Waterful Sharing Campaign Alleviates Water Poverty in Malaysia

Naomi Yakawich
May 8, 2017

Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Malaysia and beauty company Laneige announced the launching of the Waterful Sharing fundraising campaign on April 17, following a full year of successful implementation of new water filtration systems assisting thousands of people in rural Malaysian villages starting in 2016.

GPF and volunteers for Waterful Sharing install village water filtration system

According to a 2015 report by UNICEF, 1 in every 3 people lack improved sanitation and 159 million people around the world still rely on surface water (e.g. rivers, lakes, ponds) for their survival. Water poverty remains a widespread issue across Malaysia, especially among the indigenous communities in remote areas.

The Waterful Sharing campaign is part of a community-wide effort to provide clean drinking and bathing water to villagers once plagued by water borne diseases. Dirty water is the cause of many illnesses, including cholera, dysentery and typhoid. Children who play, oftentimes without clothing, in dirt and nearby rivers return home with severe skin conditions that are only worsened by the inaccessibility to clean bathing water.

Manual filtration systems are time-consuming and cannot filter out microbial contaminants.  However, the technology provided by Laneige delivers a non-electric microfiltration system to effectively remove impurities. This solution is simple and does not require skilled manpower.

The program has already been successful in installing the ultrafiltration water system in Kampung Ulu Geruntum, Perak and Kampung Binjai, Pahang, and continues to make advances in several new villages with the incorporation of new award-winning Lifestraw technology.

Pastor Soulus (left) thanks GPF Malaysia representative Dr. Teh (right) for lifechanging water filtration technology improving his community

The Lifestraw Community Water Filter features a 50-liter tank with the capacity to filter 12 liters per hour completely free of chemicals and electricity, greatly benefiting scattered communities.

GPF Malaysia volunteers consistently visit Waterful villages for checkups and to determine opportunities for improvement. The innovative efforts of the volunteers who are part of Communities United for Pure water (CUP), an ongoing program of Global Peace Foundation Malaysia that partners with the Waterful Sharing campaign, not only contributes directly to addressing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but more importantly, includes GPF Malaysia volunteers in the process of becoming owners of the solution.

CUP volunteers who participate in SDGs workshops demonstrate how long term sustainability can be achieved when receivers of assistance become givers, contributing to the advancement of their local communities. Clean water means a healthier population and people capable of focusing on ways to improve the lives of their families, community, nation and world.

Villagers get water from new water filtration system installed by the volunteers of the Waterful Sharing Campaign

“This campaign isn’t just about us giving back to the society as this will be a collective effort,” said Laneige Manager Foong Winnie. “We are more than thrilled to work alongside with Global Peace Foundation Malaysia to help elevate the livelihood of the rural communities. This campaign is a part of our bigger cause to provide the underprivileged communities of Malaysia access to clean water.”

Laneige Malaysia and Global Peace Foundation Malaysia are both committed to the sustainability of the clean water campaign. The fundraising campaign will allow communities to resume the efforts of 2016, advancing previous water filtration systems to become faster and more efficient, and install new filtration systems in many rural communities still suffering from water poverty.

Laneige’s Beauty Roadshow will be held across Malaysia from May 8 onwards for the public to purchase products like the Water Sleeping Mask and build awareness for the campaign. GPF Malaysia is set to deliver water filters to new villages in July.

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