Nothing encapsulates the feeling of familiarity and comfort like a home cooked meal prepared by the women in our families. However, women’s roles do not just stop at the kitchen. Making up ‘43% of the global agricultural labour force‘, women are central to farming and play vital roles in food security and nutrition at both the household and community levels.

Throughout the years of working with Orang Asli communities, we are continuously inspired by the passion and drive of Orang Asli women as they strive to improve and diversify their livelihood through various income generating opportunities. However, despite their interest and hard work, many of them continue to face complex challenges such as lack of knowledge, resources and capital.

Syntropic Farming for Food Security

To address some of these challenges, we kickstarted a Syntropic Agroforestry project with the Orang Asli farmers. This food farming project aims to rejuvenate the ecosystem to allow a diverse variety of plants to grow. In the long term, we hope that these farms will become self-sufficient, providing villagers with nutrient-dense and organic food, as well as additional opportunities for income generation.

It has now been over one year since we started the Syntropic Farming project and many of our Amai farmers (‘Amai’ translates to ‘aunty’ in the Jakun tribe) have successfully harvested a variety of vegetables and fruits ranging from chili, corn and ginger to bananas, sweet potatoes and lemongrass.

Economic Empowerment: From Farming to Selling

However, as farmers begin to harvest their vegetable and fruit crops, they are now faced with another challenge– market access to sell their produce. Many farmers have difficulty selling their produce to nearby towns or markets due to the remoteness of the villages and lack of transportation.

In order to bridge market access barriers, we set up the Kebun Amai to support our farmers in marketing and selling their fresh produce.

Just last month, we partnered with Kongsi Co-op, a consumer cooperative in Malaysia to support the Orang Asli to sell their fresh produce in organic markets across the Klang Valley area. Selling an assortment of vegetables and fruits such as bananas, ginger, sengkuang, lemongrass and more, this partnership not only brings renewed hope for the Orang Asli farmers but also opens the door for additional opportunities for income generation.

We made the video above to show and encourage the Orang Asli farmers that there is great demand for organic food in the market. Through connections with wholesalers, grocers and the communities within the Pahang and Klang Valley area, we hope to empower and support the farmers’ livelihood through income generation.

Meet Amai Normah and Amai Yati

In addition to selling their fresh produce, several Amai have also started experimenting with producing homemade products using harvested vegetables and fruits. As many of them expressed interest in making homemade chips, we organised a food production training session with the farmers. Additionally, we also provided the farmers with basic equipment to help them kickstart their homemade chips journey!

Amai Normah, an Orang Asli farmer from Kg. Pinang surprised our team with her creativity and initiative as she showed us her mouth-watering assortment of banana chips.

Before this, I was disinterested in making chips and losing motivation in entrepreneurship. But after attending the chips making training, I tried to do it myself. I hope to start a mini market that focuses on selling chips with different flavours, and to innovate different variants of chips.

Amai Normah, Kg. Pinang

With flavours ranging from sweet, salty, spicy and even one with turmeric spices, Amai Normah uses the harvested bananas from her farm to make her homemade banana chips. The quality and taste of the chips are so good that even the team from Yayasan Hasanah could not resist buying Amai Normah’s banana chips after having the opportunity of tasting it.

Similarly, Amai Yati from Kg. Bukit Biru also specialises in homemade chips. Working diligently in her farm, Amai Yati is passionate about using her harvested produce to make chips. Since the food production training session, Amai Yati has made a variety of chips, though, her yam chips definitely takes the top spot for best tasting!

New Hope for Orang Asli Amai

There’s no better feeling than seeing the proud smiles of the Orang Asli Amai, as they boast fruitful farms and a renewed hope for the future. In the long term, we hope that the Kebun Amai initiative will foster greater women’s entrepreneurship amongst the villagers, thus, opening the door for boundless opportunities of income generation.

If you would like to support the livelihood of Orang Asli farmers, connect with us here! You may also purchase Kebun Amai’s fresh produce and homemade products by signing up here or by messaging us on Whatsapp at 013-5230587.

