KMA Celebrates 8th year Anniversary!!!

Kem Mesra Alam (KMA) is now 8 years young! With it's mission "To expose, create awareness and promote concern for the environment among the public", it's committee runs 4 camps year throughout the Northern Region. The KMA committee has definitely left an indelible mark amongst local Sarawakian students in the field of Nature Education.Last Sunday, MNS Miri Nature Education group were invited by Ms. Lita Adam, coordinator for KMA to have a peek at the running of it's 2D-1N camp in Niah National Park, Niah for primary school students. We also had a chance to talk at length to some of the students, teachers and key players of the program.

KMA started off with the "Environmental Run" aimed at raising funds for nature education for local schoolchildren in 2001. MNS Miri's early involvement in the effort started with our NEC group and Education working hand in hand with KMA committee members and teachers conducting the first few camps, providing input to program modules and conducting train-the-trainer sessions. Within a short span of one year, KMA is running it's own camps with it's own resources drawn from the committee. The KMA committee is comprised of representatives from Sarawak Shell Berhad, Miri City Council, Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Sarawak Forestry Department, National Resource and Environment Board, Department of Environment, Northern Journalist Association and the Education Department.

The camps itself are run by an eclectic mix of volunteer KMA committee members and dedicated teachers from various schools recruited and trained for the purpose. At the Niah Camp recently we saw professionals at ease dispensing their knowledge and expertise passionately to eager impressionable young minds keen to learn more about nature, environment and it's conservation.KMA camps have been running for the past seven years without fail, it's throughput is 100 students per camp! Participants for the camps are selected from the pool of primary and secondary schools within the greater Miri area, for each camp 5-6 students are selected per school. This allows for a greater mix of demographics and allow greater interaction between the students. Undoubtedly, one of it's highest moments for KMA was when several of it's graduate came back over the years to facilitate some of it's recent camps, an achievement indeed!In addition now and again the teachers and resources go thru updated train-the-trainer sessions conducted by various relevant agencies to upgrade volunteers' skills, techniques and knowledge in the NE field.

Ms. Lita Adam, SSB and En. Abdullah Ahmad, SFD giving participants tips and hints on how to approach their role play as part of their group presentation.

Congratulations KMA on your 8th year Anniversary!

Parents, teachers, PTA members, students and interested public are invited to attend to learn more about the programs and what KMA has to offer in Nature Education.

Published by:- NA/MNS Miri