An excerpt co-written by our Green Leadership Educator : Mrs. Zuraidah Zainal Abidin and yours truly.
Geng Bersih Kampung (GBK) started when a resident of Kampung Padang Putih had the idea of transforming the 'kampung' from a dirty mish-mash of houses and unmanaged waste to a clean & beautiful settlement with flow
to be all rounder actors of society.
They were taught on commitment & discipline to instill a sense of responsibility as responsible adults & future leaders. The gang are from 5 years to 15 years old & there are about 22 of them. Every Friday from 10 am to 12 pm, a volunteer educator would offer English, drawing & music classes conducted in the local mosque. To top it off, the children enjoyed silat classes every Friday evening. It was beautiful. As time went, the local movement caught the attention of various NGOs & individuals that wanted to contribute, thus the gang had even more opportunities to learn coming their way...Batik Painting class at Mawart, clean ups with Trash Hero Langkawi, an interview by TV3 Travelodge Advokasi Alam, plus sponsorships in kind such as stationeries, books & educational equipments. A local resident allowed GBK to use his land as a community garden to teach the 'gang' on organic farming. They come up with the name Kebun Kita and the garden is a work in progress.
Marecet or Langkawi Dolphin Research Centre managed to even get a grant in terms of building materials to set up a Nature Gazebo for GBK in their beloved kampung to organise activities and such. A beautiful story for sure, and this story can be even more beautiful if we grow the movement beyond the Kampung. There are so many ways to create change and we all must find our way. But my deepest hope is that each of us take a moment every day and create value for ourselves, our loved ones and our surroundings.
You can visit their Facebook page at : https://www.facebook.com/Geng-Bersih-Kampung-103568001666750/photos/115606967129520