The post From Farm to Market: The Journey of Orang Asli Women in Sustainable Farming appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

Right outside the small town of Muadzam Shah, Pahang sits an Orang Asli village, Kg. Bukit Biru. Back in 2020, the village made national headlines when an article published by the Malay Mail brought to light the poor living conditions of the villagers. Not only did the village lack access to clean water and electricity, many of the villagers also depended on a nearby landfill to earn money.

Living in temporary makeshift huts, many of the villagers would scavenge through piles of trash looking for recyclables to sell. As hunter-gatherers by nature, many Orang Asli families lived by gathering from the forest. However, as the forest surrounding Kg. Bukit Biru had significantly deteriorated due to deforestation for palm oil and logging, many of the villagers had no other option but to depend on the landfill to earn enough money to put food on the table.

I used to collect rotan and bertam. The bamboo has also lessened, (so) there is nothing for me to forage anymore. Now I have to resort to collecting plastic bottles, metal tins and scrap metal from the landfill. I do that just to get some money to buy food.

Pak Cik Meter, Kg. Bukit Biru

Although we recognise the income opportunities the landfill provides, “landfill scavenging reflects a deeper issue that affects the Orang Asli,” shares Dr. Teh, the CEO of Global Peace Foundation Malaysia. Not only does landfill scavenging emphasise the loss of the Orang Asli’s traditional livelihood as stewards of the land, it also impacts the dignity, health and safety of the villagers who have to sort through rotting food and metal scraps just to earn a living.

From Scavenging to Farming

Global Peace has worked with Kg. Bukit Biru since 2019 and have met many of the villagers who worked at the landfill. Soon after the village made headlines in 2020, the villagers were forbidden from entering the landfill. Unable to forage at the forest or scavenge at the landfill, we knew we had to work with the villagers to find alternative ways to diversify their livelihood.

In 2022, we kickstarted a Syntropic Agroforestry project with the Orang Asli farmers in Kg. Bukit Biru. This food farming project aims to address the challenge of food insecurity and malnutrition whilst also creating additional opportunities for income generation for the villagers. It has been one year since we started the food farming project and the village now boasts flourishing farms that provide the villagers with a wide variety of vegetables and fruits such as lemongrass, eggplant, banana, corn and more!

“Before this, our farm used to be very small. But now that we have incorporated Syntropic farming, our farm is flourishing. I am so proud and feel so at ease now because my farm is healthy. We have even harvested our produce.”

Pak Jamidah, Kg. Bukit Biru

The goal of Syntropic Agroforestry is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that benefits not only the farmers but also the environment. In the long term, we hope that these farms will become self-sufficient, providing farmers with nutrient-dense and organic food whilst also regrowing the lost forest of the Orang Asli.

Reaping the Fruits of their Labour

This Ramadan, we were able to successfully connect the villagers with a Malaysian supermarket chain to sell their organic lemongrass. In total, the villagers sold an estimated 300 kilograms of lemongrass! What a feat!

To help prepare the lemongrass for distribution and selling, the villagers of Kg. Bukit Biru gathered together at the Rumah Adat to clean, pack and tag the lemongrass into baskets. This was such an exciting and inspirational sight to see, as the journey to this achievement was not easy. Although the villagers faced various difficulties in farming and in selling their produce, they did not give up and continued to work hard in their farms.

To bridge market access barriers, we set up the Kebun Amai, an Orang Asli marketplace to support the farmers to market and sell their organic produce. Through connections with wholesalers, grocers and the communities within the Pahang and Klang Valley area, we have successfully sold Orang Asli produce and handmade products in markets and events both in Pahang and in Klang Valley.

From sustainable farming through Syntropic Agroforestry to economic empowerment through Kebun Amai, we hope that these initiatives will become the stepping stones for Orang Asli families to become resilient and self-sufficient for many years to come!

Transforming Lives, One Village at a Time

When we first started working with Kg. Bukit Biru in 2019, the village had little access to basic needs and necessities. Since then, we have worked with the villagers on a variety of projects ranging from clean water, sanitation and electrification, to education, food farming and livelihood. We are incredibly proud to have had this opportunity to share every step of this transformation with the villagers of Kg. Bukit Biru.

