This 2019, LANEIGE raises funds for its Waterful Sharing Campaign in hopes of giving better life opportunities to those in need by providing easy access to clean water.
KUALA LUMPUR, 19 June 2019 – 60.7% of Orang Asli women and girls in Malaysia’s rural communities bear the burden of having to spend 6 hours a day, walking 1 to 2 kilometres to fetch water for their families. LANEIGE Waterful Sharing Campaign returns this 2019, resuming its partnership with Global Peace Foundation Malaysia for the 4th consecutive year to dive deeper into addressing the needs of women in the absence of clean water sources in the rural communities.
Women’s water burden is massive. Their roles are often unnoticed in Malaysia’s rural communities, where most of the women are tasked to retrieve water and to care for their children. This results in missed opportunities for an education and productive activities. They become vulnerable to risks such as rape and violent attacks during their journey to retrieve water. Having to carry a heavy load of water also causes detrimental health effects such as back and chest pains, developmental deformities, arthritic disease, and miscarriages.
Having observed on the role of women and how it took a toll on their wellbeing over time, LANEIGE wishes to empower women by building easier access to clean water. This 2019, LANEIGE collaborates with Global Peace once again by opening up the possibilities for women to spend less time in retrieving water. This year’s initiative will see an extensive effort to Kampung Gayung, Kampung Ulu Belat, Kampung Cenodong, Kampung Terubing, and Kampung Teraling consisting of 81 houses and 481 villagers who suffer from lack of clean water sources.
In addition to providing portable Life Straw 2.0 water filters, LANEIGE raises funds to build gravity feed systems, installation of water pumps, as well as water pipes that will be linked directly to their home.
“Water issues in Malaysia is personal for women as they are the main water bearers of the community,” said Margaret Chin, General Manager of Amorepacific Malaysia. “Having to spend 6 hours a day to collect water inhibits their opportunity to live a better fulfilled life. Mothers are unable to care and provide for their family at their best. Girls have no time and opportunity for an education. What these women and young girls are going through with the absence of water source pains us deeply as a brand with a sole aim to improve the lives of women around the world. We understand that any solution to ending the cycle of poverty for them can begin by bringing water security to these communities.”
Having collaborated with LANEIGE for the past 4 years, Global Peace has made numerous efforts to relieve the community’s suffering from lack of clean water. “Throughout the years of partnership with LANEIGE, we have managed to improve the lives of many underprivileged communities by providing them with clean water. Noticing that the lives of many women are crippled by their burden to collect water, we aim to provide them with easier access to water source and to empower these women for a brighter future,” said Dr. Teh Su Thye, Chief Executive Officer of Global Peace.
The Story of Diyana: The Silent Barrier
A collaboration with renowned documentary photographer, SC Shekar.
Joining this year’s journey to empower women through the LANEIGE Waterful Sharing Campaign is SC Shekar, renowned Malaysian documentary photographer. With the intention to bridge the gap between the urbanite’s awareness of clean water scarcity, Shekar tells the story of Diyana, a woman whose life is affected from the lack of clean water in Kampung Binjai, Pahang.
From drinking, bathing, and cooking with dirty and contaminated water, Shekar documents Diyana’s life through the lens of his camera, and gains a first person point of view on her living conditions as well as her daily struggles to retrieve water. Shekar captures heart wrenching photos on how the dirty water affects her and her children’s generation and shares Diyana’s story to the urbanites on the impacted lives of women in the rural community.
Through his experience with Diyana, Shekar shares: “Photographs need to have a purpose. If they don’t, they’re just pretty pictures as they are. People need to see these photos, they need to feel it and be inspired by it. Orang Asli women are the backbone of their communities and they play a crucial role in retrieving water. Their roles are so significant, they can’t be looked down upon. I am thankful for the opportunity given by LANEIGE and I truly hope to awake the senses on urbanites on the importance of the clean water through my photographs of Diyana.”
The Waterful Sharing Campaign will commence from July to (August) 2019. LANEIGE aims to raise a total of RM60,000 for the initiative. Shoppers will also receive a complimentary ‘Refill Me’ limited edition water bottle along with every purchase of the Water Bank Hydro or Moisture Cream EX at the LANEIGE Water Bank Avenue and all LANEIGE outlets and counter, in which RM10 from each sale will be directed towards the LANEIGE Waterful Sharing Campaign 2019 Fund to aid in the installation of water pipes and pumps, and water filtration systems in the respective villages.
For more information on the LANEIGE Waterful Sharing Campaign, please log on to http://laneigecampaign.com.my/waterfulsharingcampaign/.
