Out of nowhere, my team (consists of three Burmese and two Malaysians) are enthusiastic to achieve our weird eco-goals within our short visit to Singapore besides taking a short getaway from our home countries.

 

Highlights of the visit to Singapore:

1)      Visited to NEWater Visitor Center

2)      Tour around NUS Campus and Youth Climate Change Forum

3)      Project with NUSSU SAVE

4)      Teaching lessons at CCSS

 

Since environmental education is the fundamental thing in saving the earth, we have decided to launch a project that educates children from school in Singapore focusing on solid waste. Despite the fact that we have been stepping on the waste since we were born, we are still confused between different types of waste. That lack of knowledge encourages us to produce more waste bringing unpredictable consequences to human beings.

Therefore, it is time for us to pass on the knowledge and experience to the next generations so that they don?t have to experience the worst experience as we did and we are now. We firmly hold the idea that school is the best place in educating children in terms of environment. We have come to believe that some environmental campaigns or educational activities could be done in Singapore, one of the world most developed countries.

Besides, we also believe that sharing information about environmental issues with the students in Singapore who are currently working to save the earth as much as they can will also be effective since we are accomplishing the same goal - Sustainability.

That will somehow broaden the understanding of students? capacity of how each state in the world is trying to solve environmental issues according to the political situation in which they are. At the same time, we believe we will be enabled to discuss how the environmental issues are addressed by different countries and how new models to tackle the environmental problems are being formed. With our short visit in Singapore, we anticipate that we will be able to raise awareness to some extent among students through teaching that is equipped with some demonstrations. As we believe that the younger, the better for us to educate about environmental issues, we have contacted a school that will happily allow us to spend with their children for a day or two. The effective outcome is expected in terms of environmental education although we have a day with the children.

The curriculum for the children has already been drawn to educate them and necessary resources have been attained and far read ahead. High confidence can be assigned in stating the fact that children will be able to distinguish between compostable things and things that must go to landfill and where things are made from since the pictures have been deployed in our teaching curriculum. Children will also have learned that the significant amount of waste can be reduced by practicing waste free lunch in their school. The activities that will be brought by us will be applied and hopefully see the brilliant outcomes since our times and efforts have been devoted to help build the sustainable community.

My team would like to have a joint-venture community project with the local environmental based non-governmental organization (NGOs) in Singapore during our visit.

Since we have limited time in Singapore, our team has decided to partner with the National University of Singapore Students? Union Students Against Violation of the Earth (NUSSU SAVE) and d?Klub mentoring program that works under the Care Community Services Society (CCSS).

The Students Against Violation of the Earth (SAVE) is the main environmental student organization in the National University of Singapore (NUS). It is strongly supported by the NUS Administration and NUS Students? Union where they are at the forefront of advocating environmental awareness, promoting activism, stewardship, and initiating impactful environmental programs in the university campus and beyond to combat global climate change. The SAVE mission is to create a paradigm shift in tackling environmental issues and promoting sustainable development through inspiring, empowering and bonding our community.

On the other hand, the d?Klub mentoring program [Care Community Services Society (CCSS)] is to service the community and to influence and equip individuals and families for empowered living through all generations. The CCSS is a program for children from disadvantaged families, which aims to help them develop their self-worth and character. The d?Klub is a program for children from disadvantaged families, which aims to help them develop their self-worth and character. The program is conducted through weekly one-to-one mentoring basis by reinforcing positive values and characters building through activities.

How did we help them in their needs?

We believe that the best way to work on our community projects in Singapore is by helping these environmental organizations to achieve their objectives needs. We will gather our full force energy and knowledge to being channel to the communities in Singapore. We will help to promote awareness of the on-going environmental projects and as well as to provide any assistance in the best way we can whenever required.

 
Besides that, we have also arranged to attend the Youth Climate Change Forum and paying a visit to the NEWater visitor centre in order to share and enhance our knowledge on waste management system in Singapore.

 

With the little exposure and knowledge of our team members? past environmental waste management project, we believe that we are able to obtain our objective goals by providing assistance in terms of a third party in Singapore.

Specific: We are providing assistance and help to promote the NUSSU SAVE projects in the NUS campus. Furthermore, we aimed to educate the young primary school children (d?Klub - Care Community Services Society) about the simple waste management methods that can be easily carry out in their community areas.

Measurable: Upon completing our community projects in Singapore, we are anticipating to have a better environmental awareness among the NUS students and the d?Klub school children.

Achievable: We have a team of five members that are dedicated to shower our endless strength and knowledge to the young peoples of Singapore.

Relevance:Our project emphasizes on the importance of proper waste management approach that are feasible to be conducted in the nation and our targeted groups involving the young generation of primary school children and university students.           

Timing: Only four days stay in Singapore to complete our community outreach project tasks and this has essentially set as our ultimate goal to be achieved in such a challenging period of time.

 

 

How did our small project fit within Singapore's Sustainability Blueprint?

According to the report of the Inter-ministerial committee on sustainable development of Singapore (Singapore Sustainability blueprint, 2009), there are four strategies to ensure Singapore's continued sustainable development. The third of them is to engage the community and encourage them to play their part by adopting more responsible practices, habits and lifestyles. SUSI Waste Management Team's these community services-based projects with NUS SAVE and CCSS in Singapore directly reflect the Singapore Government Environment Strategy.

One of their aims is to attain a recycling rate of 70% by 2030. They also want to ensure adequate supplies of water for future generations, and we aim to reduce domestic water consumption to 140L per person per day by 2030. According to the informal conversation with five individual students who studied and are studying at Singapore, the environmental policy, encouragement and enforcement of the government of Singapore inspire the Southeast Asian countries including our home countries, but there is this same small gap which we see in other countries, the genuine cooperation and awareness of the people.

By having our lists of project it may somehow contribute to both of the aims as we are helping the recycling activities indirectly in the university campus where the education takes place. The influence of the project to the youth may be great and it may create a future generations that are responsible towards environment.

And special thanks to my team members:

Auji Nabilah Abdul Razak (Malaysia), Aung Myo Win (Myanmar), Khine Soe Min (Myanmar) and Tin Htet Naing (Myanmar)