Dengue Patrollers on guard
OVER the years, dengue has been affecting the lives of many Malaysians. For SMK Raja Muda Musa, Selangor students who won the recent 2018 Dengue Patrol awareness programme, one thing is clear — dengue is a major public problem and every action counts in making a difference.
Determined to control and prevent dengue outbreaks, the 40 students, who call themselves the Semermum Dengue Patrol Squad, held a series of community-based projects on dengue awareness.
Team member Khaliq Nur Aiman Mohd Shahrizal, 15, said entertainment such as sketches, busking and dikir
barat was incorporated into a gotong royong to attract more people to join the clean-up event.
“We wanted to do something different so that people enjoy participating in our community projects, hence the performances. We held discussions with the audience to highlight the dangers of dengue,” he added.
The gotong royong is crucial to not only create awareness among the community but it is also a way to effectively deal with the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes.
“The steps to prevent Aedes from breeding are actually really easy. This is what we wanted to share with the community so that we can avoid life-threatening diseases such as dengue fever.”
The annual national public awareness programme organised by the Daily School Management Division of the Education Ministry in collaboration with the Health Ministry and Sanofi Pasteur saw 191 schools joining forces in the fight against dengue this year.
In its eighth year, students took on the task of championing dengue awareness and prevention through more than 12,000 community outreach initiatives.
Through this programme, almost one million people have been positively impacted through the six month-long social media and on-ground activities created and executed by primary and secondary students also known as Dengue Patrollers.
Dengue Patrol was introduced to educate students and empower them with the tools and knowledge to fight the dengue menace. It aims to instil a sense of responsibility into children and youths to understand the risks of dengue, how it can be prevented and to take a proactive role in fighting it.
Semermum Dengue Patrol Squad team member Nor Han Arif Jemari, 15, said that he declined to participate in the programme at first as he was unaware of the risks of dengue fever.
“I did not know what is it all about but I forced myself to join the first gotong royong.
At the end of the day, I felt proud of myself because so many people supported the event and, at the same time, it impacted them to take the initiative to prevent dengue.
“I have learnt about dengue fever and the danger of Aedes mosquitoes. I am glad that I could share the knowledge. I found great satisfaction in helping with this community project,” he added.
Khaliq Nur Aiman revealed that he has gained confidence and learnt teamwork by taking part in the programme.
He added: “The biggest challenge was overcoming my shyness. During the
gotong royong, some of us including myself had to dress up as an Aedes mosquito. I wasn’t comfortable doing it as I used to be a bit reserved. But, in time, I overcame that feeling.
“I also made a lot of friends. I never thought I’d be friends with seniors from Form Five but this programme brought us closer.”
Projects took place at least three times a month since April totalling 70 gotong royong and 16 street performances by the end of last month.
Teacher adviser and Arts and Culture Club head Norasmah Shaari, who was in charge of performances, said juggling school and the initiatives was a problem, especially for Fifth Formers.
“We held practices at night and they clashed with extra class for those sitting Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia this year. Sometimes, the practice ended late at night so teachers had to be responsible for sending the students home.
“I am proud of the commitment of the team. Without everyone’s efforts, this project would not have been a success,” she added.
The street performance videos have been uploaded to social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, with more than 68, 000 views in total.
The closing-cum-prize-giving ceremony was attended by Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching and Sanofi Pasteur for Malaysia and Brunei general manager Camille de Lataillade.
In her speech, Teo said this programme is more than just an avenue to spread awareness about dengue, it is also a tangible platform for students to express their creativity while learning about teamwork and communication.
“Undoubtedly, academics has its place. However, these invaluable qualities must be inculcated from a young age.
“The Dengue Patrollers have been positively influencing society by raising awareness on the dangers of dengue and the pivotal role of preventive measures.
“Clearly, the students have been exceptional in executing their respective campaigns in innovative ways each year, with the largest number of initiatives this year.”
In her congratulatory remarks, Lataillade said: “The true heroes are the participants of Dengue Patrol 2018. Their passion and energy are truly an inspiration to us all. I have seen remarkable work done in the last eight years and I continue to be amazed by the creativity and hard work that have been put in to make Dengue Patrol a success.”
The programme started in February 2018 with the participation of 191 schools at the state level comprising 103 primary schools and 88 secondary schools. Later, 23 primary schools and 19 secondary schools moved on to the national level.
Primary school category winner SK Bagan Serai, Perak and secondary school category winner SMK Raja Muda Musa, Selangor received RM5,000 and a trophy each.
Winners were also announced for four special categories — community services, social media, performing arts and quiz.