Eco World adopts schools in S’wak
300 underprivileged pupils to receive financial assistance
SERIAN: Eco World Foundation has expanded its Students Aid Programme (SAP) to Sarawak by adopting two primary schools – SK Temong and SK Sejijag.
The pilot project in the state will see nearly 300 pupils, who are mostly underprivileged children, receiving financial assistance.
Eco World Foundation chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the schools would also be given RM20,000 for educational needs.
He also pledged to raise the sponsorship to RM30,000 next year.
“Education is very important to our people, especially young children. If they are not given the opportunity to have an education, they will not be able to grow up to become productive citizens who can contribute to the future development of the country,” he said when launching the programme here yesterday.
He added that the two schools would be the first of many that Eco World will adopt under its SAP initiative in Sarawak.
SK Temong headmaster Mustapa Zen said the foundation’s initiative was timely as the majority of pupils in his school were from poor households, with their parents working mostly as farmers or are selfemployed.
“We have long awaited education aid such as this. Apart from the financial assistance, the foundation has helped the school to stock up on library books and acquire education materials for the students,” he said.
Eco World Foundation was set up in May 2014 by Eco World Development Group Bhd for the company to fulfil its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The foundation undertakes humanitarian projects, mitigating social shortcomings in education and literacy, health, poverty and lack of community infrastructure regardless of race, religion and ethnicity.
Eco World spends about RM5mil annually to help some 3,000 underprivileged students nationwide. It subsidises school, tuition and computer fees, while school uniforms, stationery, workbooks and canteen meals are fully paid for.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem applauded Eco World’s initiative.
“Efforts such as Eco World’s SAP initiative will only help to spur the nation’s education and human capital growth,” he added.
At the event, Lee and Riot presented school bags to pupils from both schools.