Nissan Nurtures Nature lends a hand to a community project
Nissan Nurtures Nature lends a hand to a community project; reuse of old tyre for edible garden
Helping communities pursue environmentally sustainable activities is one of the core missions of Nissan Nurtures Nature (NNN), and the latest effort sees assistance provided to the Rumah Panjang Taman Ikan Emas community comprising low-income earners under the government’s People’s Housing Programme (PHP).
Located at Cheras, Kuala Lumpur and home to 500 multi-cultural families, the Rumah Panjang community was ‘adopted’ by EcoKnights – a non-governmental environmental organisation focused on sustainable communities – in 2018, and the NGO promptly helped the Rumah Panjang community convert a plot of unused land next to Sungai Kerayong into an edible garden capable of farming no less than 10 different types of fruits and vegetables.
Volunteers from EcoKnights & community members are clearing the land and setting up the edible garden
However, soil erosion caused by heavy rainfall threatened the edible garden and EcoKnights sought assistance from NNN in the form of old tyres to reinforce the riverbank and keep the edible garden from flooding. NNN answered the call by despatching 30 old tyres in July 2018 to the community.
Apart from elevating the riverbank and preventing rising water from flooding the garden, the tyres were also used as temporary raised beds for plants to secure the soil from water flowing from higher grounds as well as to retain the fertiliser to enhance the plants’ growth.
Old tyres used to raise bed for plants, also as border to prevent rising water to enter the garden
The activity to shore up the Rumah Panjang Taman Ikan Emas’s edible garden has seen the farm grow in strength; it is now capable of harvesting fresh eggplant, spinach, bitter gourd, banana, papaya and even pineapple. The produce from the garden not only feeds the families of the Rumah Panjang, but also generated some income for the farm as they are sold at a nearby market, not to mention being a wholesome activity for the entire community.
Fresh vegetables & fruits harvested from the edible garden
Additionally, this edible garden serves as a case study for university students, i.e. a water filter project to improve the quality of the river water for farming was also implemented.
The donation of the old tyres to Rumah Panjang Taman Ikan Emas constitutes one of the many efforts of NNN to promote the 3R concept of Reuse, Recycle and Reconnect, whether they are via partnerships with environmental NGOs or through activities organised by NNN to expound Nissan’s global corporate vision in enriching people’s lives and developing sustainable societies.
The work to further improve the lives of the inhabitants of this Rumah Panjang community isn’t over. According to head of the community, more used tyres would come in handy to strengthen flood prevention measures within the project, while new equipment are needed to support on-going maintenance work on the farm. If you would like to contribute to the Rumah Panjang Taman Ikan Emas project, drop ETCM Customer Relations Dept. a line at 03-4047 8788 or email crd@tanconggroup.com and we’ll get in touch soon!
