KUCHING, August 19, 2015-
Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) has set up a Penan Education Fund, under the
umbrella of the Belaga Charitable Trust, to help financing studies and as incentives for school children of communities
in Belaga district.
The State’s energy provider has allocated a revolving
fund of RM200,000 to provide educational
assistance for Penan communities, including the six villages involved in the
Murum resettlement area and another other 19 Penan longhouses in the district.
James Masing (third right) receiving a RM200,000 cheque from Tortein to help the Penan school children to further their studies
The resettled Kenyah Badeng of Long Malim Kenyah will
also be eligible for this special fund.
SEB chief executive officer Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit had
presented a cheque for the amount to Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing, Minister
for Land Development and Chairman of Belaga Charitable Trust.
Torstein said the company was honoured to continue to
play a strong role in the future progress of the Belaga Penan community, by
empowering them through educational opportunities.
The fund provides academic incentive awards for primary
and secondary students, as financial aid for students pursuing higher learning
such as certificate, diploma, degree programmes or skill development training.
“Education makes a huge difference as to whether a
community progresses or not. It opens doors to opportunities, paves the way to
a good career and shapes character.
"SEB advocates sustainable development and we thank
the Belaga Charitable Trust Fund under Masing’s chairmanship for this platform to
build up knowledge and skills for the Penan community,” he said during the
call.
In building on this platform, SEB has worked with the
Department of Education to set up two primary schools in the Tegulang and
Metalun Resettlement Areas in Murum.
These currently have a total enrolment of 278 students
plus another 50 pre-school children attending classes at the two schools. The
company’s flagship Murum Penan Literacy Programme enabled over 300 adults to
undertake basic reading, writing and arithmetic.
SEB also supports Penan artisans in their craft making
and buys these handicrafts as the company’s corporate gifts, in its quest to
ensure the communities have a sustainable livelihood.
Torstein was accompanied by Peing Tajang, head of
Corporate Communications, Jiwari Abdullah, head of Corporate Social
Responsibility and Joanne Tan, manager for Social Investment.
Sarawak Energy focuses on four key CSR areas - education
and young people, community development and entrepreneurship, environmental management
and conservation and culture and heritage in order to meet the real needs of
the project affected communities.
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