GREEN Brunei is hoping to become a full-time social enterprise so that their efforts will be more sustainable in the long run. The non-profit organisation – established in August 2012 – promotes environmental education and conservation. It currently operates as a volunteer organisation that is dependant on sponsorships but it is now looking towards generating revenue by becoming a social enterprise.
Khairunnisa Ash’ari, President of Green Brunei, said profits made will be used to support more environmental initiatives and help them be more sustainable.
She told The Brunei Times that she believed community-led initiatives are important and Green Brunei hopes to be the platform to initiate that while contributing to the sustainable development of the country.
Khairunnisa is currently in London and is one of the recipients who will be accepting the inaugural Queen’s Young Leaders Awards at the Buckingham Palace on June 22.
She expressed hopes that the award will open up more doors for Green Brunei for better and stronger collaboration with both the public and private sectors.
“The work that Green Brunei does involves a lot of support from these two sectors, as well as support from the general public. Thus, strong engagement is key to ensure our success,” she said.
Khairunnisa added she hopes the award will help more people see the potential of Green Brunei in the larger picture.
However, she noted they still have a lot of areas to improve on, such as providing training for their members, in addition to financial support for the needs of the organisation. With this in mind, the president expressed thanks to the support received from various ministries since Green Brunei was established.
“I hope that the government will continue to support youth-initiated programmes and youth-led activities by not just endorsing what we do but also by providing the necessary capacity building and training to help us run our projects more effectively,” she said.
The president then adviced those involved in community work like Green Brunei to persevere.
“I have been through a lot of difficulties and challenges… and sometimes, even no support for my activities. But you should not give up and (persevere) if it is your passion. Do not do something because you think it is cool or glamorous. Be sincere in your intentions and good things will come your way,InsyaAllah,’’ she said.
Source: The Brunei Times