Workcamp's programs.

Friday :21st November 2008

4pm: We expect everyone to reach Sauk and proceed to Sekolah Menengah Sultan Azlan Shah, Lenggong. All of us will meet here as this school will be our base camp. School Authorities had given us greenlight to use school's facilities. There'll be around 15 students who'll join us throughout the camp.

5pm: ice-breaking. get to know each other. We'll have around two hours to introduce ourselves and getting to know the others as well.

7.30pm: Dinner.

8.30pm: Witnessing Akad Nikah ceremony at nearby mosque. This is part of the wedding ceremony we are going to take part. Local community here has the tradition of having the Akad Nikah in the mosque, the night before the wedding day. Please wear according to the local custom. For ladies, no skirt please. And if you're wearing a short sleeves T-Shirts, please put your jacket on. And for men, no shorts or bermudas. Wearing a long pants is the most appropriate things to do as this ceremony will be conducted in the mosque.

This ceremony is going to be very short. It will last within an hour.

9.30pm. Back at the school and we'll have a short briefing on do's and dont's during the workcamp.

10.00. Free time.

11.00pm: Sleep

Saturday, 22nd November 2008

7.30am. Breakfast

9.00 am. We shall be at our host's house, helping them to prepare for the real wedding day. We'll take part in cleaning dishes, serving etc. But for overseas participants and SCI volunteers who had never attended a Malay wedding before, you may not have to do all these chores as we want you to mingle around and try to understand local culture and customs.

We'll stay there until the bersanding ceremony is over. We expect everything is over by 3-4 pm. i hope Stephen can prepare some momentos from SCI for our host. I believe it will be remembered for the rest of their life.

5pm. Back at the school. Free time. Bring along your frisbees. And if you're and avid angler, you can spend your time fishing at the lake.

7.30pm: Dinner.

8.30pm: Presentation by SCI Malaysia. Peace education by Stephen Nah.

9.30pm. Discussion and evaluation.

Sunday.23rd Nov. 2008

7.30 am. Breakfast.

9.00am. Workcamp begins.

5.00pm. Back at the school. R&R.

7.30pm: Dinner.

8.30pm: Presentation by Friends of Environment (FoE): Lake Chenderoh by Afendi Ahmad.

9.30pm: Discussion and evaluation.

11.00pm: Sleep.

Monday 24th Nov. 2008

7.30am: Breakfast.

9.00am: Continue workcamp.

5.00pm: Back at the school. R&R. For those who would like to take a dip at nearby waterfalls, we'll take you there. For ladies, no bikinis please. This is a conservative area. You can use your shorts if you want and always put your T-shirts on.

7.30pm: Dinner.

8.30pm: Presentation by SCI. Workcamps around the world and how to join SCI as volunteer. By Stephen Nah.

9.30pm: Discussion and evaluation.

11.00pm: Sleep.

Tuesday, 25th Nov. 2008.

7.30am: Breakfast.

9.00am: Workcamp. We expect the job to be completed by mid-day. If this happen, we'll have some free time in the afternoon and we can all go for a visit at the archaeological museum nearby.

7.30pm: Dinner

8.30pm: Presentation. Environmental Programs Around the world and How to Participate. by FoE.

9.30pm: Discussion and evaluation.

11.00pm: Sleep.

Wednesday 26th Nov. 2008.

7.30am: Breakfast

9.00 am: Visit to handicraft centre. See how mengkuang products are made. In the afternoon, we'll be visiting a pekasam industry to know how fermented fish is produced.

7.30pm: Dinner

8.30 pm: Farewell night. let's have some surprises.

11.00 pm: Sleep.

Thursday 27th Nov. 2008.

7.30am: Breakfast. Ready to move on. Sayonara. Auf wiedersehn. Good-bye.

Location

Tasik Raban is located some 300km north of Kuala Lumpur. Tasik Raban is actually a small section of Lake Chenderoh, located along the Kuala Kangsar-Grik Highway.

People

Majority of the people here are Malays (78%), Chinese (20%) and Indian (2%).

Most Malays are either fishermen, rubber tapper and government servants while the chinese are either doing business or rubber tapper.

Most Malays live around the lake in kampongs, but new housing estates are coming-up in this area.

How to get there

From Kuala Lumpur or Penang, exit at Kuala Kangsar toll plaza. Take the Kuala Kangsar-Grik Highway.The distance from Kuala Kangsar toll plaza is 35 kilometres. You'll pass a few small towns of Lubuk Merbau, Kati, Sauk before reaching Raja Muda Nazrin bridge. Right after the bridge, take a left turn and you are now in Tasik Raban.

Before the completion of the new highway, Tasik Raban used to be the stopover for those travelling from Kuala Kangsar to the East Coast. There's a R&R right before the bridge, but some people still prefer the old Tasik Raban.

View from Resort Tasik Raban

Tasik Raban International Workcamp

Brief Summary of the program.

Friday: 21/11/08

Day - Registration and check in
Night - Introduction, briefing, ice-breaking.

Saturday: 22/11/08

Day - Participating in Wedding Ceremony
Night - Presentation by SCI-Malaysia - Peace Education

Sunday: 23/11/08

Day: Workcamp begins. Our main activity will be to beautify, restore and cleaning-up of Tasik Raban. Our objectives are to help turn Tasik Raban into a community center for environmental activities, community-based research programme, sports and recreational activities.

Night - Presentation by FoE - SMKSAS - Environmental Conservation of Lake Chenderoh.

Monday: 24/11/08

Day: Workcamp
Night - Presentation by SCI-Malaysia
- Global Peace through workcamps.
- Opportunities to serve as volunteers around the world.

Tuesday: 25/11/08

Day: Workcamp
Night: Presentation by FoE-SMKSAS:
- Environmental Education
- Oppurtinities to participate in world environmental programmes through NGOs and United Nation Environmental Program.

Wednesday: 26/11/08

Day - Visits to handicraft centre in Jenalik/ Visits to Pekasam industry
Night - Presentation by Education Department/ Local Government.
Peace and unity: Local Perspective

Thursday: 27/11/08

Farewell and closing ceremony.

International Workcamp on Environment

SCI International Workcamp is an annual event held in various parts of the world. In Malaysia, this workcamp was being held in various locations such as Taiping Lake Garden (2007), Kuala Lumpur (2006) and Penang (2005). This year, SCI-Malaysia will be organising two International workcamps such as follows.

1.Summer Camp.
24th July - 30th July 2008: Taiping (Environment and Heritage)
30th July - 6th August 2008: Penang (Penang Peace Run, Community Service)

2. Winter Camp.
21st Nov - 27th Nov 2008: Lenggong, Perak. (Environment and Community)
27th Nov - 4th Dec 2008: Kuala lumpur (Community Service)

To share or message of unity, peace and harmony, SCI-Malaysia and Friends of Environment, SMK Sultan Azlan Shah, Lenggong (SMKSAS) are planning to organise this year's International Workcamp at Tasik Raban, Lenggong, on the 21st - 27th November 2008.

Main Organizer

Service Civil international (SCI) - Malaysia
Friends of Environment, SMK Sultan Azlan Shah.

Participants

Students from Secondary Schools in Lenggong
SCI-Malaysia volunteers
Foreign Participants
Local Communities

Estimated no of participants: 50-60

Language of communication

English