BINTULU: An early exposure to community activities fostered an interest in Joyce Morris Kapong to contribute to the rural people of Lundu, Bario and Limbang.
According to the language teacher, her involvement started when she accompanied her parents in their travels to the inland communities.
“When I accompanied them I felt the pleasure of helping the community there,” she said.
According to Joyce her involvement in community activities taught her a lot about the need to strengthen unity among ethnic groups in the state.
“Maybe some people consider this unity as somewhat a cliché, but the fact is, this motivates me to continue to carry out community activities here.
“We are open to learning and accepting each other’s traditions and ways of life while trying to help each other to progress in life.
“I am convinced that this unity exists due to the existence of a strong mutual respect in our identity. These noble values allow us to live as a close community,” she said.
To illustrate she recalled community activities she had participated in at SK Ulu Lubai, Limbang in 2012.
Sharing her experience she said the trip to SK Ulu Lubai was not an easy one because after six hours of driving from Bintulu to Limbang, her team had to go through Brunei and thereafter go through forests and dirt roads to get to the school.
“We stayed at the school for a few days, and carried out activities with the students, teachers and parents and visited the surrounding longhouses to get to know the community better,” she said, adding it amounted to building trust and friendship in unity.
