Fathers praised for taking part in Befrienders workshop
KOTA KINABALU: Participation of fathers in programmes that fortify family ties is a crucial element to building a resilient caring community in Sabah, said Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid.
“You are actually a role model, without you realising (it). Every time I organise courses, I would have a headache and wonder where the fathers are.
“Most of them (participants) are mothers. But I salute all of you (who are here today),” Jainab said to the fathers participating in the Befrienders Kota Kinabalu (Befrienders KK) ‘Family Be Friends’ workshop held at the Sabah State Library headquarters here yesterday.
She explained that this was because today’s society faced great challenges in maintaining a compassionate society as the people face rapid development in Malaysia.
“We are moving forward so much until we forget about our families, we forget about affection.
“We also think so much about money until we forget about the subject matter, that is act of kindness such as helping an elderly person or sometimes a blind person to cross the road,” Jainab said during the workshop’s closing ceremony.
She added that parents should also practise communication with their children and prepare them to face the challenges of the real world.
Earlier during a press conference, the state minister asserted that everybody, regardless of gender, has a responsibility in the positive development of a caring society.
“Our community is quite fragile. Family relationships are no longer close, especially with the entry of IT.
“It is time for us to give a motivation to our children that we ‘boleh’ (can), Sabah boleh, and really everything boleh. We are the bridge for them to be better so that we can become a much better nation.
“To encourage our children that there is hope for them and to tell them to become responsible people in the future,” Jainab stressed.
Befrienders KK, together with the Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs, organised the half-day workshop for families to provide participants with the knowledge, tools and skills to develop good and resilient family relationships.
Befrienders KK chairperson Datin Sri Panglima Siti Rubiah Abdul Samad said the ‘Family Be Friends’ workshop is one of the proactive and preventive activities that the NGO undertakes to enhance emotional resilience and improve communication within families.
Rubiah added families are an important source of emotional support for an individual in times of need, and if family ties are not strong, there may be fewer people whom at risk individual can turn to.
For these reasons, Befrienders KK commits its time and resources to developing stronger family ties, she said.
“The whole objective is to build a positive community. Nowadays, there are various problems, especially relationship problems. You can overcome any challenges if you have a strong family unit, a strong family support,” Rubiah noted.
According to Rubiah, this was the seventh workshop conducted by Befrienders KK in their efforts to enhance family ties. The first workshop was held in 2010 in Kiulu, Tuaran, but due to limited resources, only one parent and one child per family were able to participate in the workshop.
“Today, a total of 66 families comprising fathers, mothers and every children in the family registered for the half-day event, making up a total of 294 individuals who participated in this workshop.
Family members were divided according to age groups and each group had their own activities targeted at enhancing their knowledge and increasing their skills as part of a family.
Meanwhile, parents had the opportunity to listen to speakers from Befrienders KK, Hospital Mesra and Alam Mesra Youth Prep Centre on topics covering relationships, communication and building strong families.
Youths aged 17 and above attended sessions handled by Alam Mesra Youth Prep volunteers and staff on preparing themselves for adult life, teamwork and coping skills, whilst young adults aged 13 to 16 were introduced to gender-related issues, appropriate behaviour and puberty by Soroptomist lnternational KK.
The Bentarakata Group handled primary school children aged eight to 12 and taught them through role playing and other activities which required them to speak up to develop their confidence as well as identify and connect their thoughts with emotions.
Meanwhile, the final and youngest age group were attended to by the well-qualified Sabah State Library staff and volunteers from Befrienders KK.
“By far, the largest group in attendance for this half-day workshop were the primary school children with 79 children registered.
“The workshop session culminated with a Family Experience building activity on Random Acts of Kindness, which was conducted by Bentarakata.
“A commonly shared family experience is an opportunity for the families to create a positive memory for all their members to recall when they need encouragement. It forms common bonds and understanding as they work together on the activity,” Rubiah explained.
The workshop was made possible with the assistance of dedicated NGOs such as Alam Mesra Youth Prep Centre, Soroptomist lnternational KK, Bentarakata and the assistance and support of the Ministry of Community Development and Consumer Affairs, Sabah State Library, Education Department, PEMADAM and the many schools which helped participants to register for the workshop.
Another ‘Family Be Friends’ workshop will be held in Membakut on October 14. Interested parents or schools may contact Befrienders KK at +6088-255788, +6016-803 6945 (WhatsApp) or visit www. facebook.com/befrienderskk.