The Global Peace Foundation Malaysia team was awarded the Junior Chamber International Malaysia (JCIM) Sustainable Development Award (SDA) 2022 for spearheading projects that provide access to clean water to Orang Asli communities.
The aims of the JCIM SDA are to raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals in the public and to recognise various organisations for their efforts in achieving these goals by implementing initiatives with targeted communities.
Global Peace was one of the top three nonprofit organisations to receive the award. Other winners of the RM10,000 award include Bornean Sun Bear Conservation and ElShaddai Centre. Tonibung, which advocates for rights of the indigenous people in Sabah, won the RM5,000 award.
The award was given to Global Peace specifically for our projects that fall under the SDG 6 category – Clean Water and Sanitation. Global Peace’s objective with these projects is to improve hygiene and sanitation practices of the Orang Asli community via clean water accessibility.
In order to ensure this accessibility, we provide clean and safe drinking water through an easy-to-use household water filtration system. Secondly, we provide sufficient and physically accessible water for each household via solar water pumps, piping and tanks. Another way is by guiding Orang Asli villagers to construct washrooms for their families and communities. Apart from that, we also conduct WaSH training to further educate and raise awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyle practices.
“Global Peace started this initiative in an Orang Asli village in Gopeng in 2014, whereby water supply from the hilltop is often polluted. Fast forward to today, we’ve expanded the initiative to over 80 villages that had no access to clean water and sanitation. Most of the villagers had very poor hygiene, health and still practised open defecation before our project started.”
Dr. Teh, CEO of Global Peace Foundation Malaysia
Since the start of the initiative, we have reached the following impact numbers:
- 1500 families in 84 villages provided with access to clean water filter & WaSH training
- Improvement of sanitation and hygiene through 51 washrooms built in 9 villages benefiting over 200 families
- 16 villages have sufficient and easier water access through solar water pumps
Currently going on its 8th year, Global Peace aims to expand these projects to impact more Orang Asli communities.
The team would not have been able to accomplish this feat without our corporate partners and funders, for continuing to support and trust in us. Amongst the corporate sponsors that have worked with us are Laneige, Coway, Nestle, Exim Bank, Hartalega and Atlas Copco.
The winning project reflects the United Nations Sustainable Goals (UN SDGs) tagline, “Leaving No One Behind”, through ensuring marginalized communities such as the Orang Asli have access to the basic need of water and sanitation. They too, like every other human being, deserve to have this basic human right. We shall continue to strive until the day that every Orang Asli has access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
