2020 has been a challenging year for many of us in various aspects. We had to adapt to a new normal and find innovative ways to be more efficient and productive while staying at and working from home.

Going out isn’t as exciting as before as we have to be extra cautious and avoid crowded areas. Many celebrations and event had to be held virtually, while some, unfortunately, were postponed or canceled. However, at Forest Interactive, we were still coming up with innovative ways to conduct our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives throughout the year no matter the obstacles. Our goal of 2020 was to hit as many Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as possible – and we did just that.

The first CSR activity that we conducted was the Malaysia Future Leaders School (MFLS) visit, which was held on February 28, 2020. Around 40 students from all over the country visited the Forest Interactive HQ in Kuala Lumpur. The students learned how it is like to work in a technology company and what it aims to achieve in building products that not only maximize the capabilities of mobile technology but also shape its talents to become stronger tech agents in the industry. During that time, the Ministry of Youth and Sports noted that most companies during that point of time weren’t accepting visitors due to fear of COVID-19. So, Forest Interactive was one of the few companies that stepped up to host the visit. This CSR activity contributed to SDG 4 – Quality Education.

2020 has been rough for almost everyone around the world — our street friends included. For the first time in three years, the donation couldn’t be collected in the office as the then-Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia restricted business operations nationwide. Thus, we raised donations for our #CAN Feed the Hungry campaign internally via SimplyGiving from April to May 2020 – raising RM2,765, exceeding the initial goal of RM2,000. We collaborated once again with Street Feeders of KL (SFOKL) to distribute food to street friends in the city center, targeting key areas such as Pasar Seni and Masjid Jamek. Through this activity, we reached SDG 2 – Zero Hunger.

When the Movement Control Order transitioned into the Conditional Movement Control Order, we held the #ForestCares to Orang Asli Community in Desa Temuan event on July 4, 2020. During the pandemic, the Orang Asli communities nationwide were greatly impacted as much as we have, if not more, by the current pandemic.

A total of 147 households with over 1,100 people within the Temuan community in Damansara Perdana received basic necessities in aid, worth RM12,208 through this #ForestCares initiative, which helped during a time of economic uncertainty caused by the global health crisis. Each Temuan family received a food basket consisting of rice, sugar, cooking oil, milk, eggs, bread, bread, canned food, and soap. CEO Johary Mustapha also spoke to primary school-aged students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Lanjan, to encourage the bright-eyed children to explore the career possibilities in the industries of gaming and technology. Through this campaign, we hit three SDG Goals, which are 1, 2, and 4 – No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Quality Education.

For Idul Adha, our team in Indonesia gave back to the community by donating Qurban to Pondok Pesantren Babakan Ciwaringin in Cirebon and Masjid Jami’atul Mu’minin in Bandung on July 7, 2020 and August 1, 2020 respectively. The CSR Investment was IDR 28,535,000 and the estimated beneficiary were 430 persons. This CSR project is in line with SDG 2 – Zero Hunger.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schoolchildren around the world are forced to study from home. Studying at home is a tough for some children in Indonesia. Many families have no smartphones, let alone internet access. Based on the data by We Are Social 2020, there are only 64% of internet users in Indonesia, which means that 46% of the Indonesian population do not have access to the Internet.

Forest Interactive Indonesia launched the #InternetforEducation project to narrow the internet literacy gap for less fortunate communities. We raised funds to donate Wi-Fi facilities, mobile phones, and laptops for students in Kampung Kerang Hijau, Cilincing in North Jakarta to help them with their studies at a learning center, Kelas Belajar Oky, during the pandemic. With this project, we achieved two SDGs which are SDGs 1 & 4 – Zero Poverty and Quality Education.

#MindTheMovement Virtual Yoga Session[/caption]During the month of October, we raised awareness for three events through our #HereForYourHealth campaign: Breast Cancer Awareness Month, World Mental Health Day, and Global Handwashing Day. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we shared infographics on breast cancer and symptoms to look out for. We also encouraged our talents to raise awareness and show solidarity with Breast Cancer survivors by inviting them to submit their #proudlypink pictures.

For World Mental Health Day, we organized a Mind the Movement event, where our talents from all over the world gathered to #moveformentalhealth together virtually, as we introduced the newly established Forest Yoga Club.

As for Global Handwashing Day this year, we kick-started a CSR project in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation to provide clean water access to Orang Asli communities. Target execution date will be in the first quarter of 2021. We also provided an infographic to talents on the correct ways to wash their hands as a reminder because proper handwashing is crucial during the pandemic. For this campaign, we hit two Sustainable Development Goals which are SDG 3 & 6 – Good Health and Well Being and Clean Water and Sanitation.

Besides that, Forest Interactive was involved with LEVEL UP @ Schools and Kre8tif! @ Schools, MDEC programs we have been steady partners for since 2017, where game development and animation workshops are conducted for school students. In 2020, it was conducted online and students competed at the end of the program with a game showcase. Forest Interactive sponsored in-kind, offering our services for the Virtual Award Ceremony, which will be held on January 30, 2021. The Sustainable Development Goal related to this activity is SDG 4 – Quality Education.

Throughout the month of November 2020, we organized the #ItEndsNow campaign where the goal of this campaign is to encourage Forest Interactive talents to take action in ending sexual harassment against both men and women. The campaign happened in conjunction with International Men’s Day (November 19), International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25), and the tabling of the Sexual Harassment Bill in the Malaysian Parliament. Throughout the campaign, we sent a series of weekly email blasts (total: four in the month) with resources on sexual harassment and the bill. The Sustainable Development Goals related to this CSR campaign are SDG 5 and 16 – Gender Equality and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

In December, a powerful, deadly Category 4-equivalent typhoon struck the Philippines and caused the worst flooding in Metro Manila since Ketsana in 2009. Forest Interactive initiated the #ForestForPhilippines campaign where we invited our talents worldwide to donate money to Kaya Natin for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership. This campaign was held from 25 November, 2020 until 15 December, 2020. During the campaign period, we managed to collect MYR 1,659 (19,632.40 Philippine pesos). The SDGs related to this campaign are 1, 2, and 6 - No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Clean Water & Sanitation.

What a year it has been for everyone. We were #BetterTogether, achieving what we wanted through our CSR projects, and we strive to contribute more in 2021. We would like to thank all our talents for contributing to the success of our CSR projects, and we look forward to making a bigger impact this new year.