Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September 3, 2024 — Caltex Malaysia has gained remarkable success for their Caltex Fuel Your School™ social investment programme in Johor recently.
In collaboration with the MyKasih Foundation, a non-profit organisation with a mission to help impoverished families and students, the social investment programme positively impacted 15 underprivileged schools in Muar and Segamat and are aiming to expand to the East Coast region.
The Caltex Fuel Your School programme tackles key challenges faced by communities by reigniting student interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). It also promotes food security and sustainable agriculture in schools and communities, while simultaneously encouraging the development of critical 21st century learning skills. This multifaceted approach empowers future generations and strengthens the communities where Caltex operates.
Among the schools in the Muar and Segamat districts in Johor that benefitted were SK Paya Jakas and SK Temiang, which first piloted the project. SK Parit Pechah, SJK (C) Yu Eng, SK Kuala Paya, SJK (T) Ladang Voules, SK Sawah Baru, and 8 other schools received the same significant support and resources through the programme.
These schools were adopted by local Caltex service stations and were awarded a smart aquaponics system each for students to learn the ropes of innovative agricultural technologies whilst becoming active agents in bolstering the nation’s food security. Each school received essential tools and seeds to cultivate their own crops on school premises. Through the smart aquaponics setup, these schools were able to grow vegetables and rear fish through a symbiotic farming ecosystem, complete with delivery, installation and training.
As a result, the initial stage of the initiative yielded a collective total of 142 kgs worth of vegetables harvested from 12 out of the 15 schools for the first half of 2024. These fresh produce contributions have significantly bolstered the schools’ food programmes, positively impacting 2,411 indirect beneficiaries. Some of the beneficiaries include board members of the schools, teachers, students, canteen operators, school employees or sold at an affordable price to members of the school. A variety of vegetables were grown including Hong Kong Choy Sum, Wong King Pak Choy, Ma Yee Pak Choy, and Okras which took a total of 6 weeks to grow from seedling to harvest.
Following this successful pilot, Caltex is announcing the expansion of the programme to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, fostering educational enrichment for schools, students, parents, teachers, and the schools’ employees.
“It’s been proven time and time again that the Caltex Fuel Your School programme has seen many successful outcomes that benefit schools and inspire students for a brighter future. We have seen how the smart aquaponics systems have created a sustainable cycle to serve the community, especially those in the B40 category,” expressed Dean Gilbert, Country Chairman of Caltex Malaysia.
He added, “This is a significant milestone for these schools, particularly low-enrolment institutions where Caltex sees potential in nurturing students with STEM learning. We recognise the need for programs that help the communities in which we serve, and we are grateful to the MyKasih Foundation and the schools for the opportunity to realise this project.”
Seeing the positive impact the initiative has created, SK Seri Menanti, Muar Principal, Puan Tuminah Binti Disun, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the Caltex Fuel Your School programme.
“On behalf of the school, we are grateful for the opportunity to conduct this programme with our students. Our students were able to adopt an out-of-classroom learning through STEM, which is highly beneficial to their learning to understand more about food security and consumption beyond classroom learning. We have seen how the exposure to experience theory and practical aspects about aquaponics have piqued their interest to cultivate agriculture without pesticides. This has since fostered healthier eating habits among the students, which has extended to their own families and within the school community at large,” shared Puan Tuminah Binti Disun, Principal of SK Seri Menanti, Muar.
“There has been a clear impact from this initiative, as the aquaponics programme has positively contributed additional encouragement for our students to attend school in high spirits. Secondly, the funds raised from the selling of these crops have allowed the school to grow even more crops and fishes, which are channelled towards the school funds. Through STEM learning, we do see its benefits especially for students who are struggling in class, who have taken great interest in learning more about agriculture,” said Nor Hazlina Binti Hassan, Student Affairs Senior Assistant Teacher of SK Kampung Paya Besar, Segamat.
Phase 2 of the Caltex Fuel Your School programme aims to continue the adoption of schools in the East Coast region of the Peninsula and promote involvement within the communities. This represents a significant step towards a more sustainable and education-focused future for Malaysian communities, ensuring that the benefits of this programme reach even more schools and communities across Malaysia.
For more information about Caltex and Fuel Your School, visit www.caltex.com/my/about-us/community-partnership.html
