2018 - Orang Asli Humanitarian Aid Mission in Sungai Siput and Grik

Pre. Ganesh Kandiah leading the mission. Rotary Club of Sitiawan Orang Asli Humanitarian Aid Mission in Sungai Siput and Grik, Perak (27-28th January 2018).

Objectives: 1. To bring immediate aid in the form of food, clothes, building materials and medical care to remote Orang Asli villages in three settlements Pos Piah, Pos Gentes and Pos Kemar. 2. To obtain water samples from the river that provides drinking water for the settlements to assess the viability of a future water and sanitation project in the form of either a sky hydrant or a rain water harvesting system. 3. To do a needs based assessment of the hardships faced by the Orang Asli.

The recent heavy continuous rainfalls have caused landslides resulting in some of the remote villages to be cut off from food and emergency supplies. The roofs of the houses were also damaged. Besides the landslides, logging in these areas have also contributed to contamination of the rivers which are the main water source for these Orang Asli people. They are also facing health issues from Malaria and worm infestations.

The relief team gained access via a difficult seven hour off road, uphill, muddy tracked drive from Sungai Siput. The areas covered were a total of 7 isolated remote villages in three settlements in Sungai Siput ( Pos Piah, Pos Gentes) and Grik (Pos Kemar).

It was an amazing experience going off road and getting stuck in the mud. It was worth the effort to see the smiles on the faces of the Orang Asli people

A total of 8 four wheel trucks carried the following supplies for the 200 Orang Asli families:

Our humanitarian mission consisted of a total of 18 participants:
1. President Ganesh Kandiah ( RC Sitiawan )   2. President Elect Dr.Geetha ( RC Sitiawan)

Friends of Rotary:
3. Haji Rosli bin Din ( Mission Coordinator)         4. Azah Abdul Rahman         5. Sergeant Mohd Helmi
6. Salmah Salleh      7. Haji Abd. Mokti Salleh   8. Corporal Kamaluddin       9. Mohd Asri Ibrahim
10. Amin Dakurau     11. Razali   12. Ahmad Termizi   13. Ridzuan Hashim   14. Ahmad Khariri
15. Azral Helmi        16. Zetty Helmi

Logging of our rainforest reserves has given rise to many problems faced by the indigenous people of our land, the Orang Asli from the Temiar tribe who are inhabitants in the settlements of Pos Piah and Pos Gentes (Sungai Siput) and Pos Kemar ( Grik) in the northern state of Perak.

 2000kg (2 tons) of rice                          200kg of sugar
 200kg of wheat flour                             100kg of salt
 100 bottles of soy sauce                       100 cans of condensed milk
 100kg of cooking oil                             200 packs of coffee
 200 packs of dried fish                         300 chocolate bars
 200 pieces of chocolate cake              300 pieces of chocolate balls
 15 packets of sweets                            225 doses of worm medication for children
 230 pieces of blankets                         70 pieces of zinc sheets and nails for roofs
 400 bars of bathing soap                     20 boxes of clothes
 3 boxes of toys                                                            

RM9,866.75 + RM412 (112 doses of worm treatment donated RTN Dr.Ling Jiong Meng)

The total cost of the Project: RM 10,278.75

The Rotary Club of Sitiawan contributed RM2,000.00

The Rotary Club of Sitiawan would like to thank the following donors who contributed a total of RM6,600 to Yayasan Kelab Rotary Sitiawan and were responsible for the success of the Orang Asli Humanitarian Mission 27-28 January 2018 enabling our Yayasan Kelab Rotary Sitiawan to contribute a total of RM8,800 in cash towards this mission.

01. Encik Harris ( AS2 Consultants Sdn Bhd) - RM3,000
02. PE Dr.Geetha Ganesh Kandiah – RM1,000
03. Dr.Nor Azlina Awang (Pantai Hospital Manjung) - RM1,000
04. Puan Rosmaniyah ( NHD Collection) RM500
05. Encik Kassim (Azrika Ventures Sdn Bhd) - RM500
06. Rtn Loh Eng Aun (Go Green Organic) - RM400
07. PP Sazali Yaman - RM200
08. Mr. Paramahnsayogananda (Sapura Kencana) - RM200 and clothes.
09. RTN Dr.Ling Jiong Meng - 112 doses of worm treatment for children (worth RM412)
10. Puan Zainun - blankets and clothes
11. Puan Nur Hizazmie - clothes, bed-sheets, blankets and soft toys
12. Chai Wei Yee (28th PJ) - blankets, pillows and sheets.
 
A personal thank you to our friend, Mr Nahar Singh from Sitiawan for loaning us his 4X4 WD which was the Saviour of the day without which the mission would have been a failure.

Conclusion of Needs Based Assessment
1. Water and Sanitation Project by Rotary to provide clean drinking water
2. For proper access by roads to villages so that essential supplies are made available at reasonable cost. Currently due to difficult access, cost of essential food and supplies are 400 percent more than cost in the urban areas.
3. Proposal to Forestry Department to gazette areas to speed up replanting to prevent further soil erosion

We would also like to convey our sincere gratitude to all our friends who volunteered their time and own resources for this mission.All expenses for their own food and transportation were borne by the volunteers themselves: 

01. Haji Rosli bin Din our mission coordinator who personally contributed RM1050 for this mission
02. Azah Abdul Rahman            03. Sergeant Mohd Helmi
04. Salmah Salleh                      05. Haji Abd. Mokti Salleh
06. Corporal Kamaluddin          07. Mohd Asri Ibrahim
08. Amin Dakurau                       09. Razali
10. Ahmad Termizi                      11. Ridzuan Hashim
12. Ahmad Khariri                       13. Azral Helmi
14. Zetty Helmi

///