Swinburne students help build storehouse for Cheshire Home
KUCHING: Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus students recently helped in the construction of a storehouse for Sarawak Cheshire Home as part of a Social Innovation Internship study unit.
A press release yesterday said the study unit aims to enable students to experience social enterprise work and gain greater understanding of the operations, management and leadership required.
Local community- based nonprofit organisation Breakthrough Network Bhd supported the construction of the storehouse by providing technical expertise in design, costing and procurement of materials, as well as on- site supervision of work.
In addition to participating in the construction, the 117 students also provided consultation for enhancing the Cheshire Home’s website interface, as well as developing a volunteer recruitment database for Breakthrough Network’s Hub Youth Centre.
“It was hard work but we also have so much fun while building the storehouse,” said fourth-year mechanical engineering student Joyce Teo.
“Having to spend many hours in the heat while doing manual labour was certainly something new to many of us but it was also a humbling experience because we were required to work as a team. We also learnt how to handle mechanical equipment properly, which comes in handy especially for engineering students.”
The six-week programme, which will be completed in the fi rst week of this month, aims to enrich the learning and teaching of students while giving the university and students the opportunity to work with a not-for-profit organisation on projects that benefit the community.
For Lee Tet Sean, taking up the unit was, ‘a great way to show support to Sarawak Cheshire Home and a great way to go out into the community and learn new skills’.
“I have volunteered for an international NGO (nongovernmental organisation) before, so to be able to contribute to the community where I am now is really gratifying,” said the 26-yearold from Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
During the storehouse mock key handover ceremony recently, Swinburne’s Australian branch campus also donated RM28,500 to Sarawak Cheshire Home.
Swinburne Sarawak deputy vice-chancellor and chief executive officer Prof Janet Gregory said the Social Innovation Internship study unit prepares students for skills such a teamwork, social entrepreneurship as well as to understand the operations and management required to run a social enterprise.
The university has previously worked alongside Habitat of Humanity Kuching Affiliate and Wishesland Centre, where students built a home and a therapeutic garden respectively.
Such hands- on experience is a learning opportunity for students and a big impact for them to learn practical skills whilst helping the community, said Gregory.
Breakthrough Network Centre director Lau Yeo Koo thanked students for constructing a building in just six weeks.
He hoped the project would serve as a good learning experience and was happy that the collaboration had helped strengthen partnership between the university and Breakthrough.