On the morning of November 9th, 2024, Water Watch Penang held yet another river education programme in partnership with Salcon Engineering Berhad at Taman Rimba Bukit Kerinchi. The programme was held as a part of Salcon’s Smart Water Programme, an ongoing corporate social responsibility partnership with Water Watch Penang for its 14th year in a row. Located right at the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s hustle and bustle, the students of SM Sains Seri Puteri were given the oppportunity to immerse themselves in nature and learn about the environment through our river education programme.
On 26th October 2024, Water Watch Penang participated as a resource ‘person’ at Greenastic Camp 2024 in SJKC Union. This camp was organised by SJKC Union in partnership with Malaysia Ecological Civilization Communication Center (MECCC), Center for Green Public History and World Green Movement Day.
During station games sharing session, a total 60 students were divided into six groups to participate in an engaging learning session about rainwater harvesting and its benefits. The session began with an introduction to the concept and purpose of rainwater harvesting, emphasizing its importance in conserving water and providing a sustainable water source. Students learned how rainwater collection systems help reduce dependence on treated water and alleviate pressure on local water resources as well as climate change mitigation.
On the 26th of October 2024, a choral speaking competition was held at SJKC Union. This competition was organized by Water Watch Penang in partnership with Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) and the Green Educators’ Workgroup (GREW), sponsored by Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Pulau Pinang. The aims of this competition were to highlight the critical need for Penangites to conserve water for future needs, as well as induce creativity in students through water themed education. We hoped to instil awareness of water issues in the younger generations and empower them to take action, as well as emphasize the importance of the English language in our education.
On the 14th to the 18th of October 2024, Water Watch Penang was given the privilege of having a talk and exhibition at the Youth Climate Summit 2024 Southeast Asia, an event organized by Penang Green Council and sponsored by ThinkCity. Our exhibiton, held at the UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, Georgetown Campus, ran for the event’s duration of 9 am to 5 pm daily, for 5 days. Aside from our exhibition at the ground floor, we also had a talk on water security as part of a parallel track session.
At our booth, we had a “lucky draw” prepared by our education officers Ms. Fatin Azahara and Ms. Nur Atiqah – visitors who came to our booth would be asked to spin for a number, then given a water-related question corresponding to that number. When answered correctly, we would gift visitors with an informational booklet on how to save water at home, as well as a water-saving kit from Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang. Aside from that, we also had our usual setup of chemical water quality test kits, informational slides and other games that can be played to educate the public about water issues locally as well as all over the world. Our intern, Ms. Chan Yi Ying, assisted at the booth as well.
On 2nd October 2024, Water Watch Penang organized a dual Water Education and Awareness Program at SK Kubang Telaga and SK Keting, in line with the Rainwater Harvesting System Project in Kelantan.
The main objective of the educational session was the same as before, which is to raise awareness among students about water issues at the international, national, and state levels, as well as the benefits of using rainwater as a clean secondary water source for daily needs. During the program, Water Watch Penang also demonstrated the operation of the rainwater harvesting system installed at the schools, as well as the UV system that supplies drinking-quality clean water.
