AYVP Programme Report

ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP)

Capturing the ASEAN Spirit

Through Knowledge-Driven Volunteerism
& Community Engagement

PROGRAMME REPORT 2013

Table of contents
Voices of leaders

3

Collective Foreword

5

Distribution of Volunteers based
on country

6

The Journey of AYVP@AsiaEngage

8

Building an ASEAN Regional Identity

10

Bio-Diversity Sites
i) Kampung Dew, Perak

ii) Mersing, Johor

iii) Setiu, Terengganu

12

iv) Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP)

Celebration after Conservation
Voices of the Volunteers

22

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

23

In the news...

2

20

24

Programme Report 2013

Voices of leaders
YB Mr. Khairy Jamaluddin
Minister of Youth and Sports

“The Asean community in 2015 would not be just about government-to-government relationships
and summits, or economic agreements, but of creating a community of ASEAN people with one vision
and one ideal. Ordinary people-to-people engagement is important in building a sense of ASEAN
community. The volunteers did not only come together just to get to know each other individually, but
to take part in building regional camaraderie and realising the impact of our shared future together
in ASEAN.”

Prof. Datuk Dr. Noor Azlan Ghazali

Vice Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
“I assumed the role of Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on 1st January 2014. As VC,
I fully endorse UKM’s continued support of the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme. This programme
deserves our full support as it significantly contributes to the development of leadership qualities
among ASEAN youths. This is a noble cause as these youths will become the future leaders of
our ASEAN Community. As leaders in in their respective disciplines, these youths have dedicated
themselves to uplifting the quality of life of communities across ASEAN. We salute them for their
commitment and wish them the very best in this self-sacrificing endeavor.”

Prof Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hassan Shahabudin
Former-Vice Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

“We believe that knowledge from research has academic value when published. However the real
value is when it is transferred to benefit communities locally, nationally or internationally. That is true
social innovation. The knowledge flow is by no means unilateral. We too gain by learning from the
communities we serve.
In UKM we put a premium on community engagement as a way of transferring knowledge for
participatory, bottom-up, people-centered development as well as for inculcating ethics, values and
responsibility through real world lessons from the community as the classroom. Volunteerism is a key
aspect of these activities.”

H.E David L. Carden

United States Ambassador to ASEAN
“USAID’s support of the AYVP contributes to the ASEAN goal to improve capacities and empower
young people so that they contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic, and prosperous
communities and nations. Volunteerism is a key factor in encouraging people participation and
establishing common action within the community. The ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme is a
dedicated platform for young volunteers to take heed to this call to action.

H.E. Alicia Dela Rosa Bala

Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
The ASEAN Secretariat is always supportive of the youth who have great potential to be agents of
progress in the development of an ASEAN Community not only in terms of politics and economics but
also people empowerment. To quote “indeed, ASEAN peoples must dare to dream, but all the more
- care to share.”
3


Collective
Foreword

One of the powerful and meaningful ways that we can bring various sectors of
ASEAN people together is through community engagement and volunteerism.
Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging the region’s youth in tackling the
shared challenges faced by the ASEAN community. It can benefit both the region
and the youth involved in volunteerism initiatives by developing understanding,
strengthening trust, enhancing community wellbeing and forging an ASEAN identity.
The ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP) is an instrument that will create
opportunities for youth across the region. This will be through the thematic areas of
Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, Social Entrepreneurship, Youth-friendly
Health services, Education Development, The Environment, Protecting ASEAN’s
Heritage, Disaster Response, Risk Reduction and Recovery, Sports and Recreation.
As they do this, they learn about each other and strengthen intercultural
relationships, increasing ASEAN awareness and contributing to a strong ASEAN
identity – a younger generation who not only volunteer but also develop leadership
qualities, coloured with the strength of humility, kindness and compassion – with
strong minds and also generous souls.

