UMS restores gravity water supply to Tamparuli village
KOTA KINABALU: For two days from December 8 till 9, 14 animal production Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) undergraduate students from the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture Sandakan Campus, carried out a community programme ‘Program UMS-Sprint - Prihatin Membawa Perubahan' at Kampung Kelawat, a village about 19 kilometres from Tamparuli, to rebuild and restore a gravity water piping system, which was damaged during the earthquake that struck Sabah on June 5, 2015.
UMS associate professor Dr Nur Hardy bin Abu Daud, head of Animal Production Program, Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, UMS Campus Sandakan, who officiated at the event on December 9, said Program UMS-Sprint, also known as Program UMS- Siswaprihatin provided UMS with a platform to access, interact and fulfil the humanitarian or in-situ development needs of the rural community.
“This program is also a good opportunity for the students to apply, refine and practise their communication, interaction and cross-cultural skills acquired from campus life or elsewhere, in a real life rural community,” he said.
He added that although the main activity was the restoration of the gravity water system and to participate in a gotongroyong to prepare the sites for the pipes and water tanks, which mainly involved able-bodied men, other activities to build closer rapport and trust with the whole community, especially the children and women folk, were simultaneously carried out, such as colouring competition, games and ‘senamrobik'.
As the program was also a collaboration with the Department Of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry, the other focus of the programme was to raise awareness of rabies in village environment, disseminate knowledge on alternative enterprises such as rearing goats for milk, duck eggs production and a demonstration on salting duck eggs.
According to Kennedy Juani, the director of the student program, the whole project would not be completed without the solid support, good working relationship and teamwork from the villagers especially, and the students.
Kg Kelawat village head Amy Gundolot said his community benefited from the programme with the restoration of the gravity water system which had significantly affected their daily livelihood.
“As the village head, I wish to say a very big thank you to the organiser, especially UMS, for choosing Kg Kelawat for the community program, without which it is is not possible for us to repair and get the gravity water system up and running again,” he said.
Meanwhile, UMS animal production student Noni Tangkim said many of her colleagues, including herself, were saddened by the fact that the villagers had to bear the hardship all this while ever since the earthquake.
With adequate rain there was no problem; otherwise the villagers had to go downhill to a small river below, for their daily needs.
She felt that the restoration of a reliable water supply was timely and very important as the livelihood of the folk was at stake and was definitely glad to be part of the UMS team.
“By organizing this program, we ‘walk the talk and learn' and get the real experience in a rural setting, and at the same time sharing our knowledge with the local community,” she said.
Also present at the event were Joisin Romut, representing Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia and Tuaran Member of Parliament, Marius Samin representing Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Sabah Tourism Board chairman cum Kiulu assemblyman, Hj Ir Samto Sulah for the director of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry, and UMS Interim lecturer Wilson Mohd Azahari bin Majin.