Indigenous people in Malaysia were among those most severely affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO) implemented during the pandemic, as they ran out of food and lost their jobs. Even though local churches and NGOs raised funds to purchase and distribute food and sanitation items, these were insufficient to cover all the villages. Gereja Presbyterian Malaysia (GPM) supplemented this aid with the CWM Gift of Grace grant to provide for 12 villages, 154 families and more than 800 villagers from April to December last year.
During school closures, GPM set up learning centres in the church and indigenous villages, with computers, tablets and internet packages loaned or donated by individuals. Similarly, CWM’s COVID-19 Mission Initiative funds will be deployed for this initiative, as well as purchasing more equipment and providing internet access for youths.