Our Story

Laughter is a healing and binding force that brings people together, irrespective of where they come from, what they look like, where they live, or their religious or political affiliation. Harith Iskander’s desire to bring people together through his career in comedy is underscored by a personal conviction, shared by him and his wife, Dr. Jezamine Lim, to see and create a more unified society in all of its various diversities and circumstances.

“In the spirit of unity, we were moved by the hardships and long suffering of those affected by the pandemic and were compelled to bring people and their communities together yet again for a good cause. We believed that when empowered and equipped with the necessary resources, tools, and opportunities, communities can band together in service of their fellow human beings.”

In answering this call to action, the Iskanders started The Hope Branch on March 23, 2020 to assist vulnerable communities in Malaysia affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. As a medical doctor and health-science expert herself, Dr. Jezamine Lim was especially concerned with not only the rapid spread of the virus but with the heavy burden carried by the medical front-liners.

With the support of community leaders, various institutions, and volunteers, THB has raised (insert the amount raised) and has reached thousands of individuals with healthy meals and medical supplies.

However, still concerned with the long-term mental health and societal challenges that many will continue to face during these unprecedented times, the Iskanders will continue to leverage their talents, resources, and networks to address mental health disparities through humanitarian relief efforts, specifically promoting food security, access to mental health services and medical supplies, and literacy development for youth.

We believe that as a society, we laugh when we are happy, we laugh to keep from crying, and we laugh when we feel safe and secure. With this mission, we feel honoured to keep smiles on the faces of families, who may be receiving food or mental health services, or educational development initiatives for the first time in a long time. We are also humbled by the compassion of the communities that we work in and their service and sacrifice towards uplifting the spirits and livelihoods of others during difficult times. This joy, happiness, dignity, and selflessness are the essence of humanity.