Food security exists when everyone has access to sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for a healthy life. It sounds simple, right? But many people, including those living in rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak, suffer from food insecurity. 

Through the HEINEKEN Cares programme, “Every Step Counts, Every Meal Matters” in 2021, HEINEKEN partnered with Soroptimist International Damansara (SID) to provide provisions to 40 hardcore-poor communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most recipients were from marginalized communities like single mothers, refugees, and the disabled, which suffered the most during the pandemic.

When the disastrous floods raged in 8 states in December 2021, HEINEKEN Cares, through SID stepped up to provide flood relief and food aid to 75 families in Klang and Shah Alam. Late last year, HEINEKEN Cares partnered with the global volunteer group Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia (SIROM) to address food security woes for rural and remote villages in Sarawak and Sabah, including helping villagers rebuild farms, harvest crops, and restore livelihoods.

Newswav speaks to Dr Saradha Narayanan, SIROM project director, to find out more about the organization’s ongoing collaboration with HEINEKEN Cares.

Q: Please tell us what you have done and will be doing this year for the communities

A: In 2023, we will continue to empower remote, rural communities in Sarawak and Sabah under the HEINEKEN Cares programme by helping them produce food self-sufficiently to meet their daily needs and cultivate lasting change.

We chose to help Sabah and Sarawak as we noticed that the remote villages in Sabah and Sarawak have been left out of mainstream development. They are facing a lack of access to essential facilities such as clean water, reliable internet connectivity, and proper roads connecting them to larger towns.

Our collaboration with HEINEKEN Malaysia has started since 2019 when HEINEKEN Malaysia and Spark Foundation provided sponsorship for the establishment of a gravity-fed clean water system to the village of Kg Gana in Sabah. Following this, SIROM facilitated training for 35 women in Organic Farming, who then established a farm spanning over 3 acres of land. Since then, we have continued to provide support to this village.

Q: How do these initiatives that you are doing with HEINEKEN Malaysia help the communities?

A: In Sarawak, we visited Long Tanyit in October 2022 to assess flood damage and provide solutions. Despite being located in an area without internet or audio-visual aids, we managed to bring 12 women and 3 men to Bintulu for a 2-day training workshop. Several government agencies were part of this training for the communities in capacity building. The training focused on flood risk reduction, early warning signs, and building resilience for future disasters. We provided a refresher course in organic farming and training on setting up a small business and exploring alternative sources of income such as basket weaving.

Thanks to the support from HEINEKEN Cares, the villagers were able to reconstruct their greenhouse and irrigation system. As a result, they have resumed growing fresh vegetables for their own consumption and for sale to neighbouring villages and a logging camp. Additionally, the villagers have plans to build a fish pond for rearing tilapia to further expand their sustainable food production efforts.

Meanwhile, in Kg Gana, Sabah, we supported the villagers to rebuild and expand their damaged greenhouse. A pump was also installed to improve the water supply. The women are also selling their produce at a nearby market. The villagers have expressed their thanks to HEINEKEN Cares and SIROM for their efforts in helping to rebuild their livelihoods.

Overcoming Challenges

Unfortunately, going to such a rural area comes with its own set of difficulties. Among the obstacles faced by SIROM during this project included travelling to remote villages. What was supposed to be an 8-hour drive with a 4-wheeler ended up becoming a 12-hour journey due to landslides. Rain and flood had destroyed the crops in both Long Tanyit and Kg Gana, not to mention pests were present. Besides that, the SIROM team found it difficult to communicate with the villagers due to the lack of Internet access.

Q: How did you overcome these challenges?

A: While we couldn't directly mitigate the effects of extreme weather, we were able to provide training to the villagers to foster resilience. As a result, they are now better equipped to face tough weather events. HEINEKEN Malaysia has been a valuable ally in SIROM's mission to empower rural women in Sarawak and Sabah through training and capacity building. With their support, we have bolstered the community's resilience and self-sufficiency to meet their food and water needs.

Plans For The Future

In the near future, Dr Saradha shared that SIROM would like to partner with other NGOs that have been working with HEINEKEN Malaysia through the HEINEKEN Cares programme. 

Q: What are your future plans and goals for your NGO in order to continue making a difference?

A: During the official launch of HEINEKEN Cares in December 2022, we had the opportunity to connect with other NGOs who also received support from HEINEKEN Malaysia. Among them was Hopes Malaysia, an organization dedicated to serving underprivileged communities in Kota Belud, Sabah, which has a similar mission to SIROM. We aspire to expand our outreach to this district by partnering with Hopes, so we can empower more rural women to enhance their income by cultivating crops. By doing this, we aim to address the issue of food security in remote villages while contributing to the state's economy.

We use various channels, such as talks, webinars, and social media, to inform and educate the public and private sectors about our work. SIROM has consultative status at the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council, and our projects address areas of concern and formulate policies to help those in need. Our goal is to educate and empower women and girls to improve their quality of life.

Q: Finally, what is your message to the world, and how can the public get involved to support your organisation?

A: Mahatma Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," inspires us all to take action towards a better world. Every person can contribute to creating a fair and compassionate society. Even helping just one person can make a difference. Help us reach out to underserved and marginalized communities in order to build a brighter future for our children.

About SIROM

Soroptimist International, established in Oakland, California in 1921, is a global network of 62,000 members in 121 countries. Advocating for human rights and gender equality, the organization has 7 UN centers where members work on grassroots projects aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia has 17 clubs and has been carrying out various projects for 29 years to help the underprivileged in areas such as education, health, environment, economic and social development, and skills training.

Their vision is for Women and Girls to achieve their individual and collective potential, realise their aspirations, and have an equal voice in creating strong, and peaceful communities worldwide.

The Soroptimists’ mission is to transform the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and supporting their opportunities.