“The core principles that
drive the make-up of this
programme are:
It is a knowledge-driven
community engaged programme
which provides invaluable
opportunities for volunteers
to make relevant and apply
theoretical knowledge to meet
real world needs, to meet with the
needs of the communities at the
various biodiversity sites.
This journey requires volunteers
to expand upon multi-disciplinary
knowledge, be organised, be
disciplined and understand
committed, to work in teams,
the needs of others and respect
different cultures and empower
communities as well as learn from
them.”

There will be challenges and not all volunteerism initiatives have positive outcomes.
But if we do this well, developing a system for regional volunteerism to flourish
effectively and recognizing the quality and merit of our various programmes/
projects, we will develop and leave for the next generation a legacy for volunteerism
that will have a long-lasting effect on the development of our youth and all our
communities across ASEAN.
The inaugural programme for ‘The Development of ASEAN Youth Eco-Leaders
through Volunteerism and Community Engagement’ has seen the volunteers
spend five meaningful and highly impactful weeks with each other and the local
communities in four different biodiversity sites in Malaysia. Through the sharing of
knowledge, culture and experiences, the engagement of the volunteers with the
local community is truly the embodiment of Bringing ASEAN Closer to the People.
It is hoped that the inaugural programme will serve as a catalyst for the volunteers
to create a multiplier effect of knowledge driven and community engaged
volunteerism amongst young people across the region.

Prof. Dato’ Dr Saran Kaur Gill
Deputy Vice Chancellor, UKM
& Executive Director of AYVP@AsiaEngage

5


Volunteers
by numbers

vietnam

13

volunteers

cambodia

12

volunteers
MYANMAR

8

volunteers

malaysia

18

volunteers
INDONESIA

13

volunteers

6


Philippines

14

volunteers
brunei

7

volunteers

thailanD

4

volunteers

97

TOTAL
volunteers
Gender
Distribution

40%
60%

LAOS

4

volunteers

singapore

4

volunteers

Age Distribution
26-30 years old

14%

47%

39%
18-20 years old
21-25 years old

7


The Journey
of AYVP@
In 2008, when cyclone Nargis, a strong tropical cyclone that
caused the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of
Myanmar struck the country, asean member states responded
to a country in need. Volunteers under the umbrella of
Asean Volunteers Program (AVP), were mobilised to help
communities recover from the disaster. This successful one-off
initiative indicated the need for a more sustainable program
that could effectively coordinate and manage the deployment
of asean volunteers for regional community development.

In 2010 at the request of the ASEAN Secretariat, USAID
through the ASEAN-U.S. Technical Assistance and Training
Facility (TATF) drafted “startup and operational” guidelines
for an ASEAN-led volunteer programme. However, the ASEAN
Secretariat faced significant challenges in implementing and
managing the programme. This was because it would have
required tremendous resource, commitment and efforts.
Therefore, the startup of the AVP was delayed until a more
opportune time.
This opportunity came in 2011 when the Deputy Vice
Chancellor (Industry & Community Partnerships) of UKM met
Dato’ Misran Karmain, (former Deputy Sec Gen of ASEAN for
the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)) at the AUN
Board of Trustees meeting in Luang Prabang, Laos. Dato’
Misran recognised and appreciated UKM’s commitment to
community engagement. UKM was then invited to send in
a proposal for the development and implementation of the
ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme.

8


AYVP MISSION STATEMENT
As UKM worked on the proposal, the ASEAN secretariat
contacted the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports and
they found that both organisations had a similar vision and
the foresight to support the development of AYVP. The
proposal to develop the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme
was presented at the SOMY meeting at Hanoi on the 18th
October 2011 and supported by the former Minister of Youth
and Sports Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek during
the Seventh ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting on Youth (AMMY
VII) on 20th October 2011.
Subsequently, it was endorsed
by all SOMY member states.

The AYVP is a dedicated youth volunteerism
platform to implement regional volunteerism
projects that mobilise ASEAN youth to develop
innovative solutions to the social, cultural, economic
and environmental challenges of communities
across ASEAN, while forging a sense of regional
identity and cross-cultural understanding among
ASEAN youth.