However, the transformation of Kg. Bukit Biru is only the beginning; we are excited to continue our work with more Orang Asli villages and to transform lives, one village at a time.

Watch as we highlight our work with Kg. Bukit Biru since 2019 and how much the village has transformed into a safer, healthier, and more productive community.

If you would like to support the livelihood of Orang Asli farmers, connect with us here! You may also purchase Kebun Amai’s fresh produce and homemade products by signing up here or by messaging us on Whatsapp at 013-5230587.

The post From Landfill Scavenging to Regenerative Farming: A Story of Orang Asli Empowerment appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

Based in our field office in Pahang, Sofia has been supporting our team with community and education projects on the ground with the Orang Asli communities. Read her article below as she shares her rewarding and eye-opening experience since joining us.

Growing up, I have always had a deep sense of interest in contributing and making a positive impact. Thus, before joining Global Peace, I constantly reiterated to myself that I wanted to pursue an internship that would resonate with me and enable me to grow personally and professionally.

I came across the Global Peace website as I was searching for local NGOs to get to know more about what their goals are. My initial attraction to Global Peace was their washroom building project. As I delved deeper into their website, stories, newsletters, and YouTube videos, I was inspired by their other initiatives and became increasingly curious to learn more.

When I discovered the Community Advocacy Internship position, I was immediately drawn to it. As a major in Professional Communication with education as my elective, I wanted to utilize my skills to document Global Peace’s impact and gain a deeper understanding of their efforts to build cohesive and resilient communities.

As someone who loves writing and documenting, I viewed it as a challenging opportunity to communicate the plight of the Orang Asli people and become more aware of their challenges.

During my first month as an intern, I engaged with the communities through various programs and visits. I have also interacted with other NGOs, sponsors, and partners.

My tasks have included transcribing and translating, overseeing marketing video production, assisting with forest school module research, and joining the teams to cover their stories, interviews, and taking pictures.

I am grateful for the support I have received in projecting my skills and task interests while ensuring that they align with my roles and responsibilities. Through these experiences, I have learned the importance of adaptability and strong communication skills. It has been crucial for me to articulate my messages clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.

All said and done, I am very excited to continue my journey with Global Peace and contribute to their effort to build resilient and cohesive Orang Asli communities.

Written by:

Sofia, Community Advocacy Intern

Watch Sofia’s weekly video reflection below:

Apply to be an Intern today!

With opportunities to be involved in a diverse range of roles, interns are a crucial pillar of support to our work in building resilient and cohesive Orang Asli communities. If you are interested in embarking on a unique internship experience that will make a meaningful difference to communities around Malaysia, apply here!

The post Something From the Heart: Sofia’s Internship Experience appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

As hunter-gatherers by nature, many Orang Asli families lived by gathering from the forest. However, over the recent years, many Orang Asli have had to transition from forest gathering (such as gathering bertam or fishing) to agriculture as their main source of livelihood. This is due in large part by increased deforestation for logging and palm oil.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we found that many Orang Asli families lost their income and did not have food supply. Unable to rely on the forest, many of them had to rely on food aid to put food on the table for their families. 

This lack of adequate food not only results in hunger and food insecurity but also malnutrition, particularly in children.

Although many villagers are keen on farming, they face a multitude of challenges that prevent them from farming successfully such as lack of capital and experience. Recognizing that food security is crucial to building resilient Orang Asli communities, we decided to work together with the villagers to find a sustainable solution.

Why Regenerative Farming?

After months of research and work on the ground with our farmers, we introduced Syntropic Agroforestry (SA). SA is a type of regenerative farming method that aims to rebuild the health of the soil by promoting biodiversity and increasing soil organic matter. This farming method rejuvenates the ecosystem to allow a diverse variety of plants to grow, while reducing erosion and nutrient loss.

The goal of regenerative farming is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that benefits not only the farmers but also the environment. In the long term, we hope that these farms will become self-sufficient, providing farmers with nutrient-dense and organic food whilst regrowing the lost forest of the Orang Asli.

