BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE head of the alumni association for the Ship for South East Asian Youth Programme (BERSATU) yesterday appealed for more local families to take part in the foster family programme for the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP).

Hj Jailani Hj Ibrahim said this year’s SSEAYP foster family programme received lacklustre response from the public, adding they were still looking for 43 more families to volunteer.

“Every year, we need 140-150 families to join in this programme, and every year we are able to get that number of families, ” he said in a talk at the indoor stadium in Berakas.

The primary reason local families are shunning to join the programme is due to the ongoing “A” and “O” level examinations.

SSAEAYP’s Nippon Maru ship will arrive at the Muara Port this November 13. The Foster Family Programme will be from November 14 -16.

“This programme (foster family) requires the family to initiate some activities for the SSEAYP’s participants. And some families refused because they believed this programme may distract their children from the examination,” he said.

Concerns about the house condition and providing food for the foreign SSEAYP’s participants were also mentioned as reasons for the poor response from the local residents to play host.

“People don’t have to worry about their house condition, if they are just using fan at home, they don’t have to install air conditioner for the foster child. They don’t have to provide pricey food and spend too much money in this programme,” he said.

“The foster children will have what you have every day. After all, it is part of the programme to show them out Bruneian culture,” he added.

There are many benefits to be gained by joining this foster family programme.

“I joined this programme since 2001 and now I have more than 60 foster children. One of the benefits is, you can contact them if you want to go to their country. They can help you with the directions and so on. Apart from that, you can exchange knowledge and culture that you have with them,” said Supian Hj Mohd Yussof.

The Brunei Times