ADVANCING SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT
The social value we generate
Society
With our businesses located in emerging and fast-growing economies, it is our responsibility as a digital champion to leverage our technological resources towards empowering lasting socio-economic development. We do this by introducing solutions that improve access to essential services such as education, healthcare and basic utilities, while maintaining sophisticated natural disaster early warning systems to minimise the human cost of such tragic events.
Our support of local communities also has a transformative effect on young talent, whom we groom to succeed in the digital world through our longstanding talent development programmes.
- Community Development
Our community development initiatives are highly localised and run the gamut from enabling access to basic services to redeveloping public areas, setting up telemedicine infrastructure to providing women entrepreneurs with resources for business growth. Regardless of their specific nature, all our initiatives are geared to support the principles of the UN SDGs, calling for the achievement of holistic sustainable development that leaves no one behind.
Outlook
Building Future Leaders
Through our talent programmes, we are nurturing the promising youth of today into digitally-fluent leaders who are ready to drive advancement in their home countries and beyond.
Our commitment to talent development started in 2011 with the Axiata Young Talent Programme (AYTP) in Malaysia, and quickly expanded to include the XL Future Leaders Programme (XLFL) in Indonesia and SmartEdu in Cambodia. All three programmes are designed to provide top students with specific industry knowledge and experience alongside ongoing mentorship and guidance from our own leaders.
AYTP has impacted 2,693 Malaysian youth since
its founding in 2011
XLFL has produced 1,100 alumni amongst talented
Indonesian youth since 2013
To date, 41 talented Cambodian youths have graduated from the SmartEdu Scholarship programme
Read the Community Development topic in our Sustainability and National Contribution Report 2021 for full information on the community development initiatives launched by our OpCos.
- Emergency And Disaster Response
We are observing a surge in natural disasters and extreme weather events due to climate change and global warming. Disasters can disrupt communities, negatively affecting society, property, economies and the environment. However, with the correct application of technology, natural disasters can be more accurately predicted and responded to, thereby limiting the damage
they cause.
In line with our responsibility as a signatory of the GSMA Humanitarian Connectivity Charter, our OpCos play a crucial role at all stages of disaster management. They deploy the tools, infrastructure and resources to enhance preparedness, response and recovery, all while sharing information transparently with national governments and the public at large. These efforts are enhanced by the widespread networks we have developed through our telecommunications operations, which provide us reach to a broad cross-section of local populations.
OUTLOOK
We aspire to improve and grow the scope of our digital services. Not only are we open to expanding our partnerships, but we will also continue to strengthen our relationships with our current partners which include disaster local network agencies, foundations, nonprofit
organisations, as well as the government.
Preparedness And Response
Resilience Against The Pandemic
Strengthening Natural Disaster Preparedness And Response
From providing natural disaster alerts via SMS to distributing hygiene kits and basic necessities to disaster victims, our OpCos contribute to disaster preparedness and response with specifically tailored strategies and technologies to counter the most commonly occurring natural disasters within each individual country. Over and above these actions, it is the core responsibility of our OpCos – and Axiata as a Group – to ensure reliable connectivity is maintained after the occurrence of a natural disaster so that emergency services can carry out their work effectively and families can remain in contact at all times.
- Established the Dialog Disaster and Emergency Warning network (DEWN), an early warning mechanism that issues customised alerts to the public and first responders, and provides disaster alerts to media channels for dissemination
- Supported those affected by the tragic Sri Lanka Easter Bombings with psychosocial rehabilitation services and long-term financial support for children towards completing their
education
- Provided emergency assistance – including food, medicine, clean water and free WiFi – to victims of the South Kalimantan floods, while ensuring the quality of telecommunication and
data networks was maintained at all times - Provided free telephone and SMS services to areas affected by the Sera Hurricane in East Nusa Tenggara and the East Java earthquake
- Launched the SMART Food Support Program to assist Cambodians finding difficulty in accessing food supplies during the country’s COVID-19 lockdown
- Delivered parcels containing food and essential items to families in Sarawak and Kedah in the wake of the recent floods in Malaysia education
- Delivered similar parcels to 1,000 families during the most recent COVID-19 lockdown, while also collaborating with Immaret to donate 500 sets of PPE to Klinik Kesihatan Gombak
- Established an early warning service in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), with over 1
million early warning SMS alerts sent - Distributed PPE to two key hospitals and built ICUs in two key treatment centres, while establishing telepresence technology in over 30 hospitals to enable distance
healthcare
