Background on Kampung Tinangol

The project location is in Kampung Tinangol, Kudat, which is located in North Sabah, East Malaysia. The village, with a population of less than 1,000, is about 42 kilometers from the nearest town, called Kudat.

The people there are the Rungus people, one of the indigenous ethnic groups In Sabah. The Rungus community is one of the ethnic groups which still lives in longhouses, a culture inherited from their ancestors.

Kampung Tinangol has sufficient amenities such as piped water, electricity, phone lines, school, clinics and road access. 90% of the community are Christians while the rest are Muslims or still hold on to their indigenous beliefs.

Based on early research, the village can be described as located in the rural area which is equipped with basic amenities. But because of the high population and the many diverse communities within the area, there are still many communities who are less fortunate and struggle to make ends meet.

This daily observation from Malina Soning inspired her to set up the SINOMPURU Women's Group.

As she is a member of the community in Kampung Tinangol, she is able to directly feel and see for herself the difficulties that the SINOMPURU members go through to improve their standard of living by working hard to get enough food, water and money to support their children’s school fees and medical expenses.