WORK ATTACHMENT PROJECT (WAP).

Organize projects for youth are to fulfill their needs and to involve them in healthy activities. In addition, to help them gain knowledge, skills and non-formal education which to develop them and expose them with physical, social and mental activities. During projects, we also have given them opportunity to plan and implement the projects. By involving them in planning and implementing the projects, we have the opportunities to understand what they needs and give them experiences.

The project that I had been facilitated involved the youth planned and implemented the project based on their choice. I only became facilitator and assisted them during the project. We provided $500.00 for them to do the project but they could get sponsored from private sector to support their project to make their project succeed. They provided proposal paper work and after that, as their facilitator, I checked the paper work and assisted them if the paper work needed to be improved and what else to be done during the project.

The project was about community work to help old poor people whom are not able to earn self-income to live for their living and they really need our attention. With doing this community work, we hope we can build good relationship among the youth and society. In addition it is also to inherit the spirit of caring and responsible of each youth towards unlucky or unable society by helping them. In the paper work, their objectives were to develop good characteristics, consciousness, caring and responsible for Brunei resident about unlucky society. It is also to gain experiences and knowledge for participants with this kind of activities especially charity activities. In addition to open their mind and eyes about the existence of unlucky people who are really need attention. This activity also is one of training for the youth who are schooling at Youth Development Center and for their self-knowledge for Self-Development Program. It is for their practical especially students who are taking Landscape and Gardening Course.

Their planned was to help poor people and made research by chose one family who are living near their schools. They met the head village of Tanah Jambu and approach him about their project. The head village told them there is one family with two members and they are ageing people. The head village told them that this family really needs attention. The head villages told them that, Awang Rakib is blind and live with her sister which both of them is ageing people. They live at their own house and they just renovate their house with the help of society by using the donation money. The area of their house is full with bushes and their electricity is relying on generator to live. But then, if they don’t have sufficient money, they cannot afford to buy petrol to generate the electricity.

After that, they went to the house and looked for what they should do to help the family. It is true on what the head village said. In the family, there are only two members, blind ageing men and her sister whom are taking care of him which her sister is ageing woman too but haven’t marry yet. They lived in wooden house and surrounded by their planting and bushes. The house doesn’t have toilet and proper kitchen. The house also doesn’t have proper drainage to make the rain water flow properly. I also went to the place to observe what the family really need and what the youth should do during the implementation.

After our visit, we improved the paper work and added some activities on what should be done to help the family. Before the implementation, we organized properly the paper work and planned what should we do. The youths also find suitable date to implement the date and before that, the youth tried to get sponsored. It took two weeks to get sponsored and arranged everything to implement the project. Since the participants’ youth are from the Youth Development Center (PBB), they also involved 150 students from the Pusat Pembangunan Belia and the teachers. They divided the students into three groups and the teachers. All of the members of the school involved during this project. Each group had their own work, first group cleaning and repair the house, second group made the drainage, third group clean the area in addition plant vegetables and fruits. It took two months to plan the paper work, divide the committees, made research to find unlucky family, lettering, sponsorship, preparation of hardware and things for doing the work.

When the time came, they started at 8.00am. Each group played their roles. Since there were 150 students, it was easy to do the work in one day. Everyone enjoyed during the project even thought the weather was rainy day but it didn’t stop them from doing their work. It is a challenge to them but they really enjoyed doing their work. Each group did their work. They were volunteering and hence they were practicing their skills. In the afternoon at 3.oopm, we had closing ceremony and the guest of honor was the Assistant Permanent Secretary of Ministry Culture, Youth and Sports. The project ran successfully. During the closing ceremony, the guest of honor gave all sponsored things such as food and money to the family. The guest of honor came in to the house and looked around the area. Even though the project had finished but the youths still continue to look after the family and help the family because it’s already part of their family.

After the project, the youth needed to gave us their report and from their report, it is for their evaluation and for my evaluation. We also have post-mortem meeting about the project. Everyone discussed about what we all have done and what should we do in future.

This project ran successfully and I felt grateful because the youth has the spirit to help poor people. By doing community work, the youth could inherit the feeling of helping people and not isolate them. What we had learnt, we are so happy that we gain so much knowledge during the project. I learnt to improve my skills and the youths learnt how to plan project and implement it. My relations with the youth are become closer and I’m proud of them because they are very energetic. They also learn so much things such as, how to do paper work, how to get sponsored, how to deal with people, writing letter, plan chart, budget report, doing speech, team work, the spirit of volunteering and feeling of to help people. This project brings positive impact to the youths, they are not helping the poor people but for them the two poor people are part of their family. In future, I want the youth to involve in community work and Youth Section also always provide community work activities for the youth. It is healthy activities and brings benefit to the youth to involve in this kind of activity. It is better for youth to involve in community work than just loitering around.