The 26-year-old doctor who graduated from the National Defence University of Malaysia told FMT she discovered their plight during her internship in Hospital Tapah.
“It’s still a huge problem in the community, so, in March last year, I started ‘4Them’, an advocacy and charity project that focuses on the nutrition and health issues in the Orang Asli community.”
After winning the beauty title in October last year, she elevated the project to an international level under the “beauty with a purpose” segment, which aims to empower beauty pageant contestants to make concrete and lasting contributions to those in underserved communities.
Originally scheduled for December 2021 in Puerto Rico, the event is to take place in March this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malnutrition
According to Lavanya, the impact of malnutrition is more severe in children as it hinders their physical and mental development.
In fact, studies show that Orang Asli children are six to eight times more likely to die compared to other Malaysian children, because of malnutrition. Oftentimes, they are unable to cope with even “simple” health issues like diarrhoea and pneumonia due to chronic malnourishment.
“Poverty remains the main cause. There’s this misconception that they don’t have adequate knowledge about nutrition, but that’s not the case,” she pointed out, adding that the loss of their homes due to logging and river pollution have cost them their natural sources of protein.
No longer able to observe their traditional way of life once resettled in cities, many resort to consuming processed and sugary foods, which make them more susceptible to diabetes and heart trouble.
“Then there’s the fact that a lot of the food aid that they receive consists of food and drinks that are non-nutritious and high in sugar,” she told FMT.
According to Projek Asal, a community organisation that aims to empower the Orang Asli, the indigenous mothers in Royal Belum still use sweetened condensed milk as a milk substitute for their children.
“It’s a lot cheaper, and when diluted, a tin could last for about a month,” she said.
‘4Them’
The Instagram account of ‘4Them’ is a good source of information for those wishing to learn more about the health issues plaguing the Orang Asli community.
“My main goal is to create awareness. We are in collaboration with several NGOs that have been working with the Orang Asli community for many years, such as Projek Asal and the Global Peace Foundation,” she said, adding that she also works with ‘Doctors on Ground’, who are setting up healthcare facilities for the Orang Asli community in Hulu Langat.
‘4Them’ has already carried out a number of projects despite being less than a year old. “We’ve done three fundraising activities with a social enterprise called ‘SERUM’ to provide hygiene kits to the community.
They have also collaborated with Projek Asal and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society to conduct workshops on first aid, nutrition and hygiene.
Just recently, ‘4Them’ collaborated with healthy snack bar company, “Eat For Good” to make energy bars for undernourished Orang Asli kids. “We want to try and make this sustainable in the long run so the children can get them on a monthly basis.”
Despite all she’s achieved, it hasn’t been smooth sailing. She said that it was initially difficult to get access to the Orang Asli villages. “They are a very close-knit community, and they are quite shy of people they are not familiar with. You have to earn their trust.”
She said more representation was needed for Orang Asli in various fields so they could make informed decisions and exercise better control over what’s happening in their community.
She also said stereotypes and biases towards the community still existed, proof of an obvious lack of sensitivity and respect for them.
“They highlighted that a lot of us still use the terms ‘jakun’ and ‘sakai’ in a derogatory manner even though the former refers to a subtribe of the Orang Asli community.”
How the public can help support
Lavanya said she’d like to see more Malaysians either volunteer with her team or support the many initiatives by organisations like Projek Asal and The Asli Co.
“We are also selling naturally dyed t-shirts handmade by a Mah Meri couple, which you can purchase through our Instagram account.”
Through her work with ‘4Them’, she has gained invaluable insight into the Orang Asli’s culture, traditions and lifestyle.
“I hope we can get even more people who are committed to the cause so we can expand our reach and impact. My dream is to witness change in the community.”
Follow ‘4Them’ on their Instagram page.