KUALA LUMPUR – Forest Interactive collaborates with Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Malaysia to provide clean drinking water to the indigenous Jakun community at Kampung Patah Pisau in Pahang.

Launched in 2014 by GPF Malaysia, the Malaysia’s Communities Unite for Purewater (CUP) initiative aims to uplift the welfare of underserved rural communities through the provision of clean water. As part of the initiative, Forest Interactive’s sponsorship of RM23,500 seeks to empower the Jakun villagers with access to clean and safe drinking water. The collaboration with the non-governmental organization (NGO) kickstarted in October 2020, in conjunction with Global Handwashing Day.

This is facilitated by purchasing and delivering materials needed to construct and install pipes and solar water pump systems in the village. To further empower the villagers, the initiative also includes briefing and training sessions with them on the installation, usage, and maintenance of the solar water pump system.

The entire system consists of submersible DC-powered water pumps connected to the solar panels and is used due to its long-term cost-effectiveness and easy maintenance. One-inch poly pipes are laid down from the water source to each of the villager’s houses to ensure that everyone is covered, thus ensuring that they have a clean uninterrupted water supply through proper filtration.

In the coming months, Forest Interactive will continue to support GPF Malaysia in raising awareness on hygiene and sanitation practices through Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) training and community engagement activities with its employees at Kampung Patah Pisau. Activities include learning about the importance of handwashing, safe water management, as well as proper nutrition and diet in order to improve the health conditions.

“The villagers of Kampung Patah Pisau have been collecting water from a self-dug well for years. However, this daily water collection is both time-consuming and exhausting for the community, particularly women and children,” said Dr Teh Su Thye, CEO of GPF Malaysia. “This meaningful partnership with Forest Interactive will not only enable us to improve access to clean water for the families, but also the health and hygiene of the community through our WaSH training.”

“We hope that our collaboration will positively impact the Jakun community in Kampung Patah Pisau as we address the lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation,” shared Sheena Pimentel, who leads a sustainability team in Forest Interactive. “For most of us, water is accessible with the simple turn of a faucet, but many within the Orang Asli communities have to carry water from wells or other natural water sources located far from their homes – with some of these sources polluted today due to irresponsible logging.”

Due to factors including lack of proper pipe systems and contamination of water sources, Orang Asli communities in Malaysia have had inconsistent and limited access to clean water — one of the top three reasons for the community’s food insecurity problem.

Apart from this water crisis, the pandemic has demonstrated critical importance of sanitation and hygiene for reducing the spread of pathogens and preventing infections.

This Forest Interactive sponsorship focuses on three key areas that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, as well as Sustainable Cities and Communities.

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About Forest Interactive

Founded in 2006, Forest Interactive develops scalable mobile platforms to connect mobile operators, content providers, and game publishers with their subscribers. With over 15 years of industry experience, Forest Interactive has expanded to include a diverse workforce of 20+ nationalities in 17 regional offices. Delivering content subscription services, digital voucher and e-commerce platforms, and mobile apps for all ages, Forest Interactive operates in more than 30 countries, servicing 90+ mobile operators and 100+ content partners with the capacity to reach over one billion subscribers worldwide. To learn more, visit forest-interactive.com.

About Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Malaysia

Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Malaysia is a non-profit and non-sectarian organisation that strives to foster resilient and cohesive communities, based on a vision that all humanity are connected as one family. Visit globalpeace.org.my.