Brunei Volunteers Benefit Society

Haji Mohd Rozan presenting  a certificate to one of the training participants. (Source: Borneo Bulletin)
Bandar Seri Begawan, 12th December 2012 - FIFTY youth proclaimed "We are strong, we are unbreakable, we are invincible" as the 11th Life Skills Training (LESTARI) organised by the Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council (BDAC) came to a rousing close yesterday at the Female Residential College Hall, UBD.

Overcome with emotion, participants shed many a tear after opening their blindfolds to see their parents welcoming them after undergoing the four-day training programme.

This year's group of 50 youths, named themselves the 'Titanium 50' to represent the dense and hard metal. Utilising a combination of local and foreign practical training methods, the LESTARI programme used music, storytelling, audio and visual, games and interaction to teach life skills to participants and raise awareness of AIDS in Brunei.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hj Mohd Rozan Dato Paduka Hj Yunos, present as guest of honour at the closing ceremony, said, "Alhamdulillah... What you have taken part in and the knowledge you have gained on this course will bring you closer to achieving His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's vision of a syumul (comprehensive) youth".

The Permanent Secretary highlighted that as said by His Majesty, to truly achieve the ideal of comprehensiveness, one needs to fill themselves with knowledge.

"LESTARI covers a multitude of skills including cognitive, personal and interpersonal, which are forms of knowledge that are absolutely necessary in this day and age."

Hj Mohd Rozan also praised the training for instilling a culture of volunteerism and urged youths to expand their horizons beyond social and community services to humanitarian and more youth-centric issues.

One of the participants, Dyg Mantazah Hj Hamzah described the training as "an emotional journey. One moment you're crying, the next you're laughing".

"If there's anything that I've learnt from LESTARI it's to never give up. I have learnt to believe in myself and believe in others; that I need to back others up to get their backing."

Zul Hamzi Faiz Hj Zali said that he will keep the bonds made during the programme for life. "I see 50 different personalities, all of who are steadfast in character. LESTARI has taught me to be brave and to be creative."

The AIDS Council of Brunei Darussalam have received recognition for their efforts, being awarded the Commonwealth Youth Silver award in 2005 and 2007, as well as the ASEAN Ten Accomplished Youth Organisation (TAYO) Award last year.

-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times --

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brunei Royal Wedding 2015: Profile of Royal Bride Dayangku Raabi'atul Adawiyyah

Image
DAYANGKU RAABI'ATUL ADAWIYYAH BINTI PENGIRAN HAJI BOLKIAH Yang Mulia Dayangku Raabi'atul `Adawiyyah binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah was born on the 27th October 1992. She is the second child of Pengiran Haji Bolkiah bin Pengiran Haji Jaluddin bin Pengiran Haji Tajuddin with Pengiran Hajah Noor'aismah binti Pengiran Haji Ismail bin Pengiran Haji Tengah. Her eldest brother, Awangku Abd. 'Aziz Hafizuddin bin Pengiran Haji Bolkiah, works at the Royal Brunei Airlines. Her other siblings are Awangku Mohd Ainul Yaqien; Dayangku Noor Batuul 'Afiqah; Dayangku Izzatul `Afifah; Dayangku Duratul Majeedah; Dayangku Nur Hidayatul Maheerah; Awangku Mohd Zainul ‘Ariffin; Awangku Mohd Irfan Hakeem; and Awangku Mohd Izzul Yamin @ Abdul Razeeq. (Note: Direct descendants of the Brunei Sultans carry the hereditary title of Pengiran. However as children and young adults, they are normally styled Awangku (for male) and Dayangku (for female) until they marry, when the title conver
Read more

Family Titles in Brunei

Image
On my recent blog on Brunei's Time Line , one commentator got carried away and she started to talk about events in the past before moving on to nicknames. I enjoyed what she wrote and I offered for her to write a whole blog about it and I will put it up. But up to now, I have not received anything from her. So, Hajah Yati, if you are reading, my offer still stands. And for the rest of you readers out there, if you don't have your own blogsite, I am most ready to offer my site for the occassional blogs that you want to write - just make sure the blogs are Brunei related. You can set up your own blogsite once you feel comfortable. As someone later on commented, it will be nice to read someone else's blogs too on this website. At least on this one, you get an instant 300+ readers a day. So, please, my e-mail is admin@bruneiresources.com. Do write. I don't have much on nicknames to write on as suggested by Hajah Yati. I remembered when I was at school (primary), I have fri
Read more

Pulau Cermin - Brunei's Historic Island

Image
Since I was already on the water visiting the Jong Batu at one end of the Brunei River, I thought I might as well go to the other end and visit the other historical site of Brunei, Pulau Cermin. Pulau Cermin as many Brunei historians know it is the site of the temporary palace of Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin, the 13th Sultan of Brunei and is the site of the only civil war in Brunei History. Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin took the throne after assasinating Sultan Muhammad Ali. It was quite a bloody time in Brunei history and I remembered one classic book written by Yura Halim entitled "Mahkota Berdarah" regarding the episode. Pulau Cermin - view from the River In a nutshell, Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin was the Bendahara when his son was killed by the son of Sultan Muhammad Ali. He requested that his son's death be avenged but Sultan Muhammad Ali denied him. So Bendahara Abdul Mubin went amok killing a few people at the palace and with his followers took the Sultan and killed him (No
Read more