The community in Batang Ai, the site of Sarawak’s first hydropower project will receive a special fund set up by Sarawak Energy to support the education needs of the youths.
For the education fund, Sarawak Energy presented a cheque of RM200, 000 to kick start the Batang Ai special fund which is managed by the Bakun Charitable Trust.
“This fund is a revolving fund where RM200, 000 will be given to the people of Batang Ai,” said Chairman of the Bakun Charitable Trust and Deputy Chief Minister YB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ceremony on December 4th.
“The organising chairman, YB Malcom Mussen will look for the beneficiary and they will give it to Bakun Charitable Trust where we endorse it,” he said adding that the special fund will start in 2018.
The special fund is dedicated in supporting the education needs of the youths in Batang Ai community for the attainment of educational qualifications to improve their employment prospects, contributing towards socio-economic progress of the rural community.
With ‘Education and young people’ as a key focus for Sarawak Energy’s social investment programmes, Group Chief Executive Officer Sharbini Suhaili said that they are committed to develop strategic initiatives and partnership that will help drive capability development in the state, especially in areas and for communities directly affected by Sarawak Energy projects.
The Batang Ai allocation will also be replenished yearly with the partnership to be reviewed after three years.
It aims to enhance the quality of primary and secondary learning in the area and motivate students to work towards and obtain tertiary education qualification for better employability.
The schools which stand to benefit the fund are SMK Lubok Antu, SK Nanga Delok, SK Ulu Engkari, SK Nanga Tibu, SK Sbangki, SK Skarok and SK Batang Ai. For tertiary education, the beneficiary communities consist of 48 longhouses from the resettled, host and upstream communities in Batang Ai.
