SEMPORNA MISSION JULY – Semporna, Malaysia 2023

Semporna, Sabah is home to many undocumented individuals. The lack of documentation among people in Semporna is rooted in a complex mix of historical migration, statelessness, cultural practices, poverty, and bureaucratic barriers. Stateless people in Semporna face several significant challenges due to their lack of legal status. Stateless individuals can only work in informal sectors, often in low-paying jobs, such as fishing, selling crafts, or doing manual labor.

• In July 2023, we went to Semporna to focus on addressing various socio-economic challenges faced by local and stateless communities.
• Many communities in Semporna face food insecurity due to poverty and limited access to stable employment.
• We visited Kg Batu, Kg Halo and Kg Perigi in Semporna to engage with the local community and did some distributions to help families in need.
• We have handed out 200 packs of food parcels that were packed by the helpful locals and 100 packs of happy kits (snacks, coloring kit) to the children.
• We also prepared 100 pcs of KFC fried chicken for kids feast and gave cash aid for the underprivileged families.

Our next project for Semporna is to build an alternative school for stateless children in Semporna, who do not have access to education due to their lack of documentation.