Milestones On the Journey To Regenerative Farming

During the beginning stages of regenerative farming, many Orang Asli farmers struggled with complex farming challenges. Their lack of experience and knowledge about the principles of regenerative farming– pruning, mulching and planting densely– made it difficult for them to follow the SA farming method.

To help the farmers to overcome their challenges, our team worked closely with the farmers and provided them with hands-on coaching and training in their farm plots. To further support them, we also organised the Jaringan Akar programme, a network of and for Orang Asli farmers. The Jaringan Akar programme ensures that farmers are able to confide in one another and to share their farming experiences, challenges and knowledge.

Furthermore, we also provide farmers with additional training and mentorship through our partnership with A Little Wild, Malaysia’s first syntropic farm in Kota Tinggi, Johor. The 3 hour trip to A Little Wild is always such a rewarding experience for the farmers as they get to experience first-hand what a successful syntropic farm plot looks like!

Continuous Learning: The Key To A Thriving Farm

Last month, we organized a trip to Kota Tinggi with all of the Orang Asli farmers for an intermediate training session. The focus of this training session was to learn more about the importance of bio-mass. Led by Imran, a trainer at A Little Wild, the farmers engaged in an open discussion with one another and had the opportunity to gain deeper knowledge about syntropic farming.

We hope that the immersive training sessions at A Little Wild, Kota Tinggi will support the Orang Asli farmers to apply the principles of SA farming in their own respective farm plots.

Fruitful Beginnings

We are now embarking on the one year mark since we started our Syntropic Agroforestry project with the Orang Asli farmers. Despite initial challenges and a few hiccups along the way, the farmers have come so far and we are so proud of the progress that they have made in their farm plots! Through their hard work, tenacity and passion, many of the Orang Asli farmers are now seeing the fruits of their labour and have begun harvesting a variety of vegetables such as okra, cucumber, lemongrass, corn and more.

However, this is only the beginning of a much longer journey to come! As stewards of the land and with livelihood dependent on the forest, we hope that regenerative farming will not only provide the Orang Asli with nutrient-dense and organic food but also help to regrow their lost forest. Through our Syntropic Agroforestry project, we hope to continue to support and cultivate farmers in their knowledge and experience in regenerative farming, so that this can become a stepping stone for Orang Asli families to become resilient and self-sufficient for many years to come!

If you would like to learn more about regenerative farming, click here! If you would like to support the livelihood of Orang Asli farmers, you may also purchase their fresh produce by signing up here! You can also order Kebun Amai’s homemade products on Whatsapp at 013-5230587.

The post 1 Year Milestone: Fruitful Beginnings of Regenerative Farming appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

Did you know that 53% of Orang Asli communities have no access to clean drinking water? Without clean water, many families also lack access to proper sanitation facilities. This not only compromises the health, safety and dignity of families, but also traps them in a cycle of water poverty.

Since 2018, Global Peace has partnered with Nestlé Malaysia to address this challenge by ensuring that Orang Asli families have access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities. We ensure that water is safe for drinking and cooking by introducing an effective filtration system for each household. This not only improves the health of families but also reduces their burden of collecting water multiple times a day.

Additionally, we also supported the villagers in building proper washroom facilities in their villages. With functioning washrooms, villagers no longer have to walk to nearby fields at night or in the rain to defecate in private.

With access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities, families that previously lacked access to these basic needs are now able to live with privacy, dignity and safety.

Today, we are proud to celebrate 6 years of collaboration with Nestlé Malaysia! Through the Safe Water, Safe Communities programme, we have impacted 691 Orang Asli families across Pahang, Perak and Negeri Sembilan!

A Day of Celebration

Last month, our team were honoured to welcome the CEO of Nestlé Malaysia, Juan Aranols , Executive Director, Dato Adnan Pawanteh, and the Nestlé team, as they made their journey to Muadzam Shah, Pahang to visit two Orang Asli villages– Kg. Rantau Panjang and Kg. Jenit.

With excitement lingering in the air, the Nestlé team arrived and were warmly greeted by the villagers, who welcomed them with trays of traditional hand-woven headdress (tembok) and sash. After a brief introduction, the Nestlé team were ready to get to work! Armed with brushes and paint, the team rolled up their sleeves and began painting the newly-built washroom together with the villagers.

