Youth Initiatives

Johan Iskandar, Kairul Azhar, Suhas Tadas, Shahul Hameed, Gerain Chan, Karen Kuek, Catherine Chia and Wong Mingyi are no ordinary youth. These eight students of Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus created history when they lighted up a Kenyah community in Long Mekaba, Upper Baram. Long Mekaba, situated about 200km from Miri city, is only accessible by timber roads and via express boat plying the Baram river.

When asked how they came up with the idea, Johan, the leader of the group said, it was Benjamin Chai, Mercy Malaysia East Malaysia head who inspired them to start the project. They met Uncle Ben, as they fondly call him now, at the inaugural John Curtin Leadership Academy introductory workshop in mid-2008. Uncle Ben was also responsible in helping the team to choose Long Mekaba for their pilot project.

During their initial recce work, they discovered that the issue of electricity was high on the wish list of Long Mekaba’s people. Their real challenge was to convince the corporate sector to sponsor the project and was lucky to find takers in corporations like Shell, Samling as well as Miri Printing.

Johan noted that the end result was worth all the hard work and heartache in raising the funds. Seeing how they have transformed the lives of the community is priceless.

Original Story: The Star Online (please click to link)