The AYVP Mandate

AYVP’s main goal is to drive youth
volunteerism and community development
that involve young people with a targeted
demographic age of between 18 and
30 from higher education, colleges,
youth organisations, NGOs and working
professionals across ASEAN.

This led to the birth of the
ASEAN Youth Volunteer
Programme (AYVP).
The AYVP Secretariat at UKM, together with the two
other entities (ATNEU and AUN USR&S) are housed
under the umbrella of AsiaEngage. The Executive
Director of AsiaEngage and her team, work in close
partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat, Malaysian
Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of
Education to identify, develop and implement impactful
knowledge-driven youth volunteerism projects involving
multiple stakeholders.

To create the multiplier effect across
ASEAN countries, AYVP will work to
develop as a regional hub that provides
technical assistance in developing
expertise and capacities for other ASEAN
member countries to run knowledgedriven volunteerism and community
engagement programmes in these eight
thematic areas:
1) The Environment
2) Protecting ASEAN’s Heritage
3) Disaster Risk Reduction & Recovery
4) Rural Development and Poverty
Eradication
5) Social Entrepreneurship
6) Youth-Friendly Health Services
7) Education Development
8) Sports and Recreation

9


Building an ASEAN
Regional Identity
“Before AYVP, I just know ASEAN as
an alliance of countries in South East
Asia. I could not feel the togetherness.
But then after the sessions on ASEAN
and ASEAN identity, I got the message.
Although we are different, but we share
some similarities that make us ASEAN”
Sri Rizki (Indonesia)

Passion, energy, leadership, impact - brought together
97 youth volunteers from across ASEAN, for five weeks,
(15 August – 20 September), to the ASEAN Youth Volunteer
Programme (AYVP@AsiaEngage) at Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia (UKM).

During the first week, the ASEAN Youth Eco-Leaders were
hosted at UKM- the only University in the region that is located
in about 100 hectares of forest reserve. One of the university’s
research strengths is in the field of the environment
and climate change. Therefore, exposure to UKM’s rich
biodiversity and environment research was a fitting start to the
programme.
They spent the first week getting acquainted with each other
and the journey of AYVP@AsiaEngage. Lectures and group
activities were held at the Faculty of Science and Technology
(FST) which saw interactive discussions on ASEAN identity,
community engagement initiatives and environmental issues
in the region. Much preparation also took place for their
3-week immersion at the 4 biodiversity sites i.e. Kg. Dew,

10


“The thing that has most impacted me during
the first week is how we have an ASEAN
identity. Besides shared values and traits, we
also share common environmental challenges
such as deforestation, pollution and waste
management. Thus, we should come together
as a region, combining expertise and strengths
to combat the situation.”
Alanna Tan (Malaysia)

Perak, Mersing, Johor, Setiu Wetlands and Kuala Selangor Park
through an orientation with site coordinators and first aid
training from the UKM Medical and Health Centre.
The Eco-Leaders also engaged in discussions on the
environmental context of ASEAN, from which they developed
awareness of the issues shared by the region. Shared
problems call for shared solutions - a learning process for
these promising young leaders, as they lived for three weeks
with communities in one of the four bio-diversity sites around
Malaysia
The Eco-Leaders had ample time to explore the campus,
especially its rainforest, as well as learning from the best
practices of 3 of its environment programmes - the Green
Rose, Rainforest Discovery and S.E.E. Nature. They gained
historical insight and environmental perspective on the
ASEAN as a regional bloc, while contextualising it into their
respective ethnic, national and regional identities. They also
learned innovative strategies on youth leadership and multistakeholder partnerships.
Finally, Eco-Leaders have developed a sense of camaraderie,
even outside the sessions of the programme. On their free
day, they explored the City of Kuala Lumpur and visited tourist
spots such as the KLCC Towers, National Museum, National
Mosque, Central Market, Batu Caves, Bukit Bintang and China
Town. AYVP@AsiaEngage Idol Night also witnessed the unique
cultures of each country through their songs, dances, and
skits, as well as preparations for the performance of “The
ASEAN Way” – the theme song for the inaugural batch.

