Soroptimist International South West Pacific

In 2018, SIROM launched a project to bring clean water to rural communities in Sarawak and Sabah. The remote Penang village of Long Tanyit in Sarawak was selected for the pilot project as it had no access to clean water or sanitation, electricity, or access to internet. Clinics were located 8 hours by 4 -wheel drive vehicle from Bintulu. Logging and deforestation have polluted the river that runs beside the 3 longhouses that the 300 villagers call home.  With sponsorship from the SI President’s Appeal (2017-2019) a Rainwater Harvesting system and a small dam to provide a back-up gravity-fed source of clean were constructed.   6 +20 women were trained in organic farming methods. 

In 2021 floods devastated the village, farmlands and their food economy. Women were trained in alternative income ventures, and in climate resilience.  On 12-13 October, 2022 SIROM with support from Heineken Malaysia and Spark Foundation conducted a workshop for 15 women from Long Tanyit to educate them on flood risks and mitigation. The Director of DID (Drainage and Irrigation) Department, Sarawak, Ir Ahmad Denney bin Haji Ahmad Fauzi , was invited to provide the Keynote address while an Engineer from DID in KL gave a talk on risks of flooding and how to take precautions before, during and after floods.    Full story HERE