Project Malaysia 2010

Executive Summary

The Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Malaysia, are what one might call the "forgotten minority" of Malaysia. Being given little help from the government in terms of infrastructure and support, there has been a lack of a proper system of waste management and proper sanitary facilities in Kampong Orang Asli Simpang Arang. Consequently, this has rendered the village unhygienic for the villagers and it puts their health at risk. This project will aim mainly to devise a proper system of waste management for the village, and to promote awareness on the importance of proper waste management and good sanitary habits among the youths in the village. Through this, we look forward to fostering a young generation of community leaders through empowerment, instead of merely providing them with solutions.

Community Challenge

Our team will be working with the Orang Asli youth in Kampong Orang Asli Simpang Arang, a village settlement of around 150 families by the Tebrau Straits in Johor, Malaysia.  The Orang Asli are an indigenous population in Malaysia. Being given little infrastructural help, the village lacks a proper system of waste management and proper sanitary facilities. Rubbish and waste are not properly disposed of and open defecation remains a major problem. The villagers have no means of disposing waste as the city council makes no effort to collect the rubbish from the village.

Objectives

Our two core aims are:

·         to empower youths to be future leaders in their home community in advocating for an environment with better living conditions; and

·         to help implement a sustainable waste management system for the village.

Approaches

In order to implement a better waste management system, we plan to set up a small centralized composting system in the village. We will purchase materials needed for the composting system and will educate the youths and prominent members of the village on the utilization of the system and the importance of it. It is our hope that they will set an example for the rest of the village in using the composting system. Along these lines, we will be conducting environmental-awareness workshops to promote better sanitation habits among the villagers. We will also organize a community-wide cleanup to inculcate in the villagers a stronger understanding of being committed to a cleaner environment.
To promote youth empowerment, we will be conducting service leadership workshops following the Southeast Asian Service Leadership Network (SEALNet) model to develop leadership skills and the spirit of volunteerism among the high school students.

Local Partners

Our on-ground NGO partner will be Save Our Seahorses (SOS), an environmental and marine conservation organization that has expanded their focus to addressing the issues pertaining to the Orang Asli population in Kampong Simpang Arang. During project-planning, they will act as our main liaison with the local community and authorities as well as contribute ideas and suggestions in catering our project to the needs of the community. For the duration of the project, they will mainly be helping us with the logistics.

Team Member Responsibilities

• Be involved in the development of the program curriculum before going on the ground
• Serve as mentors to the youths during the project, and maintain this relationship after the conclusion of the project
• Plan and facilitate leadership lessons for the students
• Collaborate with the youths and SOS in cleaning up the village and setting up sustainable ways of waste management.
• Assist the youths in planning and conducting a community outreach event (i.e. waste management fair)
• Inspire the students in becoming advocates for a more sustainable environment and better sanitary practices.
• Keep an eye out for the safety and health of other team members
• Be a source of inspiration for others in the team by giving support and taking initiatives.

Skills Required

• Passion for social action and change through empowerment.
• An open mind (extremely important!)
• A strong interest in one or more of the following: inspiring youths, Orang Asli, sustainable waste management, public health, and/or working with students with low English proficiency.
• Ability to interact and communicate despite language barriers and cultural differences.
• Knowledge and/or experience with public health and setting up sustainable ways of waste management a plus.
• Knowledge in Malay/Indonesian (recommended, but not necessary) or be willing to learn some basic Malay.

Notes

We look forward to hear from all of you if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions! We value your ideas and suggestions in making this project a success. Shoot us an email then if you have any questions about anything and suggestions for the project.

Project Leaders

Min Sern Teh mteh1@swarthmore.edu

Han Hsien Liew hliew@wesleyan.edu