous people of Sarawak, the State’s energy provider recently donated school uniforms, shoes, and school bags to all students in Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tegulang on 20 February, 2014, in an effort to ease the burden of the parents as majority of them lack fixed income.  

164 students from SK Mentalun and 116 students in SK Tegulang aged 6 – 12, who are part of the communities affected by the Murum dam, received their school uniforms, shoes and school bags in this initiative.

Jiwari Abdullah, Senior Manager II, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) said: “It has been more than three months since the affected communities were relocated to Tegulang and Metalun. I am glad to see that most have adapted to their new environment and embraced the benefits and assistance provided by us, especially education.”

“Education is the key to alleviate poverty; it is also central to the effective development of a community. Without basic education, they will never be able to achieve social-economic development. In continuation to this assistance, next Sarawak Energy will be providing the students with additional necessities i.e. computers for the schools and stationeries,” added Jiwari.

“Furthermore, we plan to implement this CSR initiative annually and widen the range of donated items by including exercise books and stationery, with the hope of encouraging more children to go to school.  We are also providing meals for the school children to ensure daily nutrients intake, thus increasing their energy and level of concentration during the day long classes.”

SK Tegulang and SK Metalun are primary schools set up by Sarawak Energy with the objective of providing the Penan and Kenyah children an opportunity to enjoy basic education and to give them a better future. The school houses a total of 280 students and among the topics taught are Bahasa Malaysia, English, Science, Art, Mathematics, Sports, Moral Study and Life Skills.

This CSR initiative is just one of Sarawak Energy’s strings of community programmes that the company has organised recently for the betterment of the communities in Murum. Sarawak Energy is determined to continuously engage the local communities to ensure a prolonged mutual relationship with the locals.

Other similarly beneficial programmes that Sarawak Energy has organised for the indigenous communities include ‘Home Garden’ and Murum Penan Literacy Programme just to name a few. The ‘Home Garden’ project is a collaboration effort between the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture and Sarawak Energy as part of the livelihood restoration plan.

Students with their school uniforms, shoes and school bags posing with SEB officials (Left; Sarawak Energy’s Community Relations Executives Alice Ekan (standing far left) and Florida Wak (standing far right)

Florida handing out school bags to the students