CSR Change with Hopes Malaysia & Heineken Cares: Transforming Rural Sabah Together

At Hopes Malaysia, we believe Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is more than just giving back — it’s about creating lasting, sustainable change in communities that need it most.

Through the Heineken Cares programme, in collaboration with SPARKS Foundation and Sokong, we have been able to bring transformative change to hundreds of families in rural Kota Belud, Sabah. Together, we’ve addressed urgent needs, strengthened livelihoods, and empowered communities to thrive independently.

Here’s how our journey with Heineken Cares has made a difference over the years.

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2021: FOOD AID PROGRAMME

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, food security became a major challenge. We partnered with Heineken Malaysia to launch a food aid programme that sourced fresh produce directly from our rural project farmers in Kota Belud.

This not only provided 260 vulnerable beneficiaries — including residents from 7 welfare centres and 20 underprivileged families — with healthy, locally grown food, but also gave farmers a steady source of income during difficult times.

Impact in numbers:

• 11,475 kg of fresh local produce delivered

• 4 months of continuous support

• Zero food waste by connecting farmers’ produce directly to those in need

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2022: GRAVITY WATER PROJECT FOR FOOD SECURITY— KAMPUNG PINOLOBUH

In 2022, our CSR collaboration empowered the Kampung Pinolobuh community to rebuild their future through two impactful phases:

Phase 1: Water Access Restored — 1,045 villagers worked together to repair their leaking, outdated gravity-fed water system.

Rural villagers transporting water pipes together to project site.

Rural villagers working together to unroll water pipes.

Overview of rural villagers working together to transport the water pipes

Rural villagers carrying water pipes uphill.

With the new gravity water connection, families can now fill their ponds to rear fish

With fish, families now have a sustainable source of protein for better nutrition.

Phase 2: Farming for Food Security — 30 families were equipped with the skills, tools, and knowledge to start small-scale farming, ensuring they could produce their own vegetables for a healthier, more secure future.

Empowering rural families with the skills and knowledge to grow their own vegetables.

Guiding families on setting up farm nets to protect crops from pests.

Rural farmer proudly stands among her raised beds, filled with vegetables she grew herself.

Rural farmer proudly holding her freshly harvested long beans grown in her own garden

Rural farmer and her freshly harvested vegetables

Farmer harvesting fresh vegetables from her raised garden bed.

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2023: SUSTAINABLE GRAVITY WATER PROJECT — KAMPUNG KIAU TABURI

Kampung Kiau Taburi, home to 1,050 villagers from over 200 B40 families, had no access to public water supply for decades before the water project. With the support of Heineken Cares, over 40 dedicated villagers volunteered their time and energy to restore the community’s gravity-fed water system.

Villagers celebrate their successful water connection, with pipes now overflowing with water.

Villagers connecting water pipes to the community water tank.

Villagers work together to unroll water pipes, preparing them for transport to the project site.

Villagers work together to position the water tank for their new community water system.

Villagers cement the slab foundation to securely place their community water tank.

Villagers with their completed cement slab for the new community water tank.

The upgraded system now includes HDPE centralised water tanks, improving storage efficiency and sanitation. Most importantly, the villagers can now maintain and repair the system themselves, ensuring long-term sustainability.

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2024: SUSTAINABLE GRAVITY WATER PROJECT—KAMPUNG NAGARAI TUGUSON

Our most recent CSR collaboration expanded its sustainable efforts by repairing and reconstructing the outdated and damaged gravity-fed water system in the remote Kampung Nagarai Tuguson, which provides sustainable clean water to over 210 villagers from 41 struggling B40 families.

Rolls of water pipes ready at the community site prepared for their gravity water project.

Villager carrying water pipes through the forest to the project site for the gravity water project.

Villager transporting a water tank to the project site for the community’s gravity water system

Villagers connecting water pipes for the community’s gravity-fed water supply project.

Villagers working together to carry water pipes to the gravity-fed water project site.

Villagers unrolling water pipes for their community’s gravity-fed water project.

By May 2025, the newly repaired and connected gravity-fed system was fully operational, delivering uninterrupted clean water from the catchment to the main storage tank — a game-changer for the community’s daily life, health, and farming potential.

The gravity water projects align with crucial United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), including SDG 1, 3, 6, 10, & 17.

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2025 & Onwards

The projects under this program have managed to touch more than 2,500 lives in rural Sabah so far, and with continuous communities reaching out to Hopes Malaysia for assistance, this impact is set to increase even more.

“We have many more rural communities which need help from our projects. Hopes Malaysia is excited to continue expanding this sustainable work with our like-minded CSR sponsorship partners under Heineken Cares, empowering those in need for years to come.” — Aaron Bosuang, Public Relations Personnel, Hopes Malaysia.

In this life-changing journey with Heineken Cares, we are empowering families to not just survive, but thrive!

Ready to make a difference and show your CARE? Click the button below to explore our CSR partnership packages or make a direct donation to support ongoing projects in rural Malaysia.

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