While we are lucky enough to be able to afford some luxuries in our lives, there are people on the other side who are struggling to make ends meet.

We’ve heard plenty of stories about how a child from a household had to quit school because their parents can’t afford to send them to one.

It’s not easy to totally eradicate poverty in the country, but a local retailer has been generously helping underprivileged families to send their kids to school.

Since 2016, Tesco Malaysia has helped underprivileged school children from the Bottom 40 (B40) families through its Tesco School Adoption Programme.

Here’s what you need to know about Tesco Malaysia’s generous deed:

#1 It’s their brand-new CSR campaign

This year, as part of their programme, Tesco Malaysia is introducing their brand new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative called the Beg Terus Senyum.

The premise is simple: Tesco Malaysia will be sending school bags filled with school supplies to underserved schools around Malaysia with your help.

“For the first time ever this year, Tesco Malaysia is bringing the Beg Terus Senyum, which is part of our new CSR initiative where we seek the contribution of our customers in joining our work in empowering and enriching the lives of underprivileged B40 school children,” said Tesco Product Director, Kenneth Chuah in a press release.

In the school bag, kids will find the basic back-to-school needs such as a drawing block, an A4 exercise book, semi gel pens, mechanical pencils, 0.5 pencil leads, soft erasers, F5 exercise book, a highlighter, scissors and of course, a school bag.

#2 Tesco Malaysia is subsiding every bag purchase

According to Tesco Malaysia, the actual cost of the school bag is RM52.80, but they are absorbing the price difference so that you can purchase the bag for only RM50.

“With just RM50, you too can bring a smile joy to these children as they return back to school,” Chuah added.

RM50 in exchange for the possibility that you might be sending the next Albert Einstein to school? It’s well worth the investment, if you ask us.

#3 The bags can be purchased at a Tesco outlet near you!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to run around a Tesco store and look for the items yourself (although you are welcome to do so). The school bags have already been packed, so all you need to do is to head on over to these Tesco outlets to purchase a Beg Terus Senyum:

• Tesco Kepong
• Tesco Extra Cheras
• Tesco Shah Alam
• Tesco Station 18
• Tesco Extra Penang
• Tesco Alor Setar
• Tesco Kota Bharu
• Tesco Seremban Jaya
• Tesco Melaka Sentral
• Tesco Seri Alam

The distribution of the school bags will take place on the first day of school, which falls on 2 January 2020.

So, if you want to help a student excel in class, you can head to any of the Tesco Outlets above, or give their Facebook page a ‘Like’ here.

#4 This isn’t Tesco Malaysia’s first charity work

Since Tesco Malaysia launched their Tesco School Adoption Programme in partnership with the PINTAR Foundation three years ago, the retailer has adopted 63 underserved schools, amounting to 57,000 students within the vicinity of its stores, distribution centres and Head Office.

Some of the schools Tesco has adopted so far are SMK Kepong, SK Taman Midah 2, SK Seksyen 17, SK Seksyen 20, SK Pengkalan Pegoh, SK Sungai Ara, SK Mergong, SK Banggu, SK Methodist ACS Seremban, SJKT Melaka and SK Taman Rinting 1.

In fact, Tesco Malaysia has invested more than RM4.5 million in the programme, ensuring that underprivileged school children will have the supply they need to excel in school.