Rokiah Mahmud
The SMS Brunei Prihatin for Orphans Fund collected BND210,619 in last year’s campaign which ran from April 8-July 8, 2021.
The collection was handed over to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin in a ceremony at Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium yesterday.
DST Sdn Bhd handed over a total of BND187,036 (BND177,036 from DST subscribers through the SMS campaign and BND10,000 as a corporate donation to the fund), Progresif Sdn Bhd handed over BND31,807 and imagine Sdn Bhd handed over BND1,776.
Permanent Secretary (Community and Culture) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS)Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari said as of March 2022, a total of 3,999 orphans has been registered with the Community Development Department (JAPEM) – 2,107 male and 1,892 female. She said the initiative has proven to be an effective platform to channel donations to the orphans and has received encouraging responses from the public yearly.
Since 2020, the SMS Brunei Prihatin for Orphans Fund has been carried out at the start of Ramadhan and would last from 45 days to three months.
Donations can be made via SMS, ranging from BND5, BND10, BND15, BND20, BND50 and BND100.
This year’s campaign was launched yesterday and will be carried out for three months, starting today until July 1.
The public can donate via SMS service provided by typing YATIM (without space) followed by the amount to be donated.
For example YATIM20 (for donations amounting to BND20) and send to 38111 for DST and Progresif customers while imagine customers at 39999.
The event also saw the presentation of the Orphan Scholarship Programme 2022 to two selected orphans to participate in the BIBD ALAF programme, funded through the orphans fund under JAPEM.
The Orphan Scholarship Program is one of the government’s initiatives intended to increase the impact and objectives of the fund, where donations from the public are channelled to fund learning through the BIBD ALAF programme, to help children- orphans succeed in their studies.
Also present were Acting Director of JAPEM, Pengiran Siti Rahmah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh; representative of Radio Television Brunei, Muhammad Mahdi bin Haji Muhammad Yassin; Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Hajah Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman; Chief Executive Officer of Progresif Sdn Bhd, Hajah Nurul Haniah binti Haji Mohd Jaafar, Chief Executive Officer of imagine Suzannawati binti Haji Suharju and Head of Management Operation Division of DST Amir bin Pehin Dato Haji Hussin.
