Kampung Padang Jawa, 16 December 2023 – Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam through the College of Computing, Informatics and Mathematics (KPPIM) recently organized a “Smart Home/Smart Family” programme at Masjid As-Solihin, Kampung Padang Jawa, Shah Alam. Embarked as part of the Service Learning Malaysia – University for Society (SULAM) initiative, the programme aims to promote harmony in community relationships and improve the standards of living.
Six families, carefully chosen by the village head, embarked on a transformative journey as part of a unique program aimed at enhancing daily family management. These families have wished to discover how technologies could assist them in grappling with typical challenges when it comes to organizing family tasks, optimizing time, and supervising their children’s activities.
In preparation for this program’s rollout, a dedicated team of undergraduates conducted in-depth interviews with various households. Having a holistic understanding of community needs and aspirations, the undergraduates were able to identify areas where technology could be strategically implemented to contribute positively to the residents’ daily lives.
Several technologies such as MyPublicInfoBanjir, WhatsApp and Telegram were installed into the participant’s handheld devices. The families were provided with demonstrations at Masjid As-Solihin, Kampung Padang Jawa on the smart family features such as “MyPublicInfoBanjir” a tool for real-time flood updates. Community members also learned how to use WhatsApp and Telegram to improve parent-teacher communication as well as keeping an eye on their children’s school assignments. Small scale business owners were especially keen on the WhatsApp Business sharing session as it offers them the ability to enhance their customer connections.
Some of the undergraduates also conducted practical hands-on sessions at the participating families’ residence where they explored essential applications to start up online businesses such as WhatsApp business feature, Google Forms and TikTok business affiliate. The participants were also shown the ropes on how to use Life360, an application that employs cellular data, WiFi, and GPS to determine family members’ precise locations and to notify users when members arrive at a specific location or depart from it.
A brief sharing on computer awareness and security issues was also held. During this session, undergraduates engage with the community where they answer concerns and inquiries relating to technology.
Ms. Intan, one of the participants expressed “Even though there are several parts that are a bit tough to comprehend, KPPIM undergraduates managed to provide assistance with relative ease”. She further added, “New things that I have learned today would be very helpful to me and my family, and I hope that it can also help contribute towards my mother’s business”.
The event was a huge success as the community felt more empowered to be a savvy technology user to stay informed. These tools are not just technological feats; they are beacons of hope, designed to streamline and enrich the day-to-day lives of the Padang Jawa community, marking a pivotal step towards more efficient and harmonious home environments.
KPPIM SULAM 2023/2024 programme is one of the initiatives aimed at empowering and serving the community through volunteer activities. Undergraduates are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge practically and discover how the knowledge they have acquired can also improve the living standards of the local community. The activities also support the aspirations of Fourth, and Eleventh Sustainable Development Goals, which are Quality Education, as well as Sustainable Cities and Communities. It is also in line with the visions of Malaysia Madani.