11


Bio-Diversity sites

Firefly habitat
conservation &
community based
eco-tourism

Kampung Dew, Perak
Based at the “Kelip-kelip” jetty near Sungai Sepetang where tourists
make their way to view the firefly beetles every night, the volunteers
worked hard daily to support existing local community initiatives on
forest conservation, as well as environmental education. Efforts were
geared towards boosting community-based eco-tourism, as locals are
largely dependent on income generated from tourists in the area. Among
the activities they engaged in were firefly-surveying, host plant tagging,
and tree planting along the river banks.
They worked collaboratively in two main groups in order to enhance the
natural surroundings of the jetty area which is the starting point of firefly
tours, as well as to train local tour guides with basic language lessons and
information, education and communication (IEC) materials. Each group
came up with a website, a pamphlet design and a script for the ecotourism campaign. In addition, they organised a community exhibition
and a series of school talks to raise awareness on the importance of
proper solid waste management and keeping the river clean.

Site Coordinator
Dr Norela Sulaiman
Site Facilitators
Nur Izzad Fahmi
ah
Harizah Nadiah Hamz
Najwa Khalil
rs
ASEAN Youth Eco-Leade
ji Ismail
hammad Firdaus Bin Ha
Mu
Lloyd Lugtu Lumagbas
Laurence
Fazlinda Bt Kamarudin
Vuong Tu Chau
Soknim Soeng
Sujardin Syarifuddin
Trini Yuni Pratiwi
Andreas Nathius
ynha
Vansanaphon Vongxa
r Thu
Mya Thanda
Hla Aye
Salvador
Nikka Tatiana Munion
n Zuleta
Kyle Esperanza Rafana
a
Cyrollah Rasol Disom
Jose De La Cruz
Bryan Quek Wei Hong
Rungtip Junlah
Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh
h
Nguyen Phan Thao Trin
Ton Nu Tuong Vy
ni
Norul Kamilah Mat Jela
qah Binti Tahir
Nur Ati
Nik Masyitah bt Nik Lam
Farhaanah Sabaraya

Firefly Habitat Conservation

Tagging trees & collecting data

Planting of Berembang trees
Boat ride to learn about firefly habitat
12


Eco-Tourism

Signage making to label plants along the river

Training for boatmen

Production of multimedia & IEC materials Analysing mangrove species for
data collection

Multimedia for tourists to understand
firefly habitat

Foster family
Unique to this site is that they were staying with
foster families within the community, and were
able to not only form a close relationship with their
foster parents, but also able to absorb the local
culture and language. Many referred to their foster
parents as “Abah” and “Mak.”

y the
Reflections bw Team
Kampung De
“In the duration of our immersion and
community engagement, the ASEAN
Youth Eco-Leaders acquired the skills and
transformed from volunteers who are
required to engage the community and
become bridging leaders of the Kampung
Dew Community. As they now believe in
the fact that complex social issues cannot
be addressed by just one best solution
but by collaboration, participation
and ownership of community & other
stakeholders.”

Website developed to promote eco-tourism

“Community engagement as part of
developing Kampung Dew towards ecotourism site is necessary. Its basis of
strengthening the community relationships
as well as bringing knowledge to the
villagers would be maximally achieved
by providing facilities and sufficient
educational activities that will then lead the
people to develop their village.”

13


Bio-Diversity sites

Enhancing environmental awareness
and minimizing pollution in coastal
communities by promoting the practice
of community based recycling
Mersing, Johor

Site Coordinator
azali
Dr. Shahriman Mohd Gh
Site Facilitators
mad
Nurliyana Binti Moham
z
on Najahah Abdul Azi
Ain
l Azizi Bin Tomim
Mohd Fakhru
rs
ti Hj Kifli
Norhayatunajibah Bin
n
Khairunnisa Mat Serudi
a Lay
Channanik
Sangva Lim
Ratana Soy
Ewan Darmawan
m
Sri Rizki Kesuma Ningru
iati
Rida Nuraf
th
Amphonh Keovongko
Ja Mai
Htun
Nang Aye Aye Htun
Muralla
Hannah Faye Manzano
aminda Sison Lim
Theresa Eliz
Louie Dela Cruz
Francis P Aguilar
Mohd Shaleh
Muhammad Adha Bin
wira Narasri
Pat
Vu Ngoc Bich
Ha Thi Nga
Sar Sopheavy
Atiqah Nadiah Zailani
Angelina Tan Li San
Le Thi Thien An
Nur Syafawati Hamzah
Kal Reaksmey Nhim

