TENTATIVE DATE: 4th MAY 2024
INTRODUCTION
The Water Education: Nurturing Minds by The River will be organized by the American Chemical Society Universiti Sains Malaysia International Student Chapter (ACS USM) on 4th May 2024. ACS USM is looking forward to collaborating with Water Watch Penang (WWP) to educate about safe and clean water practices for personal and community health, especially those who are underprivileged. The event will be held at Taman Jajar Sungai Ara located at Bayan Lepas.
Water education programs to raise community awareness of Taman Jajar Sungai Ara’s water resources and their impact are essential for educating the local communities. These initiatives, tailored to the region’s specific challenges and opportunities, promote health, hygiene, ecological awareness, and sustainable practices. By providing targeted education and resources, these programs support equal education, sustainable development, and community empowerment. In order to promote a sense of responsibility and a commitment to wise water management, the goal is to equip locals with the knowledge they need to make rational choices about water usage and environmental preservation. In the long run, this effort supports the current community’s well-being and ensures Taman Jajar Sungai Ara’s water resources are used sustainably for future generations to come.
Water Watch Penang is a non-governmental organization in Malaysia that aims to raise public awareness of water. ACS USM hopes to collaborate with WWP to organize this event in order to provide an excellent opportunity to address the specific needs of the underprivileged, while also teaching valuable knowledge and skills for sustainable living and responsible usage of water.
OBJECTIVE/AIM
Water Education: Nurturing Minds By The River aims to educate orphaned children from Crystal Family Home about good sanitation and water hygiene practices in order to enhance their overall development and well-being. This promotes healthy practices and lowers the risk of sickness caused by water. In addition, this program teaches important life skills related to water conservation, purification techniques, and appropriate usage of water, giving orphaned children helpful information in their daily lives. We chose Crystal Family Home because it is conveniently situated near USM and offers effective logistics for planning and carrying out the water education program. This will ensure that activities are smoothly planned.
An important organization in the community, Crystal Family Home offers a place to live and support to those in need, such as underprivileged children and orphans. We hope to directly address the needs of those people by focusing on this orphanage. At the same time, the objective to ensure that education equality is addressed by this program where orphaned children should have equal access to water education opportunities. By doing so, a safe learning environment that supports their personal growth will be created where the orphaned children will not only be aware of their environment and have basic life skills, but will also be prepared to make meaningful contributions to the community.
Moreover, this program is also designed not only to give knowledge to orphaned children but also to empower USM students to become facilitators while guiding the orphan through the learning process. This will ensure that the orphans receive a more individualized and applicable education while also giving the students opportunities to improve their leadership skills. Thus, students will be equipped with the necessary skills to assist orphans during water education activities.
With the same vision as WWP, our student chapter is committed to community and environmental sustainability. The program is designed primarily in two directions. The first is SDG 4 which focuses to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The second relates to sustainable management of water resources (SDG 6).
RELATED SDGS AND PENANG 2030 VISION
TENTATIVE PROGRAMMES
This event would be a half-day event, scheduled from morning at 8.30 a.m. until 12.30p.m. Our targeted participants are 30 students from USM and 20 orphaned children from Crystal Family Home Penang. Simultaneously, a public outreach booth will be set up to draw in the public to educate them on the importance of safe and clean water practices for personal and community health.
On the event day, all participants will depart from both USM and Crystal Family Home at 8.30 a.m. and are estimated to arrive at Taman Jajar Sungai Ara at 8.45 a.m. A welcoming session will be held to introduce Water Watch Penang to every participant. Then, the public outreach booth will be showcased to every participant and also the public. After that, hands-on river water analysis will be conducted where physical monitoring of water will be done first.
This session includes the determination of odour, colour, turbidity, temperature, and velocity of the river water. Next, the session will continue with chemical monitoring of river water. This session includes the determination of dissolved oxygen, ammoniacal nitrogen, phosphate, nitrite, nitrate, and pH of the river water. Then, starting from around 10.20 a.m., there will be a short break for about 20 minutes.
After the short break, a biological monitoring session will take place. The participants will have the opportunity to catch, identify, and release the macroinvertebrates that are present within the river. Questions-and-answers (Q&A) session will also be held to give the participants the opportunity to clear any of their doubts throughout the program.
To wrap everything up, a photography session will be held to appreciate every participant. Participants are estimated to arrive back at USM and Crystal Family Home respectively at around 12.30 p.m.
EXPECTED OUTPUT/OUTCOMES
One of the program’s outputs is the delivery of interactive water education sessions that demonstrate how sciences are applied in water testing for orphaned children and USM students.
This output contributes directly to SDG 6 by promoting access to clean water and sanitation facilities, thus fostering a culture of responsible water usage.
The program’s primary outcome is to provide orphaned children and USM students with knowledge and skills in water hygiene, conservation, and the preservation of the environment.
Through engaging activities and interactive sessions conducted on-site, this program aims to instil a deep understanding of the importance of water resources. This outcome directly supports SDG 4 by providing quality education that is not only academically enriching but also equips the participants with practical life skills that are crucial for their overall development.
PARTNERSHIPS
- PBAPP
- American Chemical Society, Universiti Sains Malaysia International Student Chapter (ACS USM)