SEMENYIH: Eco World Development Group Berhad (EcoWorld Berhad) through its charitable arm – the Eco World Foundation, takes its corporate social responsibility journey a step further with the launch of the Eco World Foundation Volunteers Club.

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye Eco World Foundation Chairman said in his speech today that EcoWorld Berhad staff had willingly risen to answer the Group’s call for volunteers to support the Foundation’s activities.

“The Eco World Foundation Volunteers Club in the Klang Valley will be launched today with over 100 staff as volunteers. The Club will soon be introduced in Penang on 29 May and in Iskandar Malaysia on 11 June. These are locations which EcoWorld has a strong presence in with multiple ongoing projects,” he said.

Lee added that the objective of setting up the volunteers club is to promote and encourage EcoWorld staff participation in charitable work through the activities of the Eco World Foundation. The club is only open to employees of EcoWorld Berhad.

The establishment of the Club is also in line with EcoWorld Berhad’s 2^nd Mission statement of ‘Being a Caring and Responsible Organisation which actively contributes back to Society’.

The Eco World Foundation was launched on 24 September 2014 and its main programme is the Eco World Student Aid Programme (SAP) which provides financial assistance to the underprivileged primary, secondary and tertiary students with the objective of keeping disadvantaged children of all races in school. To date, the Foundation has adopted over 3,000 students from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor, Sabah, Perlis, Kedah and Pahang.

The SAP runs on a yearly budget of RM5 million and it has a holistic approach in addressing every aspect of a primary student’s educational requirements. It equips students with bags and uniforms for the new school year, canteen meals and pays for school and tuition fees. Primary students are given an annual sponsorship of between RM1,100 to RM1,300 and under SAP, deserving students may apply for a continuation to secondary and tertiary levels.

The Foundation conducts home visits for selected students to check on their home life and give parents moral support through Parents’ Dialogue sessions. It also organises Motivational Camps every year to prepare Standard 6 students for the UPSR examination and holds an annual UPSR Excellence Awards Ceremony and Career Talk.

Members of the Eco World Foundation Volunteers Club will be assisting the Foundation, which runs on a lean team of only four full-time employees with the various activities mentioned above.

Also present at the launch event today was Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohd Radzi Bin Sheikh Ahmad, Trustee of Eco World Foundation and Dato’ Chang Khim Wah, President & CEO of Eco World Development Group Berhad. The event held at EcoWorld Berhad’s Eco Majestic township was enlivened by a rousing pledge recital by 100 new members of the Club.