Mersing is situated on the eastern coastline of Johor and is
known to many as the gateway to some of the most beautiful
islands and marine parks of the coast of Johor. The Marine
Ecosystem Research Centre (EKOMAR), UKM is a field station
that aims to bring economic development to the area and
improve the quality of life of its locals by providing incomegenerating opportunities while conserving the natural
ecosystem.
There were twenty-five Eco-Leaders assigned to Mersing, to
engage with the coastal communities there. After three weeks,
they were truly instrumental in initiating a coastal community
recycling program at 3 different villages, i.e. Kampung
Penyabong, Kampung Tanjung Resang and Kampung Air Papan.
Their efforts were geared towards enhancing environmental
awareness and minimising coastal pollution. They conducted
basic environmental audit of the beach and villages, and
identified the “footprint” of trash and its key processes.
Data gathered was used to launch awareness campaigns
amongst the locals, especially school children. They also set-up
community-based buy-back centres, and established methods
that turn trash into marketable crafts, in hopes of encouraging
the communities to turn their trash to cash.

Recycling material buy-back centre constructed
for local community.

14


“Our activities had the privilege of attention
from all levels of Johor community, from
the local villagers, to the District Office
and all the way up to the Sultan of Johor,
who visited during his Kembara Mahkota.
Due to our limited stay, what we have
been done is only the start of a long
journey in encouraging local engagement
in environmental conservation. We do
hope that others will continue our work
with more intensive projects to ensure
the sustainability of these activities in the
future, with support from AYVP, UKM, the
local authorities and local community.

Reflections by am
the Mersing te
“We loved the process of working with a team of
talented people and engaging with the local community
because of the warm fellowship. Building the collection
center in Pasir Lanun and working with cement, brick
and sand helped us learn construction work skills.
Learning handicrafts gave us a chance to know how
to turn recyclable materials into the something useful
as well as art work such as baskets from newspaper
and flowers from plastic bottles. Having games for the
primary school students and helping them understand
more about ways to protect our environment was also
our great event.”

“Finally, we became locals by first understanding common local rules
and norms. We appreciate locals by tapping in the local resources for
our innovation. For example, the abundance of fish resulted in our
preference to choose net as the container of our garbage collector.
We turned the lack of awareness or ineffective way of dealing with
waste as an opportunity to make a difference.”

Turning trash
into cash - selling
handicrafts made
from recyclables

Interacting with the local children

Designed and assembled
a mobile garbage collector for a local school

Recycling centre set-up near the beach for tourists
15

Site Coordinator
Dr Jamilah Mohd Salim

Bio-Diversity sites

Towards restoring and
conserving a sustainable
wetland ecosystem
for the community
Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu

Site Facilitators
Muhd Fawwaz Afham Bin
Mohd Sofa
Nur Atiqah Binti Abd Rah
man
Nur Afny Syazwany Binti
Abu Zarim
ASEAN
Youth Eco-Leaders
Mohamad Zainul Akhir
Angtola Huy
Ty Keithya Oung
Sareth Chum
Aulia
Jepri Ali Saiful
Ajanti
Qitbiya Ilhami
Khonesak Keomaneevon
g
Cho May Than
Nan Ei Mon
Angelee Lorraine Lallave
Go

Sonny Peru Cosme
Ace Mark Becayo Anicet
o
Calvin Tan Kai En
Boonsiri Chutidamrongp
an
Le Tan Tien
Nguyen Anh Tu
Kim Dua Nguyen
Dang Phuong Tram
Siti Farius Shamsudin
Alanna Tan Jay Lynn
Quek Yew Aun
Nurul Nabilah Binti Mazlan