By working together, the unfinished walls of the washroom quickly transformed into vibrant shades of white and blue. After the painting session, the Nestlé team continued to spend quality time getting to know the villagers and engaged in a series of activities that ranged from a hand washing session with the children to harvesting cassava in the village farm.

An Inspiration for All: Pak Jeleta

During the visit, the Nestlé team also had the pleasure to meet Pak Jeleta, an elder villager from Kg. Jenit. A man in his late 50s, Pak Jeleta remains committed to improving the conditions of his village and has helped to build a number of washrooms in his village.

Although it was a challenge to source for local materials such as rotan, as the forest surrounding Kg. Jenit has diminished significantly due to deforestation for palm oil, Pak Jeleta did not give up. Determined to incorporate their cultural identity and traditional craftsmanship into the washroom, Pak Jeleta worked tirelessly around the clock, from sourcing for scarce materials in the forest to building the washroom from scratch.

Although we support the villagers in every step of the construction of their washroom, many of them have shown great ownership and dedication through the difficult and challenging construction process. Working under the hot sun, many villagers worked relentlessly together to build washrooms that their family can safely use.

A toilet is not just a toilet. It encompasses different aspects of daily life; dignity, health and safety.

Prior to having washrooms, Orang Asli villagers would have to brave the open forest, in the dark and during stormy nights just to defecate. Now, they are able to safely use the washrooms day or night, rain or shine, to defecate, bathe and do their laundry– easing the burdens of their every life.

We would like to express a big thank you to Nestlé Malaysia for partnering with us on this meaningful and impactful programme. Through the Safe Water, Safe Communities programme, many Orang Asli families now have access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities. Together, we can help break the cycle of water poverty, disease and hardship.

Watch our video on how we break the cycle of water and sanitation poverty:

The post Celebrating 6 Years of Clean Water and Dignity for Orang Asli Communities appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

Kg. Muk Ayun is located in Sarawak, approximately 60 km away from Kuching – an hour away by car and another 10 minutes by boat from the jetty of Bengoh dam. It’s surrounded by a scenic view of lush hills, a lake, waterfalls nearby and friendly villagers from the Bidayuh tribe. Currently, the population consists of 180 villagers and their main source of income comes from farming pepper, galangal, lemongrass, and vegetables. 

The villagers fully depend on power generators for electricity and a gravity-fed water system which was built in 2015. However, water access to the village remains scarce and inconsistent due to damage of the dam. Because of this, villagers would have to collect water from the lake – which takes up too much of time (think 30 minutes per trip) – or any other water source, including the rain as they have no storage tanks near their households. 

Global Peace Foundation Malaysia and ConocoPhillips saw this issue in the community and decided to partner together to ensure the villagers receive a consistent water supply via a fixed dam and water storage tanks. This would save a lot of hours for the villagers as well as help them in their livelihood activities so that they are able to get a stable income.

As this project required a bit more manual labour, Global Peace decided to recruit volunteers as part of the fifth and final Global Peace Volunteer programme for the year 2022. 

What seemed like a daunting experience initially (imagine no phone signal or internet for a week), these eight volunteers took up the challenge and flew into Kuching from all over Malaysia, including Sabah, just to create a positive impact for the community. 

Hard Days, Joyful Nights

A day before the arrival of the Global Peace volunteers, the villagers transported the required materials for the water system from the Bengoh dam to the village. On the next day, the villagers made their way to the water catchment site for a clean up session before the building of the dam commenced.

The first task that the volunteers had to carry out was to transport sand from the Bengoh dam to the village. This initial duty itself tested the volunteers’ mental and physical strength as they had to carry heavy bags of sand to the boat and off the boat and into the village. 

The next day, they were broken down into two teams with one team carrying materials from the jetty of the village to the water catchment site while the other team worked at the water catchment site itself.

In the middle of these labour-intensive days, the volunteers were brought lunch cooked by the women of the village, transported via bamboo; rice served in pitcher plant and wrapped with leaves (to be doubled up as plates), grilled fish, chicken, vegetables and fruits to keep them fueled til the evening.

