Connect Sabah Rural Lives with Natural Water Supply To Resolve Rural Water Crisis

Access to Clean Water: A Basic Human Right

In Sabah, many rural communities face chronic water scarcity due to the challenging mountainous terrain. This lack of access to clean water profoundly affects daily life, leading to health issues, disrupted education, and limited economic opportunities, perpetuating cycles of poverty.

Rural families endured dangerous treks to collect water from rivers.

Rural roads are challenging, with uneven terrain and limited access, especially in the rainy season.

Families relied on unsustainable sources or head to rivers to collect water for daily use.

Access to clean water is not just essential—it’s a fundamental human right. Our water project focuses on addressing the critical water crisis in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia, home to 74 poverty-stricken villages with over 100,000 residents, predominantly from the Kadazandusun ethnic group. These rural communities have faced public water supply disconnection since the 1960s due to geographical challenges.

Sabah’s Rural Water Challenges

Did you know that many rural villages in Sabah have relied on natural water sources like mountain streams, underground water, and rainwater for decades?

Check out this video of Puan Neiiti from Tinata Nuluhon village as she shares her personal experience and the water struggles faced by her community.

During extreme droughts, they face severe water scarcity, forcing them to buy costly water or travel long distances to fetch water, adding to their financial and physical burdens. With no access to public water supply, families often spend up to RM 500 per month on water from distant towns—an unsustainable burden for households already struggling with poverty.

For the village that using the gravity water system - the aging pipelines, built decades ago, are no longer sufficient for the growing population, with many deteriorated and broken, leaving these communities without solutions to daily water challenges.

This challenge extends beyond individuals; entire villages lack the resources and means to implement long-term solutions on their own. How can rural communities thrive without a stable and accessible water supply?

Our Solution: Sustainable Gravity Water Systems

To address these challenges, our team conducts thorough assessments, including site visits, interviews, and condition verification.

Discussing efficient gravity water system integration with community members at the catchment area.

Villagers showing their old, broken pipes that have disrupted the community's water supply.

June discussing water solutions and system integration with community members at the catchment.

Hopes Malaysia team visiting a rural village's water catchment.

Engaging with community members to understand their water challenges and explore solutions.

Sam checking the water levels in the community's tank before project execution.

We venture into the jungle to inspect water catchment areas and identify sustainable water sources that can withstand even drought seasons. Using GPS mapping, we design efficient pipeline layouts, ensuring proper elevation and distance to channel mountain water to the village.

Why Gravity Water Systems?

Gravity-fed water systems are a cost-effective, low-maintenance and most sustainable solution. These systems channel mountain water from uphill sources to downhill communities, spanning distances of 3 to 10 kilometers.

Rural villager connecting the water pipes together.

Happy villagers celebrating their successful gravity water connection, with pipes overflowing.

Water pipe channels mountain water from uphill sources down to households, ensuring a steady supply

With the gravity water system in place, villagers can enjoy a consistent water flow to their homes.

Key benefits include:

• Low Maintenance: Once installed, these systems can be managed independently by villagers.

• Cost-Effective: Using natural gravity eliminates the need for expensive energy sources.

• Empowering Communities: Villagers unite to install and maintain the system, fostering ownership and self-reliance.
  

With years of experience, we guide villagers to work together to build and maintain their water systems, eliminating the need for contractors and ensuring the community retains full ownership.

A rural woman assisting in pulling the water pipe during water project execution.

Villagers working together to transport the water pipes.

Villagers, young and old, working together to carry the water pipes.

Rural children assisting their community in carrying pipes during the water project execution.

Rural villagers building a sedimentation tank to store and filter water efficiently.

Rural villagers securing the water pipes with ties to ensure stability.

Rural villagers working together to move the water tank into place.

Villagers building the base to stabilize and support the water tank for long-term use.

Villagers connecting the pipes to the water tank.

Watch the video below to see how the community came together to lay the lengthy HDPE pipeline from uphill to downhill. With narrow jungle paths and most of the pipeline route inaccessible by vehicles, the families united to tackle the challenge and got the job done themselves.

Join Us: Bring Clean Water to Rural Sabah

We invite you to support our campaign to provide clean, life-changing water solutions to Sabah’s rural communities. Your contributions will support the installation of gravity water systems in identified villages by covering a portion of the essential costs for our ongoing or new projects, including HDPE pipelines, centralized water tanks, piping accessories, materials for mini dams, cement slabs, and transportation. For villages with existing systems, funds will go towards repairs, replacing broken pipes, and restoring uninterrupted water flow.

The Ripple Effect: Unlocking Rural Potential

Solving the water crisis is the first step toward sustainable development. Access to clean water enables rural communities to explore further opportunities, such as:

• Sustainable Farming: Grow diverse crops to ensure food security.

• Fish Farming: Provide additional protein sources for households.

• Economic Growth: Reduce living costs and unlock opportunities for a brighter future.

  
  

Puan Maria with her farm full of blooming vegetables.

A rural farmer watering crops using the gravity water supply.

With a steady water supply, families can clean their household stuff without buying water.

With a steady water supply at home, villagers can now wash their clothes without going to the river.

Families can now rear their own fish for better protein intake.

A rural farmer at her farm, surrounded by self-grown vegetables and a fish pond/

By securing a clean water supply, we empower Sabah’s rural communities to break free from the cycle of poverty and build resilience for generations to come.

How You Can Help

Your continued support is vital in reaching more villages. Donations will cover essential costs, including:

• Purchasing HDPE pipelines and fittings.

• Transportation of materials to remote villages.

• Repair and maintenance of existing systems.

Take Action Today

Help us transform lives by providing a sustainable, life-changing water solution to rural communities in Sabah. Together, we can ensure no rural family goes without water supply.