PETALING JAYA: The Eco World Foundation honoured its many supporters and donors by hosting an Eco World Foundation Appreciation Luncheon 2016 – a special event filled with live shows and performances.

Established in May 2014 under the auspices of Eco World Development Group Berhad (EcoWorld), the Foundation serves as the Group’s charitable arm in providing assistance to underprivileged Malaysians.

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Chairman of the Eco World Foundation expressed his gratitude to the Foundation’s generous donors for their kind contributions this year which totalled more than RM6.4 million.

Among those present were Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, Chairman of Eco World Development Group Berhad; Dato’ Chang Khim Wah, President & CEO of Eco World Development Group Berhad; Dato’ Voon Tin Yow, Executive Director of Eco World Development Group Berhad; Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Bin Sheikh Ahmad and Philip Mathews, Trustees of Eco World Foundation.

Lee said: “We are indeed honoured to see our many generous donors who believe and subscribe to the aims of our Foundation. Without your support, the Foundation would not be able to fulfil its purpose of helping the needy from all walks of life, ethnic groups and regions of Malaysia.”

The Foundation seeks to help disadvantaged Malaysians improve their quality of life and it focuses on promoting education which is a key element in breaking the cycle of poverty.

“It goes without saying that our children are our most important asset. Their education, especially for the needy, are matters very close to our hearts. The Eco World Foundation spends the largest sum out of our funds to nurture children through the Eco World Students Aid Programme,” said Lee.

The Foundation’s main programme is the Eco World Students Aid Programme (SAP) which provides financial assistance to approximately 3,028 students (2,600 primary, 400 secondary and 28 tertiary level students) with the objective of keeping needy children of all races in school. SAP reaches out to students in the eight states of Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor, Sabah, Perlis, Kedah and Pahang.

With a budget of RM5 million per year, the SAP practices a holistic approach by addressing every aspect of a primary student’s educational requirements, from equipping them for the new school year and arranging meals in school to paying their school and tuition fees.

Besides the quantitative aspects, the Foundation is also interested in the qualitative aspects of a student’s life. It provides group dialogue sessions with students and Career Talk for post-SPM students, as well as home visits to ensure a conducive home environment.

Students who achieve good results in the UPSR examinations are eligible to apply for a continuation in the SAP to secondary education and subsequently to tertiary level as well.

“We are happy to share that 11 students whom we have been supporting from primary school have now graduated from universities. We are immensely proud of them and their achievements,” said Lee.
It was a heart-warming moment at the luncheon when SAP student, Nur Hasyimah Binti Abdul Rahman, 22 year-old shared her life story and expressed her sincere gratitude to the donors and the Foundation for the kindness and care received.

Apart from the SAP, Lee mentioned that the Foundation embarked on a new three-year pilot programme to help rural and low-performing schools in Sarawak. “We started this initiative in two schools – Sekolah Kebangsaan Temong with 163 students and Sekolah Kebangsaan Sejijag with 46 students. We hope to improve the academic performance as well as the physical condition of schools by providing new furniture, computers and books,” he said.

Lee also added that since the setting up of the Eco World Foundation Volunteers Club in May 2015, the Foundation’s work is made easier. The club has over 300 volunteers comprising  EcoWorld employees in the Klang Valley, Penang and Iskandar Malaysia.

Among the activities conducted by the volunteers are flood relief missions, beautifying of school and SAP home visits. In April and May, over 380 families in Perlis and Kedah were engaged by the volunteers from Penang. By end-October, home visits to another 500 families in Klang Valley and 340 families in Johor are expected to be completed.

The Foundation acknowledged the top 10 donors for the luncheon who were Advancecon Infra Sdn Bhd, Kerjaya Prospek Sdn Bhd, Ong & Ong 360 Consultancy Sdn Bhd, Cicet (M) Corporation Sdn Bhd, Macro Resources Sdn Bhd, Hwa Hin Sdn Bhd, Siacon Technology Sdn Bhd, Tay Hup Brothers Construction Sdn Bhd, Woon Brothers Construction Sdn Bhd and Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, Chairman of Eco World Development Group Berhad.

The luncheon was a lively affair with a special appearance by comedian Harith Iskander. Highlights of the afternoon were also the in-house performances by staff of EcoWorld who came together to put up a harmonious choir assemble, a rousing drums act and a symbolic dance performance. The performances had a patriotic theme in line with EcoWorld & The Star’s #AnakAnakMalaysia campaign to
celebrate the spirit of Malaysia.