Road not taken: Repairs to Sonsogon Magandai road
2018-08-01
The village of Sonsogon Magandai is located in the District of Kota Marudu, approximately 60 kilometres away from the closest town of Bandau, Kota Marudu. Prior to repairs, it would take approximately 4 hours for local transportation to reach the town, excluding distances travelled on foot by the villagers from the drop off location to their individual homes. Over the past 60 years, this ‘road’ which is an ex-logging road used by logging trucks and machinery in previous years, has been the main point of entry and exit to the Sonsogon Magandai village.
The condition of the road has been a dilemma for many generations in the village. This difficult route is one of the primary factors behind the lack of social and economic development of the village, as accessibility to other towns and services poses a challenge even with an off-road vehicle. The villagers were deprived of equal access to health services, and as a result hospital visits, doctor’s appointments and medical emergencies were evidently a stressful experience. The road also would likely be a traumatic obstacle particularly for pregnant mothers, children and senior citizens especially in times of crisis.
On August 2018, Asian Forestry Company Sabah Sdn Bhd (AFCS) had come to aid upon request from the villagers and rebuilt the 2.1 kilometres of road going into the village. This is an addition to the improvement of over 70 kilometres of road from Kampung Samparita to Kampung Tikalod that was built around the area which was worth over a million ringgit. The road was compacted, gravelled and properly drained. This project is a part of the company’s Community Development Programme’s (CDP) plan and the construction of this road benefits over 500 villagers from the area. The road was officially opened on the 21st of September 2018.
In his officiating speech, the Managing Director, Glen MacNair stressed the importance of proper communication and cooperation between the community and the company in achieving mutual benefits. “Respect, trust and understanding of the community’s value are the aims of many other Forest Management Companies yet only a few prove that commitment, and our company are among that selected few…”
Mrs Boyokot, the Church’s head in the village said they are very grateful and blessed for the help from AFCS and hopefully with the new road, their Pastor will be able to visit more often in the year.
Mr Jamil, the Village’s JKKK praised the company on its operational values and policies in recognising the needs of the native community residing within AFCS boundary. He said the road was built over sixty years ago by a logging company and this is the first construction that has ever been done since.
The construction of the new road offers a vast range of opportunity for the villagers to develop themselves. For one, transportation of agricultural produce will be much easier and in addition to that, villagers are able to access educational institutions and schools in other areas.
Mr. Thondik Venantius, the Project Director of AFCS urged the villagers to take on this opportunity to ‘own’ the road, treat it as theirs and reap the benefits from it. He added that as the road is now owned by the villagers, they have to be responsible for maintaining the road.
The CDP Department is a division in AFCS that focuses solely on the wellbeing of the communities located within its boundary. They have carried out more than 100 projects covering over 30 villages, benefitting more than 2000 residents. This department stands firmly on five main cores that will increase the standard of living in these communities: accessibility, education, health, economy and land (Native Customary) rights. Through this, AFCS believes in building a long-lasting relationship based on trust and understanding with communities within the company’s licensed area.
