Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair (4th R), and the Ministry of Education’s Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) UBD Vice-Chancellor Dato Paduka Dr Hj Zulkarnain Hj Hanafi (5th L), posing for the group photo, after the opening ceremony of Brunei-Singapore ‘Green Xchange 4’. Picture: BT/Saiful Omar
AARON ALWINES
BRUNEI-MUARA
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
THE nation’s youth were at the heart of the most successful edition of the ‘Green Xchange’ programmeorganised so far by the Society for Community Outreach and Training (SCOT).
Hundreds of youth were present as members of SCOT, volunteers and as members of the public exchanging recyclable material at Kg Sg Tamoi, making a huge collective effort to raise over six tonnesto be recycled.
The Project Manager for “Green Xchange 4′ Barizah Mustapa said that the response from the public “definitely met our expectations” adding in her speech that the Green Xchange was not only about short-term assistance given to those who received rice in exchange for their old materials but was part of the larger picture of the National Vision (Wawasan) 2035.
“The National Vision 2035 touches upon the importance for our society to protect and nuture the environment, and we hope that this project serves as an impetus for youth to spread the importance of the environment through self-initiated volunteer projects,” said Barizah.
Md Mahyuddin Hj Othman a Media and Communications student at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) said the attraction to join SCOT and the Green Xchange programme came from his curiosity to learn about the environment.
“I first heard about SCOT through a friend who is one of the oldest members of SCOT, and he told me the cause they were fighting for and what it is all about.”
Md Mahyuddin added, “I’m not sure whether it’s because I’m not that exposed, but I haven’t heard a lot of organisations like SCOT who truly go out there and try to make a difference to the environment. It’s definitely one of the earliest organisations that I found out about that does the whole ‘green living’ concept.”
Amongst those recycling was Muhd. Farid Fathullah from Pg Kerma Indera Lama, who received 10kilogrammes of rice for his old household appliances and magazines.
“Events like these are excellent, but I don’t know if they will hold it every month or otherwise. It would be great if they could hold it monthly, because living in Kg Ayer, it is difficult to transport these materials to recycling plants and it was great to receive assistance from the volunteers in moving our old materials.”
Meanwhile the volunteers, many of them Pre-University students were hoping that joining such an event would not only help give back to the community but boost their curriculum vitae’s for university.
Nurhidayatul Aeny Alisah from Maktab Duli Sixth Form School was one of those volunteers and said, “So far recycling is not really in the mindset of Bruneians and I think SCOT is making a difference in this. At the same time we need more long-term measures, we need to start early for example going to primary schools to set up recycling bins and hopefully these practices will continue till university.”
She added, “I wish that more people would join (SCOT and other recycling initiatives), and not because they have to but because they want to.”
The Brunei Times
Source: The Brunei Times
Author: Aaron Alwines
Published Date: 29 January 2013