In the evenings, the volunteers and villagers got together in their community centre where they were taught how to play the gong, and learn traditional dances as well as engage with the locals and learn their culture.

Midway through the week, the volunteers were given a rest day which turned out to be rather eventful. They were taken to the waterfall for a picnic and then to a pepper farm and rice field to introduce them to the local way of farming.

The villagers took care of us really well, they made sure we always had enough food to eat. The nature surrounding Kg. Muk Ayun is so beautiful as well. Everything about this volunteering programme is awesome.

Nurbatrisyia, volunteer

On the remaining days, the volunteers were then tasked with connecting pipes to the water storage tanks and the houses.

A farewell dinner was organised by the villagers on the last day to thank all the volunteers and the team that facilitated the project.

I learned so much from the villagers here, especially about their beautiful Bidayuh culture.

Amirul, volunteer

Dams Built, Bonds Strenghtened

Despite a couple of volunteers falling ill during the week, a bee attack during one of the activities and the erratic weather, all the volunteers managed to get back on their feet and kept going strongly. Some, if not all, of the volunteers had no prior experience of building water systems and fixing pipes but nevertheless were keen to learn and to execute the tasks.

We’ll take home a lot of lessons but the highlight for me is working with this team and the villagers – we’re powerful enough by just using our human forces and simple tools. We managed to move everything around and fix what we were supposed to without any heavy machinery.

Daniel, volunteer

As most of the volunteers were students and young professionals, their energy and enthusiasm was relentless and infectious to those around them. They created an impact in the community not only by the work they did but also by the bonds they created with the villagers.

We would like to say a huge thank you to our partner Conoco Phillips, the facilitating team, the villagers of Kg. Muk Ayun and the Global Peace Volunteers for a successful and impactful project completion. To many more in 2023!

The post Restoring Broken Dams and Dreams for Kg. Muk Ayun appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

The post [VIDEO] The Transformation of Kg. Bukit Biru appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

Behind every brand, there is always a story worth telling. This is the story of Kebun Amai.

In the Jakun tribe, the word ‘Amai‘ translates to aunty. Lamenting on the warmth of eating home cooked meals prepared by the women in our families, Kebun Amai tries to encapsulate feelings of familiarity and passion by supporting our hardworking, selfless and joyful Orang Asli farmers! So, what is Kebun Amai and why did we start this?

The changing livelihood of the Orang Asli

As hunter-gatherers by nature, many Orang Asli families lived by gathering from the forest. However, over the recent years, many Orang Asli have had to transition from forest gathering (such as gathering bertam or fishing) to agriculture as their main source of livelihood. This is due in large part by increased deforestation for logging and palm oil.

As natural resources in the forest and river became increasingly scarce, many Orang Asli had no other options but to adapt. Although many villagers are keen on farming, they face a multitude of challenges that prevent them from farming successfully.

The lack of capital and experience, exacerbated by degraded and infertile soil, makes farming extremely challenging for Orang Asli farmers. During the MCO lockdown, many villagers resorted to only eating tapioca and flour, as many lost their income and had to depend on food-aid. This lack of adequate food not only results in hunger and food insecurity but also malnutrition, particularly in children.

Regenerative Farming as the answer

Understanding the importance of having access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, we decided to work with the Orang Asli farmers to find a sustainable solution to help them overcome farming challenges and gain food security for years to come.

After months of research and work on the ground with our farmers, we introduced Syntropic Agroforestry (SA). SA is a type of regenerative farming method that aims to rebuild the health of the soil. This rejuvenates the ecosystem to allow a diverse variety of plants to grow. In the long term, these farms will become self-sufficient, providing farmers with nutrient-dense and organic food whilst regrowing the lost forest of the Orang Asli.

Building a network of and for farmers

After many months of intense work on their farms, our Orang Asli farmers started to see the fruits of their labour! Many of them were able to harvest a variety of vegetables such as okra, cucumber, lemongrass and more.

