My Starfish Foundation - Treat River water to facilitate orang asli (aborigine) community in Royal Belum
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Treat River water to facilitate orang asli (aborigine) community in Royal Belum

Helping the Underprivileged Community

This project will be carried out in Royal Belum Perak, specifically in Orang Asli settlements, Kampung Kelewang. There is no access to safe drinking water in Kampung Kelewang. Orang Asli in Kampung Kelewang are very primitive where they will relocate from one place to another when the food supply runs out. This has caused difficulties on Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) in conducting a census on the Orang Asli population.For the past two years, JAKOA has to take a boat every day and repeatedly to the waterfall for the Orang Asli to consume clean water. This consumed significant amount of time, effort, and money (boat engine oil). Hence, for this project, we are going to conduct water analysis as there is no data on the water quality index (WQI) in Sungai Kelewang. After we have identify the water quality index, we will going to construct Mini Surface Water Treatment Plant using Slow Sand Filter (SSF) and educate Orang Asli community in Kampung Kelewang on how to conduct the backwash step by themselves.Construction of Mini Surface Water Treatment Plant using Slow Sand Filter (SSF) is showed in Figure 1 below:Figure 1 : Schematic diagram SSF water treatment system 

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University/College
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam
RM 312.50
Goal: RM 312.50
Fund Approved by MSF: RM 4,000.00

Overview of Issue / Background

This project will be carried out in Royal Belum Perak, specifically in Orang Asli settlements, Kampung Kelewang. There is no access to safe drinking water in Kampung Kelewang. Orang Asli in Kampung Kelewang are very primitive where they
will relocate from one place to another when the food supply runs out. This has caused difficulties on Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) in conducting a census on the Orang Asli population.

For the past two years, JAKOA has to take a boat every day and repeatedly to the waterfall for the Orang Asli to consume clean water. This consumed significant amount of time, effort, and money (boat engine oil). Hence, for this project, we are going to conduct water analysis as there is no data on the water quality index (WQI) in Sungai Kelewang.
After we have identify the water quality index, we will going to construct Mini Surface Water Treatment Plant using Slow Sand Filter (SSF) and educate Orang Asli community in Kampung Kelewang on how to conduct the backwash step by
themselves.

Construction of Mini Surface Water Treatment Plant using Slow Sand Filter (SSF) is showed in Figure 1 below:

Figure 1 : Schematic diagram SSF water treatment system

 

Project Objectives (Vision & Mission)

  1. To identify the water quality index (WQI) river in Royal Belum Perak.
  2. To develop mini surface water treatment plant for the Aboriginal community at Kampung Kelewang for them to have clean water access.

Project Details (Activities and Tasks)

  1. Identify the water quality index: In order to determine the suitable material for filter medium and how many layers of filtration needed, we need to identify Sungai Kelewang falls in what classification of river.
  2. Construct Mini Surface Water Treatment Plant using Slow Sand Filter (SSF): We will design the sand filter with suitable material and test it until it achieves the drinking water quality standard.
  3. Educate the Orang Asli community how to conduct backwash step by themself: Orang Asli Community in Kampung Kelewang are very primitive, hence we will provide less and simple step of backwash so that it will not burden them.

Expected Project Result & Outcomes

Our expected project results and outcomes are as below:

  1. Managed to identify the water quality index (WQI) river in Royal Belum Perak (This is crucial for us to determine the river classification before any treatment).
  2. Able to supply clean access water to facilitate orang asli (aborigine) community in Royal Belum. 
  3. At least 2-3 people in Kampung Kelewang understands, acknowledges and can handle the backwash step (Backwash is a preventive measure to maintain the conditions of filter media). 

We as students are familiar with the process, previously I had undergoes my internship at Lembaga Air Perak as production trainee (Responsible in the quality of water before being distributed to consumers). Moreover, our supervisor’s expertise are wastewater engineering and water management, hence we believed that this project will be done successfully.

 

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RM 312.50

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Project Information

University name   :   Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam
Project leader name   :   Nur Liyana Binti Zamziba
Instagram link   :   https://www.instagram.com/trw_uitm/
Project implementation date   :   2022-10-15
Location of project held   :   Royal Belum, Perak
Beneficiary   :   Orang Asli Community in Kampung Klewang and JAKOA
Number of beneficiaries   :   47 families with average of 5-7 children in each family (Overall : 235 - 329 people)

Section I

A. Project Goals:
- Managed to identify the water quality index (WQI) river in Royal Belum Perak (This is crucial for us to determine the river classification before any treatment).
- Able to supply clean access water to facilitate orang asli (aborigine) community in Royal Belum.
- 2-3 people in Kampung Klewang understands, acknowledges, and can handle the backwash step (Backwash is a preventive measure to maintain the conditions of filter media).


B. Fund-raising support & Other external sponsorship:
- Jabatan Kemanjuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) Negeri Perak
- School of Chemical Engineering, UiTM


C. Project Implementation:
1. Project Flow Summary:
a. April - May
- Study and design sand filter
b. 5th June 2022
- Giving of food to the kids at Kampung Klewang
- Sampling at Sungai Tiang
- Conduct in-situ analysis of 2 different waterfalls and 2 different lakes
c. 7th – 14th June 2022
- Lab Analysis (To identify water quality index)
d. 2nd – 9th August 2022
- Design sand filter using software with all the necessary parameters based on the results of the water quality index
e. 6th September & 5th – 6th October 2022
- Meet up with the suppliers
f. 11th – 13th October 2022
- Preparation to Royal Belum
g. 14th October 2022
- Depart from UiTM Shah Alam and check in at UMK Tropical Rainforest Research Centre
- Presenting about this project to Perbadanan Taman Negeri Perak
- Preparation for the installation of Mini Treatment Plant
h. 15th October 2022
- Installation of mini water treatment plant at Kampung Klewang
- Photo session
i. 17th – 21st October 2022

