Beyond the Roads We Know: Bringing Cancer Awareness to Kampung Donglai

It was 6am on a Saturday during the school holidays.

Journey to Kampung Donglai begins as the morning sun rises, lighting the way to a day of connection, care and community.

While many were still tucked comfortably in their warm beds, enjoying the luxury of a slow morning, our team was already on the road. The morning was hazy, and the city was gradually disappearing behind us as we travelled further away from the familiar sights of Kuala Lumpur.

Then, somewhere along the journey, our mobile phones lost their signal.

No messages. No calls. No scrolling.

Just the winding road ahead.

The road became narrower and more winding, with thick forest standing on both sides. It was hard to imagine that such a secluded place existed barely an hour away from Kuala Lumpur. Yet, this was the road to Kampung Donglai, a small Orang Asli settlement in Hulu Langat, Selangor, home to around 150 people from the Temuan community.

The further we travelled, the more distant the outside world seemed.

But that was precisely why we were there.

On 5 September 2026, our team travelled to Kampung Donglai as part of a community health outreach programme to bring health education and cancer awareness closer to an underserved Orang Asli community.

Residents of Kampung Donglai gather and enjoy a relaxed Saturday morning, as the community comes together for a day of health and connection.

The programme was designed not simply to provide information, but to encourage healthier lifestyles, promote personal and environmental hygiene, and introduce the community to modern healthcare facilities so that early screening, regular treatment and referrals to healthcare specialists become more accessible possibilities.

And the community welcomed us.

More than half of the residents came forward to undergo MeMoSa® screening and showed genuine interest in learning more about their health and cancer screening.

Using MeMoSa®, an A- powered mobile screening platform, participants in Kampung Donglai receive a simple accessible oral health screening.

For us, that response meant more than numbers.

It meant that the journey was worthwhile.

The day also became an opportunity to engage with the community beyond screening. Health talks and demonstrations on personal hygiene were conducted, while the children took part in activities designed especially for them. From learning about brushing their teeth, washing their hands, cutting their nails and washing their hair, to colouring activities and a STEM straw-tower challenge, the day brought together health education, learning and a little bit of fun.

There were also opportunities for the community to share their traditions and culture through activities such as traditional weaving and demonstrations of traditional Orang Asli skills.

But amid all the activities, it was the children who quietly captured our hearts.

Following a dental health demonstration by dentists from HUKM, the Orang Temuan children put what they learnt into practice- One healthy smile at a time.

At first, some of the little faces were shy. They peeked from behind their mothers, stealing curious glances at the unfamiliar visitors who had arrived in their village. Some watched from a distance, while others slowly found the courage to come closer.

Those tiny faces reminded us why this work matters.

Behind every mother and father we meet is a child who sees them as their whole world.

And perhaps that is what stayed with us most as we prepared to leave Kampung Donglai.

We were not simply there to talk about cancer. We were there to help protect the people who mean everything to these children.

For communities living in poverty, accessing healthcare can come with challenges that many of us rarely have to think about. Distance, limited mobility and the difficulty of travelling to health clinics and hospitals can make seeking medical attention a much greater hurdle.

That is why healthcare cannot always wait for people to come to us. Sometimes, we have to go to them.

Bringing care closer to the community. CRMY and HUKM volunteers come together to make the health outreach at Kampung Donglai possible.

The journey to Kampung Donglai may have taken us through winding roads, thick forests and stretches without mobile reception. But every kilometre brought us closer to a community that deserved to be reached, heard and cared for.

And as we drove back to Kuala Lumpur, we carried with us something more valuable than a successful outreach programme.

We carried the smiles of the families we met, the curious eyes of the children and the quiet reassurance that, for one Saturday, we had taken one more step towards making cancer screening and health awareness accessible to a community that needs it most.

A CTSB team member guides a participants on the correct tongue position to ensure a clear image for MeMoSa®’s oral health screening.

None of this is possible alone

Behind every community we reach is a network of people who believe that everyone deserves a chance to live a healthier life.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our donors, sponsors and supporters who made this outreach possible. Your generosity allows us to take cancer awareness, MeMoSa® screening and health education beyond the places that are easy to reach and into communities where access to healthcare can be a daily challenge.

Because of your support, we were able to make the journey to Kampung Donglai, meet families where they are and give them an opportunity to learn more about their health and take an important first step towards early detection.

Every contribution, every partnership and every act of support brings us closer to a future where no community is left behind simply because of where they live or the challenges they face.

We are deeply grateful to have you with us on this journey, and we look forward to continuing to work together, reaching more communities and bringing hope, awareness and access to those who need it most.

Because sometimes, the most important journeys are the ones that take us beyond the roads we know and towards the people who need us most.