However, the journey to self-sufficient farming does not happen overnight or in a straight line. To ensure that our farmers are able to confide in one another and share farming experiences, challenges and knowledge, we organised the Jaringan Akar programme, a network of and for Orang Asli farmers.

We have successfully held three Jaringan Akar programmes in the Orang Asli villages this year!

Economic Empowerment for Orang Asli Farmers

As farmers gradually overcome farming challenges and begin to harvest their vegetable and fruit crops, they are now faced with another challenge– market access to sell their produce.

Many farmers have difficulty in selling their produce to nearby towns due to the remoteness of the villages and lack of transportation. As a result, many farmers become overly dependent on the middlemen, who purchase in bulk at very low costs. The middlemen are also highly unreliable as they are not consistent. This lack of market access results in major food wastage.

In order to bridge market access barriers, we set up the Kebun Amai to support our farmers in marketing and selling their fresh produce.

Through connections with wholesalers, grocers and the communities within Pahang and Klang Valley area, we hope to empower our farmers and support their livelihood through income generation.

In October 2022, we officially kickstarted Kebun Amai’s first marketplace in the village of Kg. Bukit Biru, in conjunction with the Bursa Vibe volunteer program! In anticipation for the big day, many farmers harvested their crops and came together to sell their produce at the market.

The huge assortment of vegetables ranging from fresh brinjal, brazilian spinach, bananas, chilis, corn, lemongrass and more, was such an inspiring sight to see!

Aside from fresh produce, we are also experimenting on the different ways to combat food wastage by using the farmer’s produce to make homemade products that are long-lasting, nutritious and tasty! So far, we have successfully produced dried fruits such as pineapples and bananas, as well as pineapple jam.

Hopeful beginnings for Kebun Amai

By working together with the farmers on the planning and execution of the marketing and distribution of their produce, the farmers are able to gain both knowledge and experience in selling their produce. In the long term, we hope that farmers will be able to manage their own supply chain operation.

From sustainable farming through SA to economic empowerment through Kebun Amai, we hope that these initiatives will become the stepping stones for Orang Asli families to become resilient and self-sufficient for many years to come!

If you would like to support the livelihood of Orang Asli farmers, you may purchase their fresh produce by signing up here! You can also order Kebun Amai’s homemade products on Shopee or Whatsapp us at 013-5230587.

The post Hopeful Beginnings for Kebun Amai appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

Twenty-one employees from Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia came down to the field to carry out their CSR volunteering activity, not realising their few hours of hard work  will play a big role in the future of the Orang Asli (OA) community they had worked in.

Mitsubishi Motors’ ‘Safe and Lasting Homes for the Orang Asli’ CSR project consists of building two new houses to replace dilapidated and unsafe housing. Due to rapid deforestation around the village, the OA community struggle to find wood to build their homes. Hence, they resort to recycled materials that are not long-lasting.

Recognizing this issue, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia and the Global Peace team are working hand-in-hand to achieve the goal of enriching the lives of the OA community through building safe and lasting homes.

“In line with Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia’s (MMM) CSR vision ‘Inspiring Lives Today for a Greater Future’, we know that success isn’t solely measured by the vehicles we put on the road, but also by the lives we enrich along the way. As part of a responsible Malaysian society, we want to see Malaysians even the indigenous community live a better life. Thus through this project, we aim to come together to provide a safe and lasting home for the Orang Asli community at Kampung Bukit Biru.”

Mr. Arba bin Abd Rahman, Senior Vice President, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia

During the volunteering event, employees of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia were broken into three groups to accomplish different tasks – site-digging, metal-cutting and cement-mixing.

The day started off with breakfast and briefing, followed by a ground-breaking ceremony and then right away to work. Through the volunteers’ dedication and hard work, they managed to complete all tasks in half the time.

The initial steps of building a home is extremely crucial as it is labour intensive, hence, the perfect timing for volunteers to come in and contribute their time and effort. Setting the base for the home would accelerate the building process and also give motivation to the villagers of Kg. Bukit Biru to finish building their home.

