Puan Yasmin (EcoKnights) workshop

On the 21st of June, we, the lucky members of the school's Toyota Eco Rangers club, were treated to an entertaining talk by Puan Yasmin Ras of EcoKnights, an NGO established to promote sustainable living. The talk exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds, as all the knowledge Puan Yasmin imparted would most certainly serve us well in numerous aspects, be it reusing, recycling, or even conserving.

Puan Yasmin began her talk by briefly introducing the organisation she represents, EcoKnights, before moving on to the importance of conserving water. She brought up the fact unlike the way it is in Malaysia, many parts of the world face a shortage of clean water, causing many people to suffer from diseases such as cholera as an unfortunate result. She then encouraged us to watch the following video to learn more about this intriguing subject.



Puan Yasmin then suggested that we recycle electronic waste, as the many types of metals used in the production of electronic devices can very easily be recycled to make other useful products, giving them a second life. She shared a rather surprising fact with us - If 2000 cell phones are recycled,  enough gold would be collected to make an entire gold bar.

Puan Yasmin then moved on to the subject of organisations and associations that are fighting for the same cause as EcoKnights, in their own ways. For instance, she told us about an organisation which gives single mothers an outlet for generating income, by providing them with magazines so that they can make and sell baskets made out of magazines. However, the organization faces a dire shortage of magazines, which is why Puan Yasmin suggested that we hold a magazine recycling campaign. She also told us about an organization that makes quilts and blankets out of old clothes, which comes in handy during floods and rainy spells.

Staying true to her helpful nature, Puan Yasmin stated that she would like to assist us in taking our Eco Music Band to the next level by giving us more opportunities to perform in public, as well as mingle with other Eco Musicians. She also suggested that we keep up with the current music trends, in order to make ourselves relevant in today's music industry.

We sincerely appreciate the time and effort Puan Yasmin has poured into the workshop, and would most definitely utilise and share the information she has imparted upon us.

Meeting (27th of May)

On the 27th of May, a two-hour long meeting was conducted to discuss the numerous preparations we have to make in the light of the looming final judging. This meeting was the first meeting we've had in over two weeks, due to our mid-term exams, and it was chaired by Farhanah.

Farhanah began the meeting by informing members that we have two performances scheduled in June, hence the need for two practice sessions to be conducted on the 10th and 11th of June, 2011 from 8am to 10am, in school. She moved on to the topic of our vegetable garden, citing the need for us to keep up our efforts of upgrading it, once all the necessary arrangements have been made with Miss Tan. Our vegetable garden was not the only thing we had to upgrade, she went on to say. Our Herbs Garden and Eco Corner desperately required a face lift, as well.

Furthermore, all paperwork, reports, and slideshows pertaining to the numerous projects we carried out in conjunction with Sri Aman's Earth Month had to be completed and finalized. Finally bringing some joy into our hearts (and tummy), Farhanah mentioned that the Eco Carnival Party would be held soon, to thank the efforts of those who had invested much of their time and energy into making our first ever International Conference and Eco Carnival a massive success. To end the meeting, Farhanah urged everyone who has photos of any events we have partook in or organised to upload said photos on Sri Aman Planeteers, our Facebook page.

That concluded our final meeting before the mid-term holidays began.