BEACH CLEAN-UP
The beaches of Terengganu serve
as nesting site for four species
turtles and two species of river
terrapins. Solid wastes or marine
debris that end up in oceans pose
a significant threat to the survival
of these animals. Understanding
the solid waste problem faced by
coastal communities, the EcoLeaders carried out a concerted
effort against marine debris by
carrying out beach clean and
waste segregation initiatives
every morning. In just two weeks,
the team collected a total of 817
kgs of trash with an average
collection of 60 kgs per day!

Setiu is located in the north of Terengganu covering an area of 135,905.80 hectares.
This district is similar to other parts of Malaysia and Southeast Asia countries by
having a tropical climate with hot temperature, heavy rainfall and high humidity.
The twenty-five Eco-Leaders assigned to Setiu worked on restoring the degraded
and semi-degraded wetland ecosystems. Their efforts were geared towards reestablishing wetland conditions that are similar to the original condition of areas
that have been altered by human activities, by re-planting mangrove saplings that
can slowly re-establish the hydrology of the degraded wetlands. They engaged
with local communities to document river biodiversity and identify three biological
elements (vegetation, fishes and invertebrates), as well as the basic physical
parameters of the river, in hopes of raising awareness on the health of the river
ecosystem.
There were also several clean-ups that took place at the beach shore, river banks
and in the mangrove nursery. Other activities include Environmental Education (EE)
activities which taught school children how to maintain green surroundings in their
areas and an exhibit of their own recycled handicrafts for the Turtle Interpretation
Centre. The Eco-Leaders also engaged in knowledge-sharing with local microentrepreneurs of Setiu Women Entrepreneurs (PEWANIS) who taught them how to
make traditional lekar (craft) and kerepek pisang (banana chips). In addition, they
actively helped organise the community’s cultural festival, known as Program Mari
Berbudaya di Setiu, or the Setiu Culture Day.

Bio-diversity Awareness

Aquatic invertebrates sampling &
Firefly watching – as indicator
analysis – as bio-indicators of the
species for environmental health
quality of water.
and eco-tourism potential.
16

Bird watching – understanding
birds as an integral part of
Mangrove vegetation
wetlands eco-system.
analysis – to understand the
vulnerability of mangrove ecosystem.

e
eco-


Local Culture Awareness

Lekar making – a traditional basket
made out of Nipah

Wau making – the art of
traditional kite making

“Environmental conservation
and restoration is everybody’s
responsibility. Efforts to rehabilitate
degraded habitats must involve key
stakeholders to establish short and
long term project goals that will
address important issues”

Reflections by
the Setiu team

“Community dynamics and
environmental issues are equally
important. The environment and the
community are interdependent on each
other, and the best solutions need to
tackle the challenges on both sides”

Hari Raya Celebration

“The three-week program
at Setiu allowed the Ecoleaders to gain insights on
the dynamics of humanenvironment interactions
and analyze the impacts of
human behavior on ecological
conditions. By allowing nature
to replenish itself, a continuous
supply of resources such as
food and timber is assured
solutions need to tackle the
challenges on both sides”

Community Engagement

School garden enrichment – mural
painting, replanting of trees and
interaction with teachers at two
schools, SK Rhu Sepuluh & SMK
Lembah Bidong.

Mangrove replanting & clearing of
mangrove nursery – replanting mangrove
saplings with the local community to
restore the mangrove eco-system.

Turtle Conservation – waste
collected in the area turned into
materials to be displayed at the
Turtle Interpretation Centre and
releasing baby turtles to the sea.

