Swinburne club visits village to extend assistance
KUCHING: Swinburne Sarawak Institution of Engineering and Technology On Campus (SSIET) club recently visited Kampung Salak and SK Salak.
Kampung Salak is a traditional Malay fishing village accessible by boat from Pasir Pandak located about 30km from Kuching city. Its population of approximately 650 in 150 families live in 120 houses.
In 2011, Rural and Regional Development Ministry approved an electrification project for the village that depended on generators.
During this first phase of a community service project, villagers were interviewed for feedback to determine areas of scarcity or need for improvement despite efforts by governmental and non-governmental organisations.
Several issues were identified including improper handling of garbage due to inadequate waste management facilities. A large quantity of waste is still being disposed into the river while some villagers leave garbage bags in the jungle in ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality.
The villagers also face transportation issues with difficulties accessing basic healthcare services such as clinic and hospital. For emergencies, transporting patients to the hospital by boat at night may be dangerous due to low visibility and unpredictable tides.
One of the villagers lamented that they have to buy groceries in bulk as transportation issues make it tedious to travel to and from the city.
SSIET pledged to look into these issues with solutions within the capabilities of the club.
Members of the public who would like to know more or be involved in the project, may visit the Facebook page of Swinburne Sarawak IET On Campus – SSIET.
For more information about Swinburne, visit www.swinburne. edu. my, Facebook page (@ swinburnesarawak), Instagram (@ swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@ Swinburne_ Swk) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).