
In the Sabah region of Malaysia, it is estimated that there are currently 2 million stateless people living in garbage dumps by the sea or adjacent to landfills. Most of them belong to the Suluk or Bajau ethnic groups, who have long lived along the coasts between Sabah in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In the 1970s, turmoil in the Philippines forced them to seek refuge in Sabah. Despite the extremely harsh living conditions, their population has not diminished but grown. Locals refer to their settlements as "stateless villages."
Surviving on Restaurant Leftovers, Living Among Trash
In the Nabawan area of Sabah’s stateless villages, many residents rely on leftover food from restaurants. They live on the garbage-filled coast or near easily flammable landfills. This area is one of the poorest regions for stateless residents in Sabah.

Tzu Chi volunteers began caring for the stateless villages in 2003, when they responded to a fire incident in the Titingan area. This marked the start of their efforts to aid the impoverished stateless communities. In the poorest area of Nabawan, children visit nearby restaurants every day, bring pots and pans to collect leftover food to be discarded by restaurants, which they then take home as meals for their families.

Easing Suffering with Supplies and Water Stations
The problems in stateless villages are deeply complex and difficult to resolve at the root. Tzu Chi volunteers provide as much material assistance as possible, offering essentials like cassava flour, cooking oil, pots, kettles, and lights.

The local water supply is only available for a few hours each day, forcing residents to buy drinking water. To alleviate this, Tzu Chi volunteers have set up seven water stations across three areas. Each station can provide drinking water for 50 to 100 households, helping villagers save money that would otherwise be spent on water.

In addition, volunteers provide tools and basic materials for residents to repair their fragile homes. Some people live in boat houses so dilapidated that family members must take turns bailing out water each night to prevent the boat from sinking before morning.
