The ‘NEGALITRES FOR SCHOOLS’ educational talk, organized by Water Watch Penang (WWP), took place at SJK (T) Subramaniya Barathee on September 19, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The program was attended by a total of 37 students from Standard 5, accompanied by two teachers.
Dr. Hong Chern Wern, the Executive Manager of WWP, began the session by providing a brief explanation of Water Watch Penang and its overarching aims, as well as an outline of the program’s previous operations.
Following that, the passionate facilitators, Ms. Naaga Lechume and Ms. Divya Sree, both interning at WWP, led the session in Tamil. They delved into important water-related issues that extend beyond Penang, starting with discussions of global, governmental, and local water challenges. They also explored numerous innovative technologies and ways to conserve water resources, along with the process of assessing river water quality.
The educational highlight of the event was a detailed presentation about river macroinvertebrates. The students were taught about how macroinvertebrates are caught and identified to measure the health of the river ecosystem. They were shown videos of nymphs from stoneflies, dobsonflies, and dragonflies, sparking the students’ curiosity.
Quizzes were held in between the talks, and the winners each received prizes. Additionally, students were provided with the Water Saving Guidebook courtesy of PBAPP. Water Watch Penang would like to express its gratitude to SJK (T) Subramaniya Barathee for allowing us to organize and carry out this Negalitres for Schools Programme.