Heineken Malaysia Berhad ( Heineken Malaysia ) has long been a devoted supporter of neighborhood communities and has made a strong contribution to empowerment and development. The brewer has spent over 30 years promoting different groups, and he continues to promote significant change in Malaysia by funding initiatives aimed at raising the standard of living for those in need.  ,
Fostering group resilience
Heineken Cares is a program run by Heineken Malaysia that is geared toward improving areas in need and in line with its Brew a Better World 2030 strategy to promote positive effect and help create a brighter, more green coming up.  ,
Food aid and essential care items were first distributed at the top of the epidemic in 2021 to help famine-stricken areas and crisis patients.
The baker responded to the call for immediate humanitarian assistance for the Sabah communities when devastating storms struck the towns of Kota Belud, Penampang, and Papar. Heineken Cares collaborated with local television station KupiKupi FM to provide necessary food items to occupants who had lost their means of livelihood.
In 2022, the program switched from providing short-term food assistance to launching group farming initiatives that supported longer-term capacity building for local communities.
Partnership with Sokong
Heineken Cares 2023, a group effect program aimed at strengthening community endurance in the face of changing social and economic problems, was co-sponsored by Heineken Malaysia and Sokong by Malaysiakini in December 2023. Through the program, five companion organisations- Hopes Malaysia, Hope Place Kuching, Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia, Ferris Wheel Organisation, and Yellow House KL- were selected to employ projects in the areas of foodstuff security, community farming, as well as access to clean water and green electricity.
Renuka Indrarajah ( pic ), Corporate Affairs &, Legal director of Heineken Malaysia, shared,” We recognise that meaningful change happens through collaboration. By working hand-in-hand with our partners and populations, we are able to make a profound impact on underrepresented communities. By investing in green group efforts, we go beyond addressing the urgent needs of the community, it paves the way to build resilient neighborhoods”.
Hopes Malaysia- making a lasting change
One of the NGO colleagues working with Heineken Malaysia is Kota Kinabalu-based Hopes Malaysia, which works with the poor rural area in Sabah. The organization, which was established in 2016, aims to give these societies the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty.
Remote Sabah populations are plagued by a typical issue: lack of reliable water sources and access to public water sources. Farmers who rely on uneven rainwater and hill streams for their livelihoods find this problem especially challenging. Hopes Malaysia recognized this need and took action to improve water systems and give producers a reliable water source.
Hopes Malaysia’s first enterprise was the Gravity Water Project, through which they properly constructed seven gravity-fed water methods, including 30km of pipes. These systems deliver clean water to remote villages in Kota Belud, positively impacting over 8, 000 rural residents. Additionally, the team empowered local farmers by providing training to maintain and repair the water systems, ensuring a reliable water supply for future generations.  ,
.jpg "Every home deserves access to clean water")
Farmers in the Kota Belud villages have since successfully grown a variety of local fruits and vegetables, enabling them to sell their produce and generate a steady income to help support their families for the long term.  ,
Hopes Malaysia also made a contribution by teaching rural farmers how to raise fish and poultry to provide nutritious meals for their families. The community is now able to sustainably harvest 70 kg of fish per month and collect 60 chicken eggs every day, helping them continue to support their livelihoods.
Heineken Cares x Hopes Malaysia
Heineken Malaysia’s partnership with Hopes Malaysia started in 2021 through the Heineken Cares programme during the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 240 families and care centers received fresh food aid from farmers from the Kota Belud project through this initiative. In addition, the collaboration helped farmers by increasing their monthly incomes by up to 50 % during the difficult time.
The” Sustainable Gravity Water Project for Food Security Collaboration” project was started in Kota Belud in 2023 to assist the remote and impoverished Kampung Pinolobuh. The project, which was carried out in collaboration with Heineken Cares, aimed to upgrade the village’s gravity-fed water system to provide clean water and promote sustainable farming to improve long-term food security. The village’s piping was installed by the community at a 5 km uphill natural water source.
.jpg "Every home deserves access to clean water")
Families have successfully grown leafy vegetables for their own consumption thanks to a reliable water supply for their farms and the knowledge, tools, and skills acquired through workshops and community training. Surplus harvests are sold locally at Hopes Malaysia’s Gerai Tamu Kita vegetable stall and the Kota Belud community.
Next-phase plans
Hopes Malaysia is currently focusing on repairing and reconstructing the degraded decades-old gravity water system in rural Kampung Nagarai Tuguson in Kota Belud, with the assistance of Heineken Malaysia and Sokong, through Heineken Cares 2024.
More than 40 underprivileged families will have access to clean water at home by the start of 2025 through this collaborative initiative. An empowered community with the skills, knowledge and tools for lasting benefits”, said Aaron Bosuang, public relations executive for Hopes Malaysia.
This would give families more opportunities to work toward better futures where all of their fundamental needs are met.
” This is yet another step for sustainable development because many rural neighborhood families still lack basic necessities like clean water. Hopes Malaysia will continue to work hard to sustainably assist Sabah’s rural population in breaking the vicious cycle of rural poverty, he added.
Transformed lives: Voices of beneficiaries ,
” It is a great accomplishment for me to be a part of the Kampung Kiau Taburi gravity water project led by Hopes Malaysia and Heineken Malaysia,” said one project manager. All the hard work needed for this project is worth it because of the daily effects it has had on my family and community. Stefban ( pic ), leader of the Kampung Kiau Taburi community project,” We used to be a village that struggled and fought for clean water every day.”
” I started my journey with Hopes Malaysia as a project beneficiary during the Covid-19 pandemic. My family was able to survive that difficult time thanks to the sustainable initiatives. Because of those projects, our lives are better. My wife and I currently work for Hopes Malaysia to directly aid rural Kota Belud communities, bringing about positive change for all involved. Efandi, a former beneficiary of Hopes Malaysia’s ground team, and former beneficiary,” I hope for a sustainable future where all Sabah families can have the basic needs to improve their lives.”
My top priority is to make my family’s life better. I volunteered during the Kampung Kiau Taburi project, and am very thankful for the results of our community’s efforts. I used to wait for water every day and wait for it to arrive, but now I can use it whenever I need it at home to cook for my family, wash my kids ‘ clothes, or wash our clothes. I don’t have to worry about our water finishing. We can use this clean water for years to come”, Malim ( pic ), Kampung Kiau Taburi beneficiary
How you can make a lasting difference
Heineken Malaysia continues to collaborate with Sokong to help the efforts of Hopes Malaysia in the new phase of its Heineken Cares initiative in keeping with its commitment to community support.
You can also contribute to Hopes Malaysia’s efforts to improve the lives of rural Sabahans who are underrepresented. By contributing via the Sokong platform, you can do this. For every RM10 donated, Heineken Malaysia will add RM40 to amplify the impact of your support. Join this meaningful cause today by visiting https ://sokong .org/campaigns/heineken-cares-2024.
To learn more about Heineken Malaysia’s sustainability efforts, visit Heineken Malaysia’s official website or SPARK Foundation’s official website.