KUALA TERENGGANU, 17th June 2023 – The Rural Empowerment and Community Help (REaCH) carnival took place on June 10, 2023, at the Tok Pulau Manis Gallery, Kampung Pulau Manis, Serada, Kuala Terengganu. The opening ceremony of this carnival was officiated by Mrs. Ainol Shaharina Sahar, Director of Yayasan TM, with the support of Prof. Dr. Ayub Md Som, the Dean of ICAN from the College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam.
The REaCH Carnival is part of the “Rural Empowerment and Community Help” project, a collaboration between Yayasan TM and Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam. Yayasan TM appointed a group of nine (9) lecturers led by Assoc. Prof Ts. Dr. Nur Kamaliah Mustaffa as the Program Director to execute this community project. Other lecturers involved in the project include Dr. Sakhiah Abdul Kudus, Dr. Nazirah Ab Wahab, Ts. Dr. Nor Azmi Bakhary, Ts. Dr. Nurul Rabitah Daud, Ts. Dr. Musmuliadi Kamaruding, Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Che Maznah Mat Isa, Dr. Zadariana Jamil@Osman and Dr. Nurul Ainain Mohd Salim who served as advisors for 50 final-year students from the School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, UiTM Shah Alam who enrolled in the Engineers in Society course, which integrated Service- Learning Malaysia University for Society (SULAM) and design thinking approaches.
The REaCH program aims to enhance awareness, knowledge, and skills among rural communities to achieve three sustainability agendas: social and economic stabilization, environmental sustainability, and maintaining rural communities’ well-being. Each activity within the REaCH Program was designed to align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The community empowerment carnival, held on June 10, witnessed the participation of over 600 villagers from Kampung Pulau Manis and surrounding areas.
The event featured various activities, including the inauguration of a community garden and recycling centers, plogging runs, thematic talks on ‘Love the Earth,’ and a ‘Waste to Art’ exhibition. These initiatives aimed to raise awareness about biodiversity preservation, sustainable natural resource management, climate change mitigation and preparedness, and recycling methods. In recognition of the commitment of participants selected from the Entrepreneurship Course carried out earlier, the Entrepreneurship Incentive Award ceremony was awarded to them.
Through this award, Yayasan TM aims to enhance the capabilities of small and medium enterprises, as well as improve the socioeconomic status of entrepreneurs and the local community. Furthermore, the REaCH carnival provided free health screenings, education and career counseling, image grooming sessions, and women’s skills programs. To enhance the program further, children’s sports activities, folk sports, and sales activities such as food trucks and car boot sales were also organized. Several competitions, including the TikTok competition on “Kenali Kampungku”, the 3R recycling competition, and the ‘Sayangi Bumi’ themed coloring competition, engaged the local community in a cheerful and enthusiastic atmosphere.
The Yayasan TM and UiTM extend their gratitude and appreciation to the Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT), the Kuala Terengganu Department of Agriculture, SW Corp Kuantan, GM Peladang Sdn Bhd, and all other parties involved in making the REaCH program a success. Their cross-disciplinary cooperation has contributed to the promotion of people and environmental sustainability through the implementation of the REaCH program.
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