Living life without proper supply of water is hard. But many Malaysians are not aware of that and some still take their supply for granted.
For villagers in the remote interior of Sabah, having fresh water requires an arduous daily journey.
However, thanks to Raleigh International and the Coca Cola Company, clean water is now flowing from the taps of two more remote villages in the Kota Marudu district.
For more than three weeks, Raleigh volunteers from diverse countries such as Britain and Malaysia spent their days at the settlements constructing a network of dams and pipes so that the villagers could enjoy clean water supply.
The two latest beneficiaries of the project were Kampung Bombong Tiga and Kampung Monguwou, both located in the Kota Marudu/Pitas region of Sabah, approximately four hours’ drive from Kota Kinabalu.
It was learned that the population of both settlements comprised of over 100 people living in 30 households. They were of the Dusun Kimaragang ethnicity.
The project, which started in July as part of Raleigh Borneo’s latest expedition, employed a team of local and international volunteers to build a gravity water-feed system, using a natural water source to bring water directly to the villages.
In 2002, as part of a larger community development initiative, the government installed a gravity feed-water system for the community but, as indicated by the villagers, the system was incomplete and several houses were deprived of water.
It was learnt that a proper dam was not constructed and there were no tanks.
One of the two Raleigh Borneo teams, Alpha Seven, was then dispatched to Kampung Bombong Tiga and they began constructing a new dam and installed the necessary plumbing and tanks at the current water source.
Aside from that, they also built another dam and installed storage tanks to supply a smaller group of houses located a kilometer away from the main community to ensure that every household has access to water.
The second team, Alpha Eight, was sent to Kampung Monguwou and they successfully identified a suitable and clean water source located up on the hillside.
The volunteers then constructed a dam, laid the piping down the hill, through the community, and installed the tanks for the gravity feed-water system.
In the process of building the water supply system, the volunteers have managed to carve out a place for themselves among villagers in both settlements.
For first time volunteers like Ng Chiun Min, who was born and bred in the city, the expedition has been an eye-opener.
“I have learnt many valuable lessons here and intrinsic values such as teamwork and the importance of making a difference to the less fortunate,” the 20-year-old told the New Straits Times.
Sharing his experiences, he said that it took him nearly three days to get himself accustomed to the condition of the village.
“I never knew that their world was so different and one of the many things I will miss about the village is the starry nights and its serenity.”
Ng was part of the Alpha Eight team.
Raleigh medical staff and project manager of Alpha Seven, Dr Gihan Ganesh from Cambridge, United Kingdom, said the experiences he gained has been valuable.
“Being able to teach the team about community work and most importantly team work, this has been a very fantastic experience.
“It was also an amazing opportunity as we managed to help the local community by providing an important basic necessity for them.”
Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola Company has also pledged another US$47,000 (RM148,708) to the “Clean Water For Communities” project for another two years, bringing the total funding by the beverage company to RM386,008.
The project aims to bring water to a total of 20 communities by the end of 2011 through the completion of more water projects for rural communities in the interior of Sabah.
Coca-Cola Malaysia public affairs and communications director Mohamed Kadri Mohamed Taib said: “By providing these rural communities with a proper water supply, one of life’s basic needs, we are bringing a lifeline to a sustainable community, a more optimistic future and reducing the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation.”
Previous villages that have benefited from the project include Kampung Himbaan, Kampung Kemborongoh, Kampung Linapasan and Kampung Mohimboyon.