D. Difficulties
- The implementation schedule for our project was unpredictable due to the high risk of Covid 19. As a result, it's challenging for us to access Kampung Klewang since JAKOA is worried that we'll spread covid among the villagers. Plus, one of our difficulties are to get permission/permit to work from authorities especially from JAKOA and Taman Negeri Perak due to isolation of this community from outsiders.
- 15th Malaysian general election (GE15). The election almost caused us to unable get the boat for the installation of mini treatment plant at Kampung Klewang.
- Budget control on purchased construction material.
- Our journey was also challenging due to the rainy weather and long journey by speed boat about one hour and half to two hours. depending on the weather as well as the lake's low and high tides.


E. Language or cultural barriers
We also have struggled with language. This is because majority of the indigenous population in Kampung Klewang does not speak either Malay or English. There are only 2-3 people in Kampung Klewang that understand and can speak Malay, which one of it is Tok Batin, Hence, we need them to interact with others.


F. Project Implementation Process
Overall, our project went well and the whole project implementation go smoothly. Even though our team is small, but everyone does a good job in their assigned duties. Our supervisor who had a well experienced in water treatment helped us a lot to successfully accomplish this project. Moreover, we do have assistance from the locals which help us from the day of sampling until the day of implementation of mini treatment plant. Besides that, we also have support from Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) and Perbadanan Taman Negeri Perak for this project in term of allowing us to conduct this project (permit).


We do encounter challenges during the valve installation in order to make it clear and understandable for the Orang Asli to conduct backwash procedure by themselves. However, we managed to figure out the most suitable valve that only required them to rotate the valve.


In terms of financial support, in addition to My Starfish Foundation, JAKOA provided us with free transportation (speed boat) for our trip on 14th – 15th October 2022 for the implementation of mini treatment plant at Kampung Klewang, which this saves us RM1000. Whereas School of Chemical Engineering at UiTM Shah Alam covered the cost of our meals and accommodation for those three days.


Finally, our project successfully raised the amount of crowdfunding and at the same time encouraged public support and give awareness that there are still people out there that are decades behind us.

 

G. Beneficiaries
Our main goal for this project is to develop mini water treatment plant for the Aboriginal community at Kampung Klewang for them to have clean water access. There are 47 families with average of 5-7 children in each family in Kampung Klewang (Overall : 235 -329 people). Hence, we design, and construct sand filter of fiber reinforce plastic that can last up to 10 years.


Besides that, by providing clean water access to community in Kampung Klewang, JAKOA does not have to take boat every day and frequently to the waterfall for the Orang Asli to drink clean water.

Additionally, this initiative gave us a wonderful opportunity to put into practise and experience what we had learned about water treatment theoretically in school and during our internships to benefit the community. Finally, it can open the public eyes about the existence of those community that is still backward even in this 21st century, thus can help as little as possible to ease their burden.

 

H. Long-term impact / Sustainability
This project is our first attempt to construct mini water treatment plant, which we choose Kampung Klewang as our target. This project is a long-term project in which the sand filter can sustained for a long time with regular and good maintenance. For the backwash steps, Orang Asli community will do themselves as the operation only require basic skills and minimal effort. Whereas JAKOA will be responsible for future maintenance (For example: Change the sand filter and valve).

Furthermore, we decided to return to Kampung Klewang six months after the implementation of mini water treatment plant to check on its condition. In short, we intend to continue this mini treatment plant project in other Kampung at Royal Belum.

Section II

Section II (a)


How does or will your project contribute to happiness? Short-term? Long-term?
This project (PFH22-83 Treat River Water to Facilitate Aborigine Community in Royal Belum Perak) brings happiness to all the community in Kampung Klewang, Royal Belum. At first, we discovered that those community do not have clean access water, thus they used source of water from waterfall for their daily uses and this can cause water-borne disease since the water is untreated. Moreover, they don’t have to used lake water to wash their clothes and cooking utensils as they can just get direct the water from the mini treatment plant, thus these can also ensure their safety (any danger from lakes; Example : snakes).

On the other hand, it also gives happiness to Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) Negeri Perak as this project can maintain those community at Kampung Klewang, therefore it will be easier for JAKOA in conducting census on that population.

In short term, this project also gives happiness to all our team members as well, because we have successfully accomplished this project, able to help those needed and even learn something new.


Has your project changed the way you think about the world? How has it changed you?
Yes, this project has changed the way we think about the world. At first, we did not aware that there are still people out there that are primitive (decades behind), lack of facilities and even do not associate and afraid with outsiders. Hence, it opens our eyes to help them by providing the most crucial facilities which is water treatment for them to have clean access water.

Additionally, we discovered that the people in our community are interested and eager to support us in our crowdfunding campaign in achieving the goal to construct the mini treatment plant in Kampung Klewang.

My Starfish Foundation is not just an organization that give us the opportunity to serve the community, but it also helps us to learn and improve our critical thinking skills, personal skills (confidence) and social skills (communications, teamwork) throughout the crowdfunding and workshops that have been organized by MSF. Moreover, we also get inspired by other team as well to serve the community.

 

Section II (b)


Nur Liyana :
“Serving the community is not just by money. We may also devote ourselves with the energy we have, no matter how little it was. Their happiness will then return to us”


Muhammad Ashraff :
“You can improve the world by improving yourself”


Nik Nurul Ain:
“When we give something to others, it was very satisfying to see their smile of happiness”


Muhammad zul fadzli :
"Actions is the most important to impress and express love"

Section III

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