17


Bio-Diversity sites

KSNP for RAMSAR –
saving the Wetlands
and Flyway

Site Coordinator
Balu Perumal
Sonny Wong
Ahmad Tarmizi

Kuala Selangor Nature Park,
Selangor
Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP), is situated at the mouth
of Selangor River, Malaysia and covers approximately 800
acres of mangroves and mudflats. Eco-Leaders in KSNP
learned how to bring about a more sustainable use of
the wetlands and be part of the network on wetlands
conservation in the region, and worldwide. They took
an active role in rehabilitating the wetland eco-system
through the restoring of mangrove nurseries and planting of
mangrove seedlings, hand-in-hand with secondary students
from two local schools.
They also planned and implemented Environmental Education
(EE) activities with park visitors, to raise awareness and
empower the local communities to share in the responsibility
of improving the quality of the environment and attaining
sustainable development. This was done through
Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness
(CEPA) materials about bird flyways and RAMSAR.

Mangrove rehabilitation with local students

Site Facilitators
Baei
Mohd Arrabe’ Ahmad
im
Noor Azleena Abdul Kar
Ain Norddin
Nurul
rs
Mat Serudin
Rafizah
Keovichet Ly
San Sel
Sokkheng Somontha
Bambang Sutrisno
Ricky Sudiarto Putra
Rindha Deviana Sari
Phonepasith Sotitham
Lia Khan Suum
Chaw Chaw Ei
Tin Aung Win
awan
Annie Jane Llegunas Lag
dreanna
An
Jasmine Diorka Suleik
Xu Wanwei
hai
Noorulhuda Chalermt
a Haji Talip
Hjh Nurul Amal Akmalin
Truong Hoai Nghiem
Luu
Ho Sy Quy
Zulkifli
Noor Farahdiana binti
Rasheed
h Begam Bt Mohamed
Zahirra
Ng Bee Yin
hd Said
Nuurul Nadrah Bt Mo
lia Mohamad Adzali
Tulip Adzar

Developing and presenting CEPA materials

RAMSAR (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance)
A key area of learning at KSNP was the Ramsar convention. Ramsar was crafted by the international
community to ensure the conservation and good use of wetlands. In order to raise awareness on
this issue, the Eco- Leaders organised public events and interactive activities to share knowledge
on the different Ramsar sites around the region. These also served as venues for dialogues with
the local community and government about the roles that each stakeholder plays in protecting the
wetlands.
18


“Learning something new can be a
scary experience especially, when it
comes to making a decision. However,
once we experience it, we realize that
it’ll make us a more reliable person. It
was the same for us here in KSNP as we
conducted activities and became decision
makers. Throughout the programme, we
had gained many experiences especially
working in multi-cultural team and
making the necessary adjustments.”

Reflections by
the KSNP Team
“We think we raised awareness of
the environment in general, and the
importance of the local wetlands
ecosystem in particular with the local
community. We also introduced ASEAN to
them when we carried out activities with
these. We probably had the most impact
on the school children we interacted
with, these students are going to be
future leaders and they need to know the
importance of their environment.”

Mural painting with local students
Community event

Environmental Education
activities with local school children

Exposing the young to ASEAN
Understanding the importance
of the wetlands eco-system
19


“As I approach the end of the programme,
I am feeling both motivated and inspired!
This programme is like the “turtle
hatchery” in Setiu where it encourages
ASEAN youth to dream and make it
happen.”
Nguyen Kim Dua (Vietnam)

Celebration after
Conservation

After 3 weeks away, the volunteers came together
again at UKM for a week of sharing of knowledge
and experiences gained at the biodiversity sites. The
volunteers processed the different experiences and
learning they had at the sites to work on their project
reports which showcased these experiences and
its impact on the volunteers and the communities.
The culmination of the five weeks is the Grand
Celebration that brought together the volunteers
with partners and other stakeholders to showcase
the learning, the culture, the song and dances of
various countries and communities across ASEAN.

