This would be the 4th Save Our Rare Earth Eco-Camp organized by Kiehl’s Malaysia in partnership with Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam (YAWA) and it was held at Sungai Panjang, Sabak Bernam. In regards to the event, 80 students aged between 10 and 17 were thought on how to preserve the environment. Although it was a 3-day camp from 4th to the 6th of November, we have a feeling that everybody were secretly wishing for a fourth day.
The “Save Our Rare Earth” project is to educate the youths with deeper understanding about environmental responsibility and also awareness. This 3-day camp was not ‘all work and no play’ because the students had tons of fun and memories to share.
The theme for this year’s camp – “Green Care for Our Communities”, was supported by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM). Basically, the aim was to change and upgrade Sabak Bernam into a community-based and eco-tourism site in Selangor. Everyone had tons of fun with some of the activity for instance; planting “Berembang” trees to attract fireflies to the area, wrapping “Berembang” fruits along Sungai Panjang, constructing mud balls for the river and many more. The participants were thrilled with the activities as they don’t get the privilege to do it on a daily basis.
The camp might sound all about environment but that wasn’t all. The ‘Save Our Rare Earth Eco Camp’ was also a cultural learning experience as half of the participants were represented by the local community. The camp was a good method to mix and mingle and learn about the cultural differences.
Tuk Sidang, the Head of the Village welcomed everyone with his best hospitality. He was kind enough to share the bedrooms and meals with every participant during the event. On top of that, everyone was entertained by Tuk Sidang’s ‘Kuda Kepang’ performance. At the end of the day, everyone was served with ‘Nasi Ambeng’ – A big tray and the meal was divided into four. The meal resembles prosperity and harmony as everyone eats together.
Earlier this October, Kiehl’s released a limited edition “green” label for one of Kiehl’s most iconic skincare products – the Ultra Facial Cream. Kiehl’s worked with three ultra-stylish and eco-conscious fashion designers – Khoon Hooi, Amir Luqman and Ung Yiu Lin to depict their vision of social responsibility and to send a message out to customers about the importance of minimizing impact on the environment. The net proceeds from the sale of the limited edition product benefited the YAWA foundation. Kiehl’s & YAWA were pleased to have the support of Khoon Hooi and Amir Luqman who participated for a day at the camp.