Apart from the digging and mixing under the sun, the volunteers were treated to Amai Yati’s ‘ubi kacau’ to end the activity. The Kebun Amai marketplace was also open for volunteers to purchase organic Orang Asli produce from their very own syntropic farms. All employees left the village feeling accomplished and excited as they cannot wait to see the final product of their hard work.

The post CSR: Building a Better Tomorrow for the Orang Asli with Mitsubishi Motors appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.

A Woman Who Wears Many Hats

Speaking to Amai Zailiming (Amai is a term used to refer to older Orang Asli women) in Kg. Padang’s rumah adat on a hot afternoon, she sits down with us, with baskets full of corn in front of her, after working in her syntropic farm all morning with her husband. Her syntropic farm consists of various fruits and vegetables but is known mostly for her produce of corn, pucuk ubi, lemongrass and vibrant chillies. She hopes in time there will be much more produce so that she can share with her family and sell the rest to the community.

Before Global Peace started the syntropic farming project in Kg. Padang, Amai Zai’s farm and soil were not healthy enough to grow many trees. However, due to her passion, perseverance and interest in syntropic farming, her farm plot is now one of the healthiest and fruitful farms.

When she’s not tending to her farm, she’s building a washroom from scratch, which is another project from Global Peace Foundation. When asked if constructing a washroom is difficult, she says that nothing is easy at the beginning. 

“I am learning and doing it because women need it. As a woman, a proper toilet is important – we get to do the laundry, wash ourselves and ensure our families’ hygiene.”  Apart from that, she fills her time by helping out by fixing other villagers’ houses and making sure the children in her village are attending in-village educational sessions.

A Warrior

Amai Zai starts off by telling us how she’s come to be the person she is today – a woman, mother, fighter and survivor.

In 2013, she was ostracized in her own village for speaking up against the Tok Batin. Through that bitter experience, she has learnt to never back down from what she believes in. Adding a little context to that flashback, she told us that her village leader expected the villagers to listen to him even though his decisions were not aligned to the village’s values.

She then fought her way through it despite it resulting in her entire family being repudiated from the community. Starting from scratch once again, Amai Zai and her husband had to build their homes in Kg. Padang, which they call their home now.

When asked how she got the strength to leave and start over, she says “God gives me the strength to fight. Since 2010, I’ve been overwhelmed with challenges – my child got ill, the battle with the former Tok Batin, and all sorts of other difficulties – but my spirit never waned. For my children, my land, and my village, I am willing to fight.”

A Guiding Force

Amai Zai, just like most Orang Asli, grew up poor without even a bicycle or any means of transportation to go to school and that’s the only thing she regrets in life.

Global Peace’s in-village education programme, Mobile School, now has 22 students (the biggest class) from Kg. Padang and the nearby village all thanks to Amai Zai’s enforcement on education. She goes house to house to remind parents and children about the sessions each week. If she realizes that a child is absent, she then goes to the house to find out the reason why the child did not attend.

She iterates that Orang Asli children should not waste the opportunity to learn when they can, “If other children of other races can go to university, so can the Orang Asli children. We don’t have to lose our identity, but at least we can keep up with the world outside through education.”

She continues, “No one loses anything by studying. I’m illiterate today because I never got the chance. So my intention for the young generation of Kg. Padang is that they learn how to read and write, and maybe even speak abit of English so that we can have more visitors in our village.”

Most Importantly, An Orang Asli Woman

In the lens of Amai Zai, an Orang Asli woman’s role is not only important in the household and family, but also her community. She believes a woman needs to have her voice heard otherwise nothing will get done – be it at home or in the village.

“Women are the cornerstone of our community – from encouraging her children to get educated, to taking care of her family and the people around her. As a woman myself, my only hope is that I get to pass down whatever knowledge I have to those around me and that they use it to keep improving their lives.”

With fists in the air, Amai Zai’s true warrior spirit is shown as she speaks, “Being a woman, you need to have a never-backdown attitude. Never let anyone push you aside. If within yourself there is anything to be fixed, then do it. Otherwise, just keep going.”

Written by,

Pamela Victor

Communications Officer

The post OA Woman of Steel: Amai Zailiming appeared first on Global Peace Foundation Malaysia.