20


“The feeling is bittersweet, for the
past weeks strangers turned to
friends and friends turned to family.
Approaching the end, means saying
goodbye and goodbye is just the
beginning after all. The struggles,
experience and memories we shared
this is the beginning of a strong
network.”
Norhayatunajibah Hj Kifli (Brunei)

“I hope you remember that as you
came together, you did not only get
to know each other, but realised
the IMPACT of our shared future
together in ASEAN.”
- Malaysian Minister of Youth
and Sports, Khairy Jamaluddin

21


Voices of
the Volunteers..
“I experienced this lesson that - Sometimes having just good
intention is not enough; you have to be well equipped in order
to make a change”
Mai Boonsiri (Thailand)
“When we go to the communities, we should come like a
half-empty glass. We should be able to take as much, before
even sharing with them what we know and what we have. The
differences in our individual strengths sum up the strength of
our differences”
Ace Mark B. Acenito (Phillipines)
“In today’s world, we have become too materialistic.
Capitalism dominates the city life. In here, I learned to
appreciate the simplicity in the Kampung. Sometimes, the
simplest things in life are the most sustainable.”

Ajanti (Indonesia)
“To be honest, I never felt being an ASEANer. I never thought
of myself as ASEAN. But AYVP provided a platform for us to
network, so we can achieve that ASEAN Spring that Prof Saran
was talking about. I come from an environmental background,
but what I learned was mostly about POLICY. Here, I learned a
lot of good environmental PRACTICES”

Ty Keithya Oung (Cambodia)

“Continuity. We must think about what will happen after this
programme, and how it can last. We must remember how
important our roles are, no matter how small”
Quek Yew Aun (Malaysia)

22

“I had a lot of wonderful experience learning from my friends,
from the way they talk, think, organize and take action. In
my daily working back home, rarely do I have chance to be
in such open discussion which conducted by an experienced,
fair and smart people. My opinion was heard, appreciated
and considered as equally as other’s. It is not the level of
English proficiency that matters, the most important thing is
your attitude and willingness to open yourself, to learn from
others. Every time I have chance to talk to them, I feel I am
growing”

Nguyen Anh Tu (Vietnam)
“From this project, I have experienced that being a leader, I
should be able to do and experience everything no matter it
is hard or easy or I have never done before. Moreover, I also
found out that “the more I work, the more I know and learn”.
These are all the significant experiences that I got during the
program”
Nang Aye Aye Htun (Myanmar)
“The most significant experience for me is the home stay
programme. Our foster family made our stay in Kampung Dew
more interesting. They brought laughter and love to us. It
was very touching to see them and feel as well that they treat
us just like how they would treat their own children. There
was no discrimination or whatsoever even though we were
of different race or religion. They gave me the motivation
and the reason to continue working so hard to improve the
community”
Bryan Quek (Singapore)
“I think the most significant experience that I have gained
from this program is the way to organize and purpose to
organize the project. I promise that this lesson is very worth
for my life and I will expand them at the future. After I get
back home I will try most of ability to push myself to help our
environment!”

Khonesak Keomaneevong (Laos)


Acknowledgement
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those that have
provided support, assistance and encouragement to make this
programme a success.
Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia
Ministry of Education, Malaysia
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
State government of Perak, Johor, Selangor and Terengganu
Local government of Taiping, Mersing, Kuala Selangor and Setiu
Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
Kelip-Kelip Cahaya Alam Perak (KECAP)
Pengusaha Wanita Setiu (PEWANIS)
Local communities at Kampung Dew, Kuala Selangor, Mersing and Setiu
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM

23


In the news.....

Headline
MediaTitle
Date
Section
Page No
Language
Journalist
Frequency

24

efforts
Crossing borders through conservation
Sunday Star
Color
13 Oct 2013
Circulation
Star Education
Readership
10
ArticleSize
English
AdValue
LUWITA HANA RANDHAWA
PR Value
Weekly

Full Color
320,964
1,072,000
437 cm²
RM 20,351
RM 61,053

Backcover

The ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP) Secretariat
Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Industry & Community Partnership)
& Executive Director, AYVP@AsiaEngage
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Level 5, Keris Mas College Admin Building
43600, UKM Bangi Selangor, MALAYSIA
Tel : 603-8921 5779 / 4659
Fax : 603- 8921 4660
Email : ayvpsecretariat@asiaengage.org
Website : www.asiaengage.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AYVPAsiaEngage

AYVP Programme Report

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