Society of Hope wants to be NGO of choice

KOTA KINABALU: The Society of Hope Sabah hopes it will be the non-governmental organisation (NGO) of choice if there is a company or organisation in the private sector that is looking to do a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. 

Speaking to reporters at the Chinese New Year charity dinner in aid of the Society, last Friday, its President Josephine Hadikusumo said: “We hope to be able to have the opportunity to collaborate with interested parties on the Society’s activities. We are a registered charity and all donations to the Society are tax exempted.” 

Asked whether she is looking to collaborate with other agencies, she said she looks forward to working with the private sector and governmental agencies to basically raise enough funds to fulfil the mission and objectives of The Society of Hope Sabah.

Hadikusumo added: “We welcome any collaboration with governmental bodies as well as from the private sector to realise the mission of The Society.”

Responding to a question on funding, the President said for The Society to give 10,000 school bags and stationery sets to children from B40 communities in Sabah this year, she would need RM300,000 because it costs RM30 per set, including the school bag.

“I don’t realistically foresee we could raise this amount in 2023 alone. If we are not able to reach this targeted sum, then this would be a stretch goal which we hope to achieve in 2024, overall.

“But, whatever little that we can raise, will go towards these efforts,” she said. Earlier, in her address at the event officiated by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, Hadikusumo said The Society’s big dream for 2023 is in line with the government’s “Sabah Maju Jaya” direction for the State’s development plan, towards assisting underprivileged communities, among other aspects.

“It is our desire to extend our ‘Jom Balik Sekolah’ programme this year to rural districts that have yet to be visited,” she said.

Last year, The Society of Hope Sabah was duly recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) for achieving the record of having distributed the most number of stationery sets to children in the country.

Between January and December 2022, The Society distributed 10,000 stationery sets to needy children from 80 schools in 20 districts, particularly in the interior parts of Sabah.