GAB Foundation Rebranded to SPARK, for Greater Change

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Increased focus on fostering strategic partnerships and empowering millennials in the areas of environmental conservation and education to bring upon greater change.

18 January 2018, Kuala Lumpur – After ten years of continuously enriching communities in Malaysia, the former GAB Foundation presents its new identity—SPARK Foundation. The Foundation, which was established to support corporate social responsibility activities for HEINEKEN Malaysia, comes with a renewed vision to grow with local communities in the areas of environmental conservation and education through strategic partnerships for a better tomorrow.

Tan Sri Saw Choo Boon, Chairman of SPARK Foundation, highlighted the new focus towards developing strategic partnerships. “We believe in the power of collaboration as effective change does not happen in isolation. Our W.A.T.E.R Project and English Enrichment Training Programme are exemplary programmes, evident that smart partnerships entail sustainable positive impact.”

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Renuka Indrarajah, Trustee of the SPARK Foundation and Corporate Affairs and Legal Director of HEINEKEN, added, “Key successes in the last 10 years for the W.A.T.E.R Project include transforming water quality of Sungei Way from Class IV-V to Class III and establishing River Care communities along 5 rivers in Malaysia – Sungei Way, Sungai Penchala, Sungai Senam, Sungai Buntong, Sungai Kledang. In addition, the English Enrichment Training Programme reaches out to educators in 7 states. More than 465 educators from 230 schools were trained over the last 6 years.”

With the recent and alarming study of the deficiency of global water supply by 2030, the SPARK Foundation places water and river conservation as one of its core pillars. “In Malaysia, more than 90% of our water supply comes from rivers, yet only 58% of our rivers remain clean. We hope to get other like-minded partners on board to ignite greater change. Through innovation and passion of our people and communities, most importantly millennials, we can spark a change for a better environment”, stated Tan Sri Saw Choo Boon.

The Foundation will focus on four core strategies as its way forward for the W.A.T.E.R project. It will promote the use of water conservation technologies to reduce stress on rivers, enhance improvement of wastewater management on project site, partner with relevant government agencies for the River of Life Public Outreach programme and empower stakeholders on project sites, especially millennials. The project sites are Sungai Penchala, areas in need East Malaysia, and Sungai Selangor in the pipeline. The Foundation will continue to provide future generations access to learning opportunities and invest in education-based projects across the nation.

Renuka Indrarajah spoke of the iconic brewery’s significant connection to the SPARK Foundation via its sustainability strategy, Brewing a Better World (BaBW). “One of the six pillars of our BaBW strategy is growing with communities. This is the mission of the SPARK Foundation, and this is why the company has committed more than RM16 million over the last 10 years, and will continue to support its activity with additional RM1.5 million for this year” she said.

PRESS RELEASE

With the official launch of the SPARK Foundation, members of the public can now sign up as volunteers or become a partner via the SPARK Foundation’s website www.sparkfoundation.com.my

SPARK Foundation has released a compelling 1-minute #betheSPARKnow video to give the cause a supporting voice, featuring notable names Zher Peen, emcee and content creator, Ryan Matjeraie, radio host & content creator, and Alena Murang, indigenous artist, musician and cultural activist.

Watch and share the #betheSPARKnow video 

Watch and share the SPARK Foundation video

Download the online SPARK Foundation launch press kit at: bit.ly/SPARKFoundation 

SPARK a change by signing up now as a partner in www.sparkfoundation.com.my 

#betheSPARKnow

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