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76 PEOPLE • PEOPLE INSPIRE PEOPLE<br />
the teachings of Rinpoche, has<br />
helped him become more astute<br />
about his surroundings. He first<br />
noticed that the average lifespan<br />
of a Malaysian is 71 years but<br />
for an Orang Asli, it is lower at<br />
53 years. This means only one<br />
thing – the natives are not living<br />
optimally especially when the<br />
mortality rate of infants is high.<br />
Maybe the lack of a proper<br />
schooling system for the Orang<br />
Asli children contributes to their<br />
lack of awareness on how to<br />
integrate into a new way of living.<br />
“There is a case of a lady with two<br />
sons aged five and 11. Both boys<br />
are not at school and she is trying<br />
very hard to get them into one<br />
but didn’t know how,” said Wai<br />
Meng.<br />
He added that he is looking for a<br />
full-time volunteer who can attend<br />
to the needs of these simple<br />
people as currently the impact of<br />
their efforts is rather sporadic. At<br />
the same time, Wai Meng is also<br />
seeking the assistance of experts<br />
like botanists and specialists<br />
from the field of permaculture<br />
to be part of this project so that<br />
these professionals can impart<br />
knowledge on farming and<br />
agriculture to the Orang Asli.<br />
HOW TO SUPPORT<br />
WAI MENG?<br />
Be in touch with him and his<br />
team to receive the latest news<br />
on when they will visit the Orang<br />
asli villages.
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