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4th November, 2008
KOTA KINABALU: Raleigh International got a boost from Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Peter Pang when he visited its community project in Kg Mananam in Tongod.
The visit was Peter’s first opportunity to see a Raleigh project in action and speak to members of the community, project partners and Raleigh staff and participants who were involved in the project which including Pacos Trust.
The minister toured the village and viewed parts of the gravity water feed system, including a working faucet at one of the homes in the village.
The working faucet is a result of three weeks of hard work by the Raleigh group of volunteers, Pacos and the villagers themselves.
The work involved creating a dam at the source, installing storage tanks and laying and connecting approximately 4km of pipes from the source into 18 homes with existing taps.
“The progress of the gravity water feed here illustrates how successful Raleigh is providing valuable support to the community – both through the project itself as well as the cultural exchange,” he said.
The gravity water feed system in Kampung Mananam is one of the five projects currently underway on the Raleigh Borneo 08H expedition.
Together with Pacos, the community of Kampung Mananam and sponsored by HSBC, Raleigh aims to complete the project in mid-November. The new water feed will supplement the current water source of rain water and will provide clean, safe water to the community.
In addition to the gravity water feed system, the Raleigh participants are actively building relationships with the community at Kg. Mananam.
They are teaching English lessons regularly at the school and local homes, coaching athletics to the local school children, participating in community football matches and decorating the new school building with colourful murals.
“This successful project of Kg. Mananam is exactly what Raleigh is about,” stated Raleigh Borneo country director, Jim Clements.
“Our expeditions are designed to challenge young people and to introduce them to new environments and cultures. Raleigh provides its participants with the opportunities to develop confidence and new skills to work with communities here in Sabah and use the experience they gain to continue their active involvement in their own countries when they return to their homes following the expedition.”
Peter also announced a grant of RM20 000 to fund the cost of improving the declining youth community hall.
He also said, “I hope the youth of this village will have a better infrastructure to have their activities and make use of it.”
Also present were Kuamut assemblyman Masiung Banah, district officer Daudi Goroh, and Permanent Secretary of Ministry Youth & Sport, Michael Emban.
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