Five storytelling sessions in total were held from August to November 2022. More than 550 children/students, aged from three to twelve, participated in the face-to-face activities at several sites (kindergarten, primary school, and story home). The children were exposed to water-related concepts and their knowledge of water was to be increased through a variety of water-conservation-theme activities, including storytelling led by WWP’s facilitator and teachers, painting, crafting projects, and other activities. They also gained knowledge about water resources, the necessity of water in daily life, the water crisis, and the importance of water conservation and water saving for a reliable supply of water.
Starlight Kindyland, Bukit Mertajam, P.Pinang – 19 August 2022 (2 sessions)
There were 2 sessions held at Starlight Kindyland, Bukit Mertajam, conducted by Dr. Ng Si Ling, a member of Water Watch Penang and Senior Lecturer in USM, fellow passionate teachers, Ms. Tan Xue Ying, and Ms. Candace on 19 August 2022. For session 1, a total of 26 children (5-6 years old) and 3 teachers participated in this session. Session 2 which was conducted by Dr. Ng Si Ling, Ms. Kate, and Ms. Ningxi were attended by a total of 19 students (3 to 4 years old) and 3 teachers participated in this event. For these two sessions at Starlight Kindyland, art and craft contests (two categories) were also conducted for 3 to 4 and 5 to 6 years old children. Their artwork about water conservation and water-saving tips was shared on social media.
The Giving Tree Storyhouse, Bukit Mertajam, P.Pinang – 9 October and 6 November 2022 (2 sessions)
In partnership with PBAPP and Universiti Sains Malaysia, led by Dr. Oh Wen Da and Dr. Ni Si Ling who are also Committee members and members of Water Watch Penang respectively, water treatment education kits were designed, developed, and utilised in this workshop. Two sessions conducted by Dr. Ng Si Ling, Ms. Tan Xue Ying, Ms. Candace, and Ms. Ningxi were held at the Giving Tree Storyhouse and opened to the public. A total of 60 participants consist children and parents learned about water conservation, water saving, and water treatment through storytelling, sharing, and water kit experiments. This education kit will also be showcased as part of the experiments at the Penang International Science Fair this coming 10 December 2022.
SJK(C) Jit Sin A, Bukit Mertajam, P.Pinang – 25 November 2022
A storytelling session was hosted at SJKC Jit Sin A conducted by Dr. Ng Si Ling and Teacher Lim (Assistant principal) and was attended by a total of 488 students (Standard 1 to Standard 6) and 36 teachers. The picture book “The Water Princess” was shared with students and teachers to raise awareness of water scarcity. The global, national, and local water crises were discussed with the participants. Additionally, they also learnt about practical water-saving tips.
For more information, you may contact the project lead Dr. Oh Wen Da at ohwenda@usm.my or Dr. Ng Si Ling at slng@usm.my
