On August 12, 2024, Water Watch Penang (WWP) successfully conducted the “Negalitres for Schools” River and Water Education Program at SK Bayan Lepas 2. SK Bayan Lepas 2 is one of the 100 participating schools in the Negalitres for Schools Programme. As part of this programme, SK Bayan Lepas 2 is required to participate in this programme with the objective to increase awareness amongst the student on water issues globally, nationally and locally, as well as empowering the students in water saving initiatives. The session held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., saw the participation of ten teachers and 255 students from Standard 4 to Standard 6.
First, the program was introduced by WWP Education Officers, Ms. Fatin and Ms. Atiqah, accompanied by USM interns – Husna, Fatin, and Ci Shan. They provided a comprehensive overview of the program’s objectives, history, and accomplishments. Subsequently, students were educated on the global state of water resources, with a particular emphasis on the challenges African nations face in accessing clean water. Furthermore, they were also stressed on the health risks associated with consuming contaminated water out of necessity. Students were also taught and guided to calculate the usage of water based on their water bills. On top of that, Ms. Atiqah also explained to the students about three types of assessment to identify the cleanliness of the water and to figure out the quality of the water. The three tests are physical test, chemical test and biological test. The session also covered local and national water issues, with a special focus on Penang.
During the program, quizzes were held, and Water Watch Penang rewarded students who answered correctly with T-shirts as a token of appreciation. To further enhance students’ understanding of water conservation, Ms. Fatin outlined several water-saving techniques that can be implemented both at home and within the school. One of the strategies introduced was the installation of an automatic push tap at the school as part of the ‘Negalitres for Schools Programme.’ This tap conserves water by automatically shutting off a few seconds after use.
As the session concluded, Ms. Atiqah screened PBAPP’s Water Saving Video, fulfilling one of the program’s key requirements. Water Watch Penang extends its gratitude to SK Bayan Lepas 2 for their collaboration and permission to conduct this educational lecture at the school.
‘Negalitres for Schools,’ launched on 22 March 2022, was coordinated by WWP in partnership with Intel Corporation, CLEAN International, and in collaboration with Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) and PBAPP. This project is fully funded by CLEAN International Inc. and Intel Corporation and is also supported by the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Penang State Education Department. The local partners involved are the Penang State Government through the Penang Green Council, PBAPP, and the Green Educators Workgroup (GREW). For more information, please contact WWP Executive Manager, Dr. Hong Chern Wern, at hong.wwp@gmail.com or contact WWP at +6019-5751253.