#5 SDGs- Make it dreams come true!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_bvvop61nY

In the Localizing the SDGs in ASEAN: Case Studies video, there are four scenarios where their locals apply the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seriously. In Nong San, Thailand, the locals are providing tourism services in their villages for tourists. The tourists visit their village and get to learn how to live like locals according to the seasons. One of the tourists said that this tourism is a unique experience compared to travel in other countries, they only get to stay in hotels and eat at fancy restaurants. And she is most likely will recommend her friends to visit Nong San, Thailand. This project is proven to be more than tourism. It is a tool that has helped people within the community to develop skills.

While in Pailin, Cambodia, the government sends its officers/ representatives to the UNDP camp to learn about farming skills. After that, the representatives will train the local farmers so that they can better knowledge about farming and the local farmers can generate money with better crops. This project was absolutely helping the farmers to less the poverty life. One of the farmers said that after she got training about farming, now she can send her children to school.

Speaking of school, in Makassar, Indonesia, there is an application called Pasikola. This application is about a transportation service to the schools. A mother of three children said this Pasikola application will update the school bus/van driver location. She also will know when the driver will arrive to pick up her children to the school. In addition, the parents can know their children's safety and location. According to the Pasikola driver, aside from the aim to present sustainable development, this project hopes to reduce traffic congestion and serve the community. He also adds that Pasikola is an innovation initiated from the bottom up which involves multi-stakeholders.

I believe my beloved Malaysia also putting effort towards the implementation of SDGs. For example, in Penang, there was a program called 'Anugerah Sekolah Hijau'. The program is one of the initiatives to raise awareness to reduce the use of disposable plastics. Penang City Council (MBPP) City Secretary, Dato' Ir. Addnan Mohd. Razali said MBPP hopes to see more other schools take the opportunity to become 'green schools' and produce students who care about the environment (Click Here to read the article).

Last year during my industrial training, I managed to follow one of my officemates to promote the Green School Award at primary schools in Penang Island. I believe this effort should be implemented by all schools in Malaysia.

Masjid At-Taqwa, a mosque in my hometown (Kepala Batas, Penang) also implemented the SDGs too. In the mosque area, there is a place where people can donate their unused clothes. People who needed are welcome to get the clothes for free. Not only that, the mosque management managed to build a dialysis center, a small hotel, barbershop, and small shops. Not to forget, the mosque also provided tuition classes for primary school students for free.

In my opinion, we should educate children about the SDGs as early as we can. So that they know and aware of what they should do to implement the SDGs once they become adults. The Ministry of Education should revise schools' subject syllabus and making sure that children get to learn about sustainable development from their young age. In my experience, there are many of my friends do not know much about sustainable development and also did not have any awareness about sustainable development.

One of my dreams was to open a tourism village just like in Nong San, Thailand but I did hear a lot of people did not agree with this idea. And some of them said it was expensive and nobody will come. Now after I watch how people in the village in Nong San, Thailand work and manage tourism, I believe one day I can start a tourism village because I want to help people cope the poverty and to introduce Malaysia's village experience to the world.