COVID-19 Initiatives 2022

In 2022, PPB collaborated with several organisations to contribute basic groceries for a period of three months to 12 welfare homes and over 5,100 recipients from the B40 group, orang asli, refugees, and migrants. The locations of the recipients were as follows:

In addition, the "Cooking for a Cause" Project involved staff from the Group cooking on-site at PPR Sri Sarawak and Rumah Panjang Ikan Emas, serving a combined total of 1,100 meals. The staff also packed and distributed 400 bags of essential food items sponsored by PPB for the needy.

Incepted in 2021, the "Support Lokal Entertainers" project aims to assist our local entertainers who were severely impacted by the pandemic due to repeated lockdowns and help them recover. In collaboration with GSC, PPB hired a total of 46 musicians to perform at Jin Gastrobar in Aurum Theatre every weekend from July to December 2022. This initiative enabled the musicians to earn some income and showcase their talents, and many were subsequently invited by Jin Gastrobar patrons to perform at other events/gigs.

PPB invested in a sustainable initiative by collaborating with PWD Smart FarmAbility Enterprise (PWD) and sponsoring 1,500 Hope Boxes in 2021. These organic regenerative vegetable terrariums are easy to harvest at home, fresh, and chemical-free, and aim to improve the nutrition intake of the needy. For over a year, most of the recipients continued to harvest organic vegetables for consumption. This demonstrates that the Hope Boxes have provided a steady supply of organic vegetables at their doorstep, reducing the financial burden of rising food prices.

In 2022, PPB continued to invest in sustainability by sponsoring five Satellite Farms for welfare homes and needy recipients in collaboration with PWD. The Satellite Farm is a symbiosis regenerative soil aquaponic system that allows recipients to harvest organic vegetables and fresh Tilapia fish for a more balanced diet, with the excess sold in their neighbourhoods, providing income opportunities for the homes.

The satellite farm comprises six growing towers with at least four types of regenerative organic vegetables (such as red watercress, sayur manis, and Brazilian spinach) and a canvas pond in the center that houses 100 Tilapia fish. The beneficiaries of the Satellite Farms were Pertubuhan Warga Emas Kenang Budi KL, En Yuan Old Folks Home Sg Way, Persatuan Kebajikan Kasih OKU Selangor, Pusat Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti (PDK) Semenyih, and a group of single mothers residing at PPR Pinggiran Bukit Jalil.

PPB sponsored 30 participants from the B40 community for a 6-day intensive sewing course facilitated by the Persatuan Seni Jahitan Kreatif Malaysia (PSJKM) for the second year. PSJKM is an NGO which empowers the needy with creative sewing and entrepreneurship skills.

After completion of their training, the participants were given a sewing machine and 6 months of mentorship. They also had an opportunity to learn and sell their handmade products at PSJKM’s Facebook Live sessions. Participants are encouraged to continue with the advanced sewing courses (also sponsored by PPB), to upskill their sewing techniques and create more varieties for their product catalogues. Many who had started without any sources of income, have now managed to earn an income by selling their handmade sewing products after completing the course.

During the pandemic, many from the B40 group were unemployed and found it difficult to earn a stable income due to limited employment opportunities. This sewing course has helped to empower the needy with sewing skills and upskill them for entrepreneurship, besides providing a side income to cover the rising cost of living.