UMS student’s passion for community work pays off
SANDAKAN: Her interest in the environment and in helping the community are the factors that led to Sharifah Aziah Jasmine Sharif Jakaria’s involvement in Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s (UMS) Enactus Club.
The 22-year-old UMS student, who is also the club’s president, won the Enactus Malaysia National Competition held in Kuala Lumpur last week and will represent the nation at the Enactus World Cup in London in September.
She initiated two UMS Enactus Club community projects last year – mulberry leaf tea project in Kampung Tudan Tuaran and artificial reef project at Pulau Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu.
Currently undergoing industrial training at Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) here, she described her involvement in the projects as worthwhile when they bore fruit by boosting residents’ income in the two villages.
In the mulberry leaf tea project, 65 participants managed to increase their earnings from RM500 to RM700 a month.
The artificial reef project carried out off Pulau Sepanggar managed to boost fish catch and earnings of the 23 fishermen involved.
“I am doing what interests me, that’s why I could divide my time conveniently between studying and carrying out club activities when I was at UMS. “Although I am doing my practical training at RDC now, I am still very much committed to the club in preparing for the Enactus World Cup in London from Sept 2425,” she said yesterday. Sharifah Aziah, who is an only child, said her mother, Fauziah Abdul Rahim, a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tinosa Jaya Sandakan, and father Sharif Jakaria Sharif Ali, a teacher at SK Sungai Anip 2 Sandakan, were the pillars behind her motivation in community activities and education.
“When the results of the national Enactus competition were announced, they rejoiced with me as they could see that the challenges I faced were all worth the effort,” said Sharifah Aziah, who is studying for a bachelor’s in Marine Science.
She is also the Marine Science Exco chief in the UMS Students Committee and a Malaysian Youth Climate Change Education and Empowerment (PowerShift Malaysia) member.
At the recent national Enactus competition, Sharifah Aziah was among four presenters who represented UMS. The other three were Suganya Subraniam, Nimmalan Gaijandren and Isabella Check Ying Chen. – Bernama