THE BRUNEI STUDENTS' UNION OUTREACH TOUR 2019: SEKOLAH MENENGAH ARAB LAKI - LAKI HASSANAL BOLKIAH (SMALHB)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, WEDNESDAY, 17th July 2019 – The Brunei Students Union (BSUnion) collaborated with the Brunei Religious Officers Student Association (BruROSA) to hold a two-day outreach programme at Sekolah Menengah Arab Laki - Laki  Hassanal Bolkiah (SMALHB)  on the 16th and 17th of July 2019, themed “Author of Your Future: Creating Your Own Storyline”. A total of 136 students (69 in Pre-U1 and 67 in Pre-U2) participated in the event, which was led and facilitated by members of BruROSA and the BSUnion as well as other Bruneian students studying in the United Kingdom & Eire.

The programme aims to provide a safe space for students to express concerns about their future and helps them realise the potential that lies within. It also encourages students to reflect on and pursue their own career pathways, while instilling motivation by reminding them of their significance in shaping the future of the nation.

Day 1 (16th July 2019) was blessed with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah by Abdul Halim Anuar, and then featured opening speeches delivered by Dk Nurin Nabeelah Pg Hj Abu Bakar (Vice President of Administration and Finance of the BSUnion) and Mohammad Harith Syafiq bin Mohammad Halim (Religious Secretary of the BSUnion and President of BruROSA). The students were then split into assigned groups and had an ice-breaking session. This was followed by motivational talks delivered by Dk Nurin Nabeelah Pg Hj Abu Bakar, Muhammad Iqbal bin Emran (General Secretary of the BSUnion), and Siu Tzyy Wei (Toastmasters member, Universiti Brunei Darussalam) titled “Not The Author”, “Real Intention with a Sincere Heart”, and “Still Surviving” respectively, all exploring various aspects of the speakers’ experiences as young adults entering higher education. Facilitators and students then returned to their assigned groups and took part in a sharing session, which allowed students to voice their concerns while also receiving comfort and reassurance.

Day 2 (17th July 2019) was blessed, again, with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah by Abdul Halim Anuar. Muhammad Za’eem bin Abdul Majid (President of the Brunei-Southampton Society) then delivered an insightful talk titled “Al-Kalam Ad-Doa (Every Word is a Prayer)”, discussing the importance of Faith in what may be described as ‘worldly’ goals. They then proceeded with the main activity of the day: an ‘Amazing Race’ event where students split into groups and compete in performing various tasks, demonstrating lessons surrounding the importance of teamwork and perseverance. One of the emotional highlights of the event was a classic self-reflection activity titled “A Letter to Your Future Self” where students wrote letters to themselves discussing their aspirations, as well as their positive traits and achievements. These letters were sealed, and are to be read five years later. The event came to an end with closing remarks given by ‘Afifah binti Haji Mat Dani (Female Religious Secretary of the BSUnion and Vice President of BruROSA) and Dk Nurin Nabeelah Pg Hj Abu Bakar, followed by the recitation of Surah Al-Asr by Mohammad Harith Syafiq bin Mohammad Halim.

The event was well-received among the participating students, who found the sessions, inspiring and useful for their future endeavours. They also commented that the stories told by the facilitators were interesting and helped them gauge what to expect further along in their journey. Needless to say, the programme was an absolute success, inspiring and motivating the youth towards shaping and developing the nation towards a better future.

​*Photographs of the event were taken by the BSUnion Media Team