The 9th Singapore-Brunei Youth Leaders Exchange Programme (SBYLEP) was jointly organised by Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s National Youth Council (NYC) and Brunei’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
The five-day programme was coordinated by the Brunei Youth Council (MBB).
The programme saw participation of 30 youth leaders aged 22 to 35 from various professional backgrounds related to youth affairs in education, leadership, entrepreneurship, community and youth development, science and health, and volunteering.
The SBYLEP is held alternately between Singapore and Brunei. The ninth edition focuses on volunteering, aiming to explore how youth can participate in volunteering activities in a more sustainable, effective and collaborative manner with various stakeholders.
Additionally, it seeks to ensure that these activities are effective and inclusive in driving progress within communities.
The programme also aimed to promote understanding and unity among‘nextgen’ leaders and enhance understanding of policies, systems and inter-country relations as well as facilitate the exchange of views among delegates from both countries.
Participants engaged in volunteer activities at MINDS empowering people with different intellectual ability and Bird Paradise-Mandai Wildlife Reserve for stimulation activities at Youth Corps Singapore. Several dialogue sessions were also conducted to discuss how to become more sustainable youth volunteers in providing quality services to the community.
Singapore Minister of State for the Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of Health Rahayu Mahzam, Permanent Secretary (Youth) at the MCYS Haji Zakaria bin Haji Serudin and Brunei Darussalam’s Acting High Commissioner to Singapore Haji Ahmad Nasri bin Dato Dr Haji Abdul Latif attended the closing ceremony.
The permanent secretary and MCYS officials also conducted working visits to Outward Bound Singapore, Pulau Ubin, the Red Box, National Youth Council and Bird Paradise-Mandai Wildlife Reserve. – Rokiah Mahmud
