Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) recently conducted a workshop for its BIBD ALAF (Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future) students on the introduction of reducing food waste in Brunei, in its continuous bid to encourage the current and future generations to fully embrace green practices in ensuring a sustainable lifestyle.
The workshop was carried out in collaboration with Kilang Reroot, a Brunei-based project that helps raise awareness about food consumption and tackles food waste issues through workshops and food upcycling projects.
The workshop was aimed at introducing zero-waste and green living to the BIBD ALAF students through simple, creative and easy practices of waste management.
BIBD’s Chief Marketing Officer Hajah Nurul Akmar Haji Mohd Jaafar said that as a Partner in Progress for a Sustainable Future, the initiative is in line with the financial institution’s ever-growing dedication to supporting the UN SDG goals which in this case, Goal No.12 which is to ensure responsible consumption and production as well as Goal No.13 which addresses climate action.
“This also reflects our commitment to complement the Government’s efforts in realising the Brunei Vision 2035 through the creation of a green economy by fulfilling the Maqasid Shariah,” she said.
“Having these moral practices and qualities taught to our young generation at such an early age is only going to benefit the society and Brunei as a whole because, in the foreseeable future, we will then have fostered a generation that cares about the environment and knows the importance of living a sustainable lifestyle,” she added.
Several activities including quizzes, composting activity and recycling games made up the whole-day programme which was held from 9am until 5pm at the PGGMB building in the capital.
A total of 50 students from Years 4 to 10 including a range of non-major exam students and Lower Six students participated in the workshop.
The Kilang ReRoot projects aims to tackle food waste using the three pillars of sustainability: reducing food waste (environment) by involving multiple sectors of the Bruneian community (society) and creating opportunities for local businesses through food upcycling projects (economy).
Partnership with Kilang ReRoot also illustrates BIBD’s commitment to continue to showcase micro-small businesses and help them get the mileage from this partnership of aligned objectives.
The project focuses on efficient management in every stage of the food cycle, emphasising waste recovery to prevent food waste from being dumped in landfills.
The project plan begins from the grassroots level by raising awareness, introducing new ways to adapt to a zero-waste lifestyle and continuously engaging the public to eventually build a community that strives towards sustainable and zero-waste living.
The BIBD ALAF Programme is the only of its kind in the country that supports the life-long learning aspirations of its students and currently supports 243 students across various levels of education including primary, secondary and tertiary.
To be selected for the programme, students must achieve excellent examination results, scoring 85% and above.
One of the objectives of the BIBD ALAF Programme is to ensure that talented but underprivileged students are not limited by their financial circumstances, therefore students are also selected from a family background with a monthly household income level of not more than $500.
The programme aims to provide comprehensive support to all students under BIBD ALAF. Apart from financial and academic support, the students also take part in events such as workshops, motivational talks, career counselling as well as recreational activities.
Students who are deemed to need more support are also provided with Educational Intervention Programs such as tuition, personal coaching, and study groups. – Analisa Amu
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
