BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

ABOUT 30 youths are spending their school holidays at a health camp that aims to raise awareness on the importance of physical activity.

The Healthy Youth, Healthy Nation youth camp kicked off at the Health Promotion Centre yesterday.

The three-day youth camp, organised by the Youth of Change group, in collaboration with the Health Promotion Centre, hoped to educate the youth on the importance of physical activity, and its relation to a healthy mind.

Youth of Change is a group that was formed under non-profit organisation KESAN’s ‘Belia Brunei Berbakti’ (or Devoted Bruneian Youth) programme, which was launched in January.

Male youths are participating in the camp: five from Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah College; five from Hassanal Bolkiah Arabic Male Secondary School; five from Meragang Sixth Form Centre, and 15 from mosques in the Brunei-Muara district.

During the ceremony, the centre’s head, Dr Hjh Norhayati Hj Md Kassim lauded the ‘Healthy Youth, Healthy Nation’ project, as being in line with its role and goals of preventing non-communicable diseases.

“I hope that this project will be able to extend and propagate the message of a healthy lifestyle among the younger youth in this country – I believe that every participant who attends this camp will be able to reap the benefits for himself, as he will be provided with the knowledge and the skills, which are related to the significance of physical activity.

“I say this, as it is common for many of us to ignore our health, to the point where we fall sick or be diagnosed with a particular illness, by a doctor. Without good health, we will not be able to be productive, and even worse, we will not be able to carry out our ibadah (acts of worship),” Dr Hjh Norhayati said.

She also urged the participants to share everything they have learned with their peers later – be it individually or through activities at other youth camps.

“By doing so, it is hoped that you will become youth advocates for health, to further propagate the messages of how to live a healthy lifestyle to other youths, thereby making this project more effective and sustainable,” she added.

Meanwhile, project head cum Youth of Change leader Rahim Suanny said the project aimed to promote health through a scientific and Islamic perspective.

Rahim noted that the project was a volunteering opportunity for him (and his fellow Youth of Change groupmates), particularly because it was related to sports and health.

“Sport is actually an ibadah (act of worship) in Islam, and as a Muslim, I personally want to engage in as much ibadah as I can, apart from the usual solat (prayers), Quran-reading, puasa (fasting) and zakat (tithe paying).

“There are those who complain, saying that sports are tiring, but in fact, one does not have to necessarily engage in sports in order to be physical – what we are trying to suggest to the people of Brunei is that everyone can engage in physical activities without having to take up sports,” Rahim told The Brunei Times.

The project head also said the participants had signed up willingly, after registration forms were sent to their schools.

The participants are set to take part in a number of educational, physical and religious activities throughout the three days – including talks, an explorace, as well as a walkathon.

Present to deliver the first educational talk titled ‘Health as a Gift’ was Md Amirol Abdul Rahim from the Seri Begawan Religious Teachers University College.

The Brunei Times