Project-2017

The Circular Economy Programme was open to 70 students and 10 facilitators, with the collaboration of Toyota Malaysia. Held in two parts, the first part saw Toyota contributing used tyres as a recycled material in the school environment. SK Cheng school garden was the recipient of these tyres that were used as planters. The second part of this programme was a study tour which was integrated with the International Eco-Schools Conference. GGAF took 80 students to the UMW Toyota Motors to attend a session on Waste Management in the Automotive industry. In this tour, the students learned about the new Hybrid Camry vehicle, and waste segregation in the service centre, servicing methods and technologies that UMW Toyota uses. The circular economy educates students on how to move beyond the linear “take-make-dispose’ model of production and consumption to that this is regenerative. By engaging students in circular economy learning, students are equipped with the skills, knowledge and mindset needed to build a system that works for society, economy and the environment.

The 6th International Eco-Schools Conference was organised by WWFMalaysia together with GGAF from 7 -11 December 2017. A total of 120 students and 30 teachers gathered at the Hotel Riverview, Melaka Sentral to attend the annual conference. The conference allow participants across Malaysia to meet, share and exchange their school’s sustainability initiatives in a conducive environment, to create awareness about waste and its impact on marine life, and to emphasise the importance of working together with various stakeholders, especially local communities to tackle waste management issues. The Eco-Schools Program (ESP) seeks to support participating schools to implement a whole-school approach towards educating student and the public on sustainability and environment conservation. The them for 2017 was “Waste Management and Its Impact on Nature and Biodiversity”.

Under the Paris Climate Change Agreement 2015, countries agreed to limit the rise in global average temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius by curbing their carbon emissions. Low Carbon Eco-Schools (LCES) was launched in line with the national and regional goals to reduce the GHG emission. Although schools are not involved in formulating the strategise to reduce GHG, they have a potential reach to educate and to make an impact as the programme not only focuses on students but also households by involving parents and community. A total of 64 students and 32 teachers convened at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) for the LCES launch to understand more about the Carbon Inventory Programme. The objective of this programme is to implement significant steps towards eventual climate neutrality that includes the completion of a 2-year emissions inventory.Sixteen schools were identified to implement this project with the collaboration of Hang Tuah Jaya City Council, where students will be guided through a series of workshops, data collection and intervention in order to reduce carbon emission in the council zone.

The training in food composting and fermi-composting was held at SMK Bukit Baru attended by 62 students and 21 teachers from 19 schools around Melaka. Trainers from two local organisations, namely SWcorp and MBMB demonstrated how to divert organic waste going to incinerators or landfills and turned into compost. Students learned that composted food wastes can be recirculated in a closed loop system in the vicinity where the food waste was generated. The training was designed to help school community composters full implement the collection and composting of food scraps. Held in the school gardens, the training showed how food waste composting could help in budget savings and prevent resources from being wasted. Participants went home with tools and tops to start a new compost operation at home and advocate for food scrap composting in their communities.

Education Classes were treated to an outdoor learning session providing them with an opportunity to learn about the turtle ecosystem. As typical classroom settings are not always the most conducive learning environment for students with autism or special needs, GGAF together with WWF-Malaysia brought them to the Turtle Centre on a day trip. This outdoor learning experience encouraged students to utilise all their senses, introduced them to observe liveturtles before getting them to creatively colour and decorate pictures of the marine animals. At the end of the day, these children special education needs took on challenges and learned life skills without even realising it.

In line with making Melaka a green technology state by 2020, and Melaka’s effort to create a path towards sustainable urban growth, the former Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Utama Ir. Haji Idris bin Haron launched the Eco-Schools Melaka Programme at Seri Negeri Melaka Hall in July 2017. The state government embarked on the Eco-Schools 2017 Programme to raise awareness on theimportance of protecting the environment among the youth. The programme aspires to involve 314 primary and secondary schools in Melaka and is carried out in stages in cooperation with GGAF, WWF-Malaysia and the Melaka Education Department. The launch was attended by 400 teachers, 120 students, 300 headmasters and 90 government officials, and provided a common ground for relevant stakeholders to share their experiences and aspirations. At this event, GGAF and WWF-Malaysia signed a MoU to forge a stronger and more formal partnership, whereby both the organisations pledge to collaborate on all relevant areas of common interest related environmental education. As a result, GGAF was appointed as distinguished partner to provide technical assistance, capacity building and training assistance towards implementing the Eco-Schools Programme in Melaka.

In March, GGAF organised the first Eco-Schools Melaka Seminar. Representatives comprising 86 teachers and 285 students from 73 schools in Melaka attended the seminar. Such an overwhelming response was registered throughout the seminar. The participants were briefed on the benefits and process involved in becoming an Eco-School. The Melaka Eco-Schools Program (MESP) provides advice and guidance to schools in achieving Eco-School status. Schools in this programme learn to reduce water consumption, optimise energy efficiency, minimise waste generation and provide a healthier environment for their students. GGAF conducted workshops for teachers, students, and essentially all those who are interested in environment education, enabling everyone to effect green changes in their school campus, track and monitor the changes. The seminar improved participants’ understanding on Eco-Schools Programme and strengthened their commitment to implement theprogramme in their respective school.

GGAF started this camp in March and several more times throughout the year based on requests from schools. This 2 day 1 night camp and day trip aims to introduce Melaka Hawksbill turtles to the Eco-Schools Programme students and teachers in Melaka. It was designed to provide exposure to school-children in Melaka on their natural heritage, the conservation effort, increase awareness and infuse a protector role towards these endangered marine animals. Comprising brainstorming sessions, discussions in turtle conservation, the participants were exposed to the issues of plastic pollution and its devastating impact on turtles. The participants were also taken to watch turtles nesting, and helped in releasing hatchlings under the guidance of facilitators from the Turtle Information Centre, Pengkalan Balak, Melaka. Throughout the year, 140 students and 16 teachers from six schools attended thecamp.

SK Cheng Melaka was privileged to host leaders who have supported the Eco-Schools programme, namely State Education Director Tuan Haji Abu Bakar bin Sahari, and former executives from Melaka Green Technology Corporation, Datuk Yunos and Datuk Kamaruddin. The purpose of the programme was to link the students and teachers to business leaders and government officials who were putting effort into the programme outside the school environment. The three leaders share their views on the Melaka Eco-School Programmes at the same time engage the students in discussion on ecofriendly initiatives, sustainable practices, environmental issues, recycling technologies, green activities and more. Sixty students and 10 teachers were involved in this event.