As countries in South East Asia seek clearer skies and clean air, the haze situation is progressively getting worse. Before it is too late, local e-commerce giants, MyDeal and Living Social are working hand in hand with some of the most active fire prevention and firefighting organizations in the region to make a difference.
MyDeal.com.my and Living Social Malaysia, subsidiaries of iBuy Group, will offer an outlet for its customers in Malaysia to make a donation in support of the battle against haze through their platforms.
The funds raised will go towards helping organizations that are currently involved in fire prevention and firefighting efforts in Indonesia such as the Center for International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatland (CIMTROP) and the Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project (OuTrop) in the Sabangau area, Friends of the National Parks Foundation (FNPF) in Tanjung Puting, and International Animal Rescue (IAR) in the Ketapang and Pontianak areas.
Other organizations that will benefit from the funds raised includes the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) and Yayasan Orangutan Sumatera Lestari – Orangutan Information Centre (YOSL – OIC) which are involved in protecting orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra respectively, as well as Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI), a non-profit organization that dovetails environmental & human health in rural Indonesia. The coalition of organizations is being coordinated by the New York-based Orangutan Outreach (OO).
Patrick Linden, Co-Founder and CEO, iBuy Group added, “The haze is a result of a much larger problem – slash and burn tactics adopted by land owners and companies, and the burning of agricultural waste. Fortunately, there is a coalition of organizations on the frontline that are working together with local communities to protect large remote areas in Borneo and Sumatra from devastating forest fires by patrolling forest and peat swamps there, that will burn, if left unattended.”
“We will engage our extensive customer base to garner support to fund their meaningful efforts to nip the haze problem at the root, by preventing the burning from starting in the first place, as well as to fight the fires. There is no better way to reach out to the masses than MyDEAL.com.my and LivingSocial.com, which serves thousands of customers on a daily basis,” he added.
MyDeal.com.my and Living Social Malaysia customers can select from two options where customers are able to donate RM10 or RM20 towards different causes, such as supporting the firefighting patrols, funding firefighting training and equipment, or even prevention of poaching of animals.
Log into Mydeal.com.my and Livingsocial.com to make a difference by sending your donations for the fight against haze. Your generous contribution will make a great difference in our aim to eradicate the haze epidemic.