KUALA LUMPUR (May 3): Yayasan Hasanah, the social impact foundation of sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, marked a decade of philanthropy this week, reporting the disbursement of RM1.6 billion to date.

Announcing the launch of the 10th edition of The Hasanah Report 2023 on Monday, the foundation said it had reached 2.9 million people in Malaysia through its work in education, community development, arts, heritage and culture, environment and knowledge.

“As we looked back at the milestones achieved by our partners from all corners of Malaysia, a unifying theme emerged: the inspiring stories of trailblazers, stereotype-breakers and courageous dreamers,” said Datuk Shahira Ahmed Bazari, outgoing Trustee and Managing Director of Yayasan Hasanah.

The Blind Planters Programme in Terengganu is an example of the foundation’s transformational impact. Under the scheme, visually-impaired persons are trained to cultivate Terengganu Sweet Melons to generate income.

The initiative creates job opportunities for the blind, which can be scarce, the report notes, not only challenging the stigma around blindness but also broadening career options for the visually impaired.

Another story about livelihood involves the Temiar Orang Asli community in the Ulu Kinta Forest Reserve, some 30 minutes from Ipoh, Perak. With the help of Yayasan Hasanah and the Ministry of Finance, the Global Environment Centre supported the community Batin (chief) Che Wan in transforming the village into an eco-tourism destination, generating close to RM40,000 in revenue within seven months of its launch.

On a different note, ‘Drum Up JB!’ is one of the many projects supported by Arts for All Seasons, the country’s largest grant for the arts, powered by Yayasan Hasanah in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.

“We’re able to take a unique cultural heritage performance from the city, elevate it, commercialise it and ensure that it’s sustainable so that the local arts and cultural performers have a livelihood,” co-producer Lee Sheah Liang is quoted as saying in the report.

To a question from the media at a lunch event before the launching of the report, Shahira, whose nine-year stint at the foundation ended on May 1, said that she will return to Khazanah Nasional Bhd.