PUTRAJAYA, Nov 21 – Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today sent off 30 volunteers from local universities to join a community mission to rural areas in Kapit, Sarawak. Participants of the mission organised by the Student Volunteer Foundation (YSS) will set up camp at Kampung Tunoh, located about 210 kilometres from the Sibu Airport, from today until Dec 8.
This is the sixth YSS mission to Sarawak, which is also the final mission for the year, after 13 successful local and international missions since it was established. YSS Chairman Datuk Zuraidah Atan said the immersion concept mission would focus on teaching and learning activities using the learning through play method, with emphasis on English and Mathematics.
She said part of their main objective was also to raise awareness on health among residents, especially the importance of and methods to maintain cleanliness of students living in longhouses. “This mission aims to provide exposure and endurance training as well as instill a spirit of volunteerism among students for them to give back to the community,” she told reporters when met after a sending off ceremony at the Education Ministry here.
She said before starting a community mission, volunteers had to go through a physically demanding 12-hour journey and use four types of transportation in order to reach the village. According to Zuraidah, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Tunoh is the only school able to provide primary education to children from five villages nearby. “We hope the involvement of students in such community activities will help government efforts to produce progressive, dynamic and highly capable students,” she added.
