Humanitarian Affairs Curtin Sarawak lends helping hand to needy family

Miri – 1 July 2016 – 48 student volunteers from Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) recently carried out a community outreach project at Kampung Pujut Tanjung Batu, helping a needy family comprising an elderly woman, her daughter and grandson refurbish their house that had fallen into a state of disrepair.

Organised by the university’s Humanitarian Affairs Curtin Sarawak (HACS) student chapter, the project saw the students and volunteers from other organisations working on the house and its compound on three separate days.

The work included the cleaning of both the interior and exterior of the house, clearing of bushes and shrubs in its compound, and giving the house a fresh coat of paint.

On hand to help the HACS volunteers were workers from the Miri City Council, firefighters from the Miri Fire and Rescue Department, and Kampung Pujut Tanjung Batu villagers led by village headman Usman Sulaiman.

The project also received the support of Curtin Sarawak’s Leadership and Entrepreneurship Centre and Sarawak Assistant Minister for Land and Air Transportation and Safety and Assistant Minister for Tourism, Datuk Dr Lee Kim Shin, who also dropped by to lend a helping hand.

Organising chairperson George Lim Jing Wei praised everyone for their hard work and urged Curtin Sarawak’s students to fully embrace the spirit of volunteerism and continue making a positive impact on the community.

HACS Vice-president of Special Events Sakti Satesh Rames added that through involvement in such community outreach projects, students can get a better idea of the community’s needs and how to support them.

Volunteer Arvin Kumara, meanwhile, said community outreach is a big part of the culture at Curtin Sarawak, especially among the various student organisations there. He was glad to be a part of the project and looks forward to volunteering for other projects in the future.

HACS is part of Humanitarian Affairs United Kingdom, a London-based social enterprise that initiates and supports humanitarian relief efforts and development programmes in countries that are poverty-stricken and disaster-prone.

Through its activities, HACS provides young people at Curtin Sarawak opportunities to engage in humanitarian service, strengthen their awareness of diverse cultures, and develop a lifelong commitment to helping others. For more information on the student chapter, email humanitarianaffairs.curtin@gmail.com.

Volunteers painting the exterior of the house.

Men from Miri Fire and Rescue Department helped to hose down the interior.

Volunteers pose for a group photo with Datuk Dr Lee Kim Shin (centre).