Comfortably seated: Lee (centre, back row) with SJKC Pei Hwa students after presenting the new desks and chairs at the school here in Johor Baru.

JOHOR BARU: Eco World Foundation will continue to help needy students get the education they deserve, says its chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

He said the goals would be realised through the foundation’s main programme, Eco World Student Aid Programme, which provides financial assistance to underprivileged students.

He added that since its inception two years ago, the foundation had allocated about RM5mil each year to help such students nationwide.

“We have adopted 25 students under the programme to give them financial aid without any bonds until they go to university.

“I am very proud that seven of them have graduated while the rest are currently studying at local universities nationwide,” he added.

Lee said the foundation gave each student about RM1,200 as aid for tuition, computer fees, books and food.

He also said that the foundation would maintain the programme as part of Eco World Development Group Berhad’s corporate social responsibility.

“Despite the current challenging economic times, we have continued to raise our own funds to ensure the programme helps the targeted students,” he told reporters after presenting 220 sets of desks and chairs worth RM28,000 for students of SJK(C) Pei Hwa in Taman Perling here yesterday.

Last year, the foundation spent RM280,000 to help replace school furniture and other facilities. It included the donation of 1,800 sets of desks and chairs to various schools.

“What we are doing is helping the Education Ministry in ensuring that these schools provide a comfortable learning environment for their students,” said Lee.

He called on schools that need new desks or chairs to write in to the foundation.

“Once we have received the request, we will send a team over to the school and look at how we can help,” he said.