KOTA BELUD: A community investment programme from Talisman Malaysia Limited, a subsidiary company of Canadian global oil and gas company Talisman Energy, touched the lives of some 60 thalassaemia children and their parents in this town yesterday.
The participants listened to talks from medical specialists dabbling in topics ranging from New Emerging Trends on Thalassaemia Control to Healthy Lifestyle and Good Nutritional Practice.
There was excitement when the topic on Career for Youths was presented while a First Person Experience by a thalassaemic graduate from University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) clearly gave the audience a huge testimony about fresh hopes for them.
Sabah Thalassaemia Society president Francis Mujim touched on the importance of parental and society support for thalassaemia children.
Lucky draws with mountain bikes, electrical items, power banks and bags of rice all added to the joy of the programme, which was aimed at promoting goodness, sharing lifestyle tips and fostering understanding in the community about thalassaemia patients.
It was more good news for the thalassaemia patients when 126 volunteers came forward to donate their blood in a campaign held simultaneously with the seminar.
Many present also took advantage of the free screening for thalassaemia conducted by the Kota Belud Hospital personnel.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Talisman Malaysia’s Kinabalu Asset Manager, Duncan Smart, stated that this programme represented an avenue for a continuous educational and awareness activity so that the families of these thalassaemia children and the community can build a better world for these young children.
He congratulated the Sabah Thalassaemia Society and its Kota Belud branch for their wholehearted commitment in the work that they do in enhancing and improving the quality of life for all thalassaemia patients and their parents.
“In Talisman, we believe that corporate responsibility needs to be part of our business operations. We are passionate about helping the local communities in which we do business.”
Focusing on the environment, education and health, Talisman Malaysia has covered a lot of ground in a short period of two years since its arrival in Sabah, collaborating with non-governmental organizations, UMS and schools in its community investment programmes.
Yesterday’s programme was also attended by some 100 senior secondary school students from the Kota Belud area, giving rapt attention to the career and motivational topics.
In launching the programme, Kota Belud assistant district officer Peter Jiton commended Talisman Malaysia Limited for its public spiritedness in helping the less fortunate in our society.
“They have been in Sabah for only two years but I am impressed at how much inroads they made so far in their social responsibility programmes,” he lauded.
Kota Belud Thalassaemia Society branch chairman Tuan Haji Abdullah Nawawi Ahmad was deeply appreciative of this caring gesture from Talisman Malaysia.
“We are always looking out for this kind of opportunity and we are pleased when Talisman came forward to sponsor this awareness and motivational programme,” he said.