Impian Sarawak
In the city, it is hard to imagine the night sky without lights, whether from the glare of our smartphones or the bright street lamps.
In the rural areas of Sarawak, however, it is hard to imagine the night sky with lights at all.
Even till today, 33 per cent of rural Sarawak is covered in darkness, save what limited generators and candles can provide. Children study in the flickering candlelight and trek long miles to school with only torchlights to guide their way. The laptops that city folk take for granted are unheard of here — forget high-speed broadband, these areas don’t even have working lights and fans.
The figures only get more dismal from there on: some 41 per cent of rural Sarawak do not have a fresh water supply, relying solely on rivers and wells for their everyday use. They bathe and wash their clothes in the river, and without clean, treated water like the one that gushes out from our taps, they run the risk of all kinds of water-borne diseases.
Since September 2013, the DAP has completed around 30 projects to bring not only water and electricity to many remote villages in Sarawak and Sabah, but also helped build roads that would provide them access to other towns, and thus, economic opportunity.
Volunteers have helped build solar lamps, pico- and micro-hydro dams, roads and more for these villages, bringing changes that seem small, but have a huge impact on the lives of the villagers.
However, the work comes with a cost, and Impian Sarawak is hosting a fundraising dinner that will enable them to continue bringing change to where it is needed most.
The details are as follows:
Where: Garden Boulevard (East), The Place @ One City, Jalan USJ 25/1, Subang Jaya, Selangor
When: April 26, 2015; 7.30pm
What: RM70/per pax or RM700/table; RM3,000 (gold); RM6,000 (platinum)
How: [email protected] or 016-618 2979 (9am – 5pm) or Hannah Yeoh”s office: 113a, Jalan SS14/1, Subang Jaya.
Join the dinner and help make a difference. For more information, go to impianmalaysia.com or fb.com/ImpianMalaysia
– The Rocket
