KUCHING: Communities need strong financial management skills and environmental awareness, particularly in waste management, to ensure sustainable growth, said Bukit Begunan assemblyman Datuk Mong Dagang.
“Acquiring knowledge through education can lead to better decision-making for solving problems,” he said when officiating at a recent community project on Empowering Financial and Environmental Literacy at Rumah Panjang Selepong Lop in Sri Aman.
Organised by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (Unimas) Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), the project was funded by the university’s University Sustainability Centre (USC) under the ‘Dana Lestari’ initiative.
Established in 2021, the fund aims to empower, sustain, and enhance community sustainability efforts aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Unimas’ goals.
This project built on a successful previous year’s programme on financial and environmental knowledge sharing.
Twenty participants from all age groups, including children, attended the one-day session.
Activities included educational opportunities and university life presentations, proposed waste management initiatives by undergraduate students, follow-up discussions on financial and waste management practices and engaging financial management games.
“These innovative activities are crucial for continuous engagement and empowering the community with knowledge in finance, environment, and promoting education for young children,” said project leader Associate Professor Dr Jerome Kueh Swee Hui.
The project team comprised Associate Professor Michael Anak Tinggi (Project Advisor), Dr Josephine Yau Tan Hwang, Audrey Liwan, Dr Rosita binti Hamdan, Joanne Shaza Janang, Nora Chung, Hairullizam bin Azemi (Facilitators), and undergraduate student assistants Stephenia Kedoh Justine, Alvin Leod Sediet, Eva Kellycia Samuel, Muhammad Syukri, and Saiee Brinda Rajan.
