15 April 2013, Sabah – Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad’s ongoing effort in supporting rural development is made evident once again, through the launch of a kindergarten in Kg. Bonor, Sook – one of the most remote village in Sabah – which is situated within the Keningau district.The pre-school facility is Nestlé’s tenth kindergarten project with partner Raleigh International, a UK-based educational development charity that strives to help people from diversified backgrounds and cultures discover their full potential. It will support the pre-school education of 17 local children, aged between three to six years.
The villagers, who are of Murut ethnicity, were excited with the construction of the structure, as it will also double up as a community learning centre to accommodate additional education sessions for the adults in the evening such as, traditional culture learning, agriculture and more.
“Nestlé believes that access to pre-school education is important, as a good foundation will shape and set the path for children. With this new kindergarten, the children of this community now have a more conducive learning facility, which we hope will help them excel in their studies,” said Ms. Immy Ooi Lay Imm, Nestlé Malaysia’s Corporate Responsibility Manager, at the launch event.
“This initiative is also in line with our business philosophy of Creating Shared Value, which states that in order for us to create long-term value for shareholders, we have to create value for the society that we operate in,” Ooi added.
Funded and equipped by Nestlé, the construction of the kindergarten was completed in 10 weeks, with the help of 45 young Raleigh volunteers and some of the local villagers.
Supporting this project was PACOS Trust – an organisation dedicated towards supporting indigenous communities in Sabah – who provided assistance with the initial planning stages of the project, which included assessment of the village and also in identifying and training the teachers to ensure the sustainability of the project.
Apart from financial support to fund the construction of the kindergarten, Nestlé also provided the team with Nestlé products throughout the expedition.