Minister Urged Volunteers to Explore New Opportunities, Be Innovative

BERAKAS, BRUNEI-MUARA: Contributions made by associations, non-government organisations and volunteers should not be taken lightly. This is because, if the total time and energy as well as productivity produced by the volunteers are interpreted in the context of working hours and gross national income, it will reach thousands of hours or tens of millions of dollars per year.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hazair bin Haji Abdullah, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports voiced the matter at a dinner reception in conjunction with the 67th Anniversary of the Brunei Red Crescent Association.

As an effort to ensure every volunteer body remains relevant in facing changing times and latest developments, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports urged all Red Crescent Association volunteer bodies to explore new opportunities and to be innovative for a series of programme in cooperating with government agencies with mutual interest. The programmes such as awareness programme to combat and reduce the vulnerability to disaster risk and programme to increase capacity in efficiency and response capabilities to deal with local emergencies. He added that such opportunities can be explored based on the action plans under the National Council for National Issues such as combating poverty, family institution and women, special needs people and senior citizens action plans. The increase in the number of cooperation programmes will create stronger synergies and at the same time can strengthen the social protection strategies towards achieving the Brunei Vision 2035.

The ceremony coincided with presentation of contribution amounting BND$13,000 from the officers and members as well as corporate volunteers of the Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Association to the Director of Policy and National Strategic Planning of the association, as well as appreciation certificates to the Corporate Partner and the leaders of the association. The highlight of the event was the presentation of the Henry Dunant Leaders Award to Sheikh Kadir Abdullah, the Secretary-General of the Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Association. The celebration ran concurrently with the International Red Cross and International Red Crescent Day that is celebrated worldwide on every May 8.

- BRUDIRECT.COM