In September 2015, all 193 member countries of the United Nations adopted the "2030 Agenda", agreeing to eliminate extreme poverty, inequality, and injustice over the next 15 years in order to create a better future. With the objective of implementing "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs), countries, companies and various organizations are working on an environmental and economic level towards creating a sustainable planet, ensuring the existence of future generations.
As a company committed to the improvement of health, environment, and sanitation worldwide, SARAYA has founded and contributed to projects and campaigns that protect the natural habitats where we claim our resources, improve the societies we touch and ensure a sustainable future.
The Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) is an NGO recognized by the Malaysian government, created in 2006 to acquire lands along the Kinabatangan River for the Green Corridor project as well as to lead conservation efforts with the local Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) to protect the threatened wildlife and biodiversity in the Borneo rainforest. By acquiring lands along the riverbanks, the Green Corridor will form a safe migration route for the local endangered wildlife away from palm oil plantations to conservation lands. SARAYA has been supporting the conservation activities of the BCT since its foundation.
With an under-5 mortality rate of 89 per 1,000 children in 2009, more than 75% of existing fatal diseases could have been prevented with simple hand washing with soap. In 2010, SARAYA started the Wash a Million Hands! Project to contribute to hand washing education activities in Uganda. Millions of mothers with young children have been trained and many hand washing facilities have been installed with this program. Now we donate 1% of specific product sales to UNICEF to continue the project.
The island of Borneo is densely populated with unique wildlife and vegetation, making it an important genetic resource for the world. However, many parts of the Borneo rainforest have vanished due to the sudden increase of oil palm plantations in recent years. While these plantations are important for our current lifestyle, it is important to create a balance between the environment and the industry. SARAYA conducts environmental conservation activities to help make this coexistence possible. One of these activities is the Green Corridor project led by the BCT to establish wildlife migration routes through the rainforest.
So far, SARAYA has purchased 7 land parcels in total. Another activity is to erect bridges made from used fire hoses for orangutans. Orangutans cannot swim and often huge plantations cut orangutans off from the rest of the forest. Six bridges have been erected to allow the orangutan population to migrate freely across river tributaries.
Aiming to solve social issues in Africa as well as preventing healthcare-associated infections, Saraya East Africa was founded in 2011 in Uganda, providing training to healthcare staff and introducing locally made hand disinfectant through the 100% Hospital Hand Hygiene Project. Saraya Manufacturing Uganda produces entirely locally sourced alcohol hand disinfectant, creating jobs along the supply chain and saving lives in the hospital.
Unfortunately, 830 women still lose their lives through pregnancy and childbirth daily in developing countries. In order to fight this injustice, we are involved in different campaigns and projects with White Ribbon, allowing mothers to give birth in a safer environment. For example, we supported the construction in Tanzania of a maternal and child health center, the so-called "Milky House", which was completed with donations from the sale of Lactoferrin Lab. At an individual level, we encourage you to support them by joining the White Ribbon run every year.
Lakanto, our natural monk fruit sweetener, can be the start of a healthy life, and we want to share it with everybody. With the number of people with diabetes expected to rise to 522 million by 2030, we support the Blue Circle, raising awareness on the dangers of diabetes, with the celebration of the World Diabetes Day each year on the 14th of November. In addition, we also support the Autism Hope Alliance, the first non-profit foundation for Autism to emerge from the natural food industry.
Every purchase of Arau and Arau Baby natural soaps goes in part to the support of education, emergency care, preventative hygiene and the relief of children in more than 120 countries worldwide through the United Nations' Save the Children program. From organizing disaster damage reduction activities to establishing water purifying filters in schools, we are improving the lives of children in the regions that need it the most.