Sime Darby Property Berhad, through its philanthropic arm, Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD), has provided back-to-school aid to 1,755 students in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.
The partnership between YSD and Sime Darby Property is in areas of mutual interest under the foundation’s five pillars namely Community & Health, Education, Sports, Arts & Culture and Environment.
The programme kicked off in February with the distribution of school bags, personal hygiene items and vouchers to purchase school supplies to 647 students from four schools in Taman Melawati, Gombak, Kajang and Subang Jaya.
The distribution of aid for the remaining students in Labu, Seremban, Pasir Gudang and Muar is underway.
“Education is one of YSD’s largest focus areas and we are determined to continue our support for underprivileged students, so they may concentrate on academics without worrying about school supplies.
“We are thankful to Sime Darby Property for its continuous support in ensuring the well-being of the community, as well as creating opportunities for our partnership to make a positive impact in its townships,” said YSD chief executive officer Dr. Yatela Zainal Abidin.
Sime Darby Property group managing director Dato’ Azmir Merican said the group is committed to creating communities that are conducive for the growth of future generations.
“Our collaborations with YSD centre on the same ideals and allow us to reach communities that can benefit from the assistance. We will continue to engage with our communities with meaningful activities that are beneficial for the children,” he said.
The YSD Back-To-School programme, which began in 2013, aims to alleviate the financial burden of B40 families by providing school supplies for their children.
This initiative is part of Sime Darby Property’s corporate social responsibility commitment with the support of more than 800 employee volunteers.
The volunteers have also distributed care packages to 341 senior citizens, 120 orphaned children, 22 individuals with disabilities and 72 intellectually disabled orphans at nine charitable homes in the Klang Valley, in conjunction with the recent festive celebrations.
On top of providing these school supplies, YSD, through its ongoing flood relief initiatives, has extended support with the provision of computers and furniture to affected schools across Malaysia.
