Bandar Seri Begawan – “Killing two birds with one stone” may be the best way to describe the latest initiative taken by a group of youths in the Student Community Outreach Team (SCOT), an NGO under Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
The team of volunteers yesterday took part in the second Brunei-Singapore Green Xchange project yesterday, helping to lessen the burden of the less fortunate while at the same time helping to preserve the environment by collecting recyclable items from residents in Kampong Ayer.
This two-pronged approach was achieved by way of exchanging the recyclables with basic commodities for use or consumption by the contributing residents.
The project was the brainchild of Awg Anwar bin Hj Mohammad, a former UBD student and only the second individual to have received the Vice Chancellor medal.
The activity was organised by SCOT in association with Avelife Foundation Singapore. Present to launch and witness the project as guest of honour was the Deputy Minister of Culture, youth and Sports, Datin Paduka Hjh Adina binti Hj Othman.
The first Brunei-Singapore Green Xchange project, held in September last year, was carried out in Kg Bolkiah A and Kg Bolkiah B, both in Kg Ayer. The initial objective of that endeavour was to collect 100kg of recyclables. But by the end of the project, a total of 1,000kg of recyclables were collected.
The second Brunei-Singapore Green Xchange project was held in Kg Sungai Kebun and once the day was over, a total of 5,71 6.8kg of recyclables were collected.
“The project started when I was in Singapore partnering with one of my colleagues who has started the Avelife in Singapore. I thought that I could do that in Brunei as well to raise more green initiatives,” Awg Anwar said in an interview with the Bulletin yesterday. “I am killing two birds with one stone by looking at the underprivileged and at the same time going Green so that they can earn income out of the project. We are currently focusing our efforts on Kg Ayer.”
Awg Anwar said the first Brunei-Singapore Green Xchange project covered a total of 500 houses in Kg Bolkiah ‘A’ and ‘B.’
“The response was very positive whereby some people who had never recycled before were now starting to do so,” he said.
“However there is also concern that people might still depend on us. We are tackling that issue by providing information on Daikyo, who will collect the recyclables from the villages. On receiving such information, the villagers reacted positively, and it has given them hope that trash is also worth something.”
Awg Anwar said that after Kg Sungai Kebun, the project will be extended to other villages, adding that if all goes according to plan the project would be held twice a year.
The Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Datin Paduka Hjh Adina officially launched the second Brunei Singapore Green Xchange project in a ceremony held at the Kg Sungai Kebun Mosque.
In her welcoming remarks, the deputy minister commended the efforts of the Student Community Outreach Team (SCOT), Universiti Brunei Darussalam – for the project.
“In the first project at Kampong Bolkiah ‘A’ and `13,’ SCOT has successfully recycled more than one tonne of daily items from residents of the villages,” she said. “This is an encouraging development because there is a determination from residents of the village to participate in such a project, and I hope their new-found practice of recycling will continue and become a norm among the citizens and residents of the nation.”
The deputy minister understands that SCOT will continue to monitor the project even after its launch, similar to Kg Bolkiah whereby residents are continuing their recycling habits.
“This is something that we can be proud of whereby our youths involved in the project will continue to monitor the project, turning the good value into a Brunei culture,” Datin Paduka Hjh Adina added.
The project, she said, is an initiative of the local youth, and it has proven that the youth play a role as the catalyst in shifting the community. The project reflects the youth’s concern towards issues and problems faced by people with difficulties and those of low income.
“The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports will always support the initiatives of UBD through the SCOT Team in together taking the lead for Brunei’s youths to be more in-depth about community issues. The involvement of volunteers like graduates and undergraduates of UBD in this project to help people with difficulties is highly respected and appreciated,” she added.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports is in the process of preparing a volunteer activities calendar by collecting information from registered clubs and bodies that are carrying out volunteer work for 2012.
The collection of data will be entered into the ministry’s website so the public can also participate in the volunteer projects. This can help increase the understanding of handling government projects that require the involvement of the public through volunteers.
As a nation with a small population, she said, “I believe that, with united cooperation from all levels of the community through volunteer work, we can face any current issues with ease and without spending a large sum of money.”
The deputy minister later visited the home of a Kg Sungai Kebun resident who is passionate about keeping the environment clean and has thus far collected over six kilogrammes of recyclables.
In an interview, Hj Omar said, “With this initiative, we can keep our environment clean and also exchange for daily commodities to ease our spendings.”
He explained that it took a few months to collect the recyclables from the river and around his home.
The second Brunei-Singapore Green Xchange project was yesterday, participated by some 70 volunteers from UBD, ITB, JIS, MS and MD as well as various government agencies. The project was sponsored by TelBru.
Also present at the ceremony were the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hj Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos, UBD Vice Chancellor Dato Paduka Hj Zulkarnain bin Hj Hanafi and other officials.
Source: The Borneo Bulletin via BruDirect
Author: James Con
Published Date: 9 January 2012