Helping Malaysia Indigenous People (Orang Asli)

Evofarm is a new start up agricultural farm located in Kampung Sungai Kerak, Jerantut, Pahang. During the initial startup, I did have an opportunity to talk to an indigenous people also known as “Orang Asli” from Padang Piol. Orang Asli is a minority group in Malaysia who are unique from other races especially in cultural heritage, religion, socioeconomic, and beliefs. Most of them still live in primitive environment with poor health and education services, lack social development and they are the financially disadvantaged community. Orang Asli community have a low quality of life as a consequence of being fully reliant on traditional socioeconomic resources. These rural socioeconomic activities lead them to live in isolated and countryside areas that are near to their resources.

From our conversation, she mentioned that they are facing some difficultly to have a work opportunity whenever an employer get to know that they are Orang Asli. This really caught my attention and I felt empathy, as it is very unfair to these minority ethic group. Initially, I do not have any plan to employ any Orang Asli. In addition, I only plan to start up with one worker with limited capital that I have. In the conversation, she also begging me to provide working opportunities for herself, as well as her friends. I wish I can help but I really cannot do much with limited capital especially there will not have any crop within the first nine months.

In order for me to provide more working opportunities to this minority ethnic group without any crops, I have come across to these crowdfunding that might be helpful. On top of providing working opportunities, I wish to build a small house inside the farm which can provides them a place to rest. In fact, it is not merely a working opportunity to them, it is a place for them to learn from land preparation, planting, fertilizing up to harvesting. The knowledge they gained from the farm will definitely help them to have better career path, as well as improve their lifestyle.

As an appreciation to whom supporting this campaign, I pledge to provide not less than 50% of working opportunities in the next five years to these minority ethic group as long as my business is running well. On top of it, there are some token of appreciations will be given to Malaysian donors as below;

< USD 15: Appreciation List & Thank You Card

>= USD 15: Appreciation List & Vegetables Gift Box worth RM 20

>= USD 25: Appreciation List & Vegetables Gift Box worth RM 30

>= USD 50: Appreciation List & Vegetables Gift Box worth RM 60

>= USD 75: Appreciation List & Vegetables Gift Box worth RM 100

>= USD 100: Appreciation List & Vegetables Gift Box worth RM 120

>= USD 125: Appreciation List & Vegetables Gift Box worth RM 150

* Appreciation list will be published in EvoFarm's Facebook and LinkedIn page after the campaign.

* Vegetables Gift Box will be distributed in between July to September 2021.

* Vegetables Gift Box will be replaced with equal value shopping vouchers for Malaysian donors outside Klang Valley and Pahang.