“I was taught how to light a
jungle torch and this is my first time on the 'flying fox'. I’m
going to teach my brother what I’ve learnt and bring him next
year,” she said.
The children, aged between seven and
12, were taught character building and teamwork.
S.G. Hashvini, 12, said: “If we
don’t do things together, it is very hard to get things to work,
such as lighting a fire,” she said.
J. Tharveen, 10, who came from
Mentakab, said his father had encouraged him to be brave.
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FUN AS WELL:
Campers fanning the fire so that their eggs would be boil
faster in bamboo. |
“I did the flying fox and learned
how to leave ribbon trails in the jungle so that I can follow them,”
he said.
For Fan Ray Aun, 10, the camp was a
place to forge new friendships.
Kuntum editor Datin Amelia
Kassim said children should be taught how to handle themselves in
every aspect, especially safety.
“Survival skills are important, as
you never know what’s going to happen to you,” she said.
Campers learned how to be more alert
about their surroundings and learnt how to tie various knots, set up
camp, make waterproof matches and hammock.
“Today’s kids depend on packed
foods. They don’t know anything about survival,” said camp captain
K. Balasupramaniam of the Malaysian Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Association, which is involved in fire prevention, road safety and
emergencies.
“Some kids don’t know how to light a
match and they don’t want to sit in dirty places in the jungle,” he
said.
“We teach them how to give out an
SOS signal, to follow the river and find something bright to leave
as a trail if they get lost.”
The camp’s main sponsor was Nestle
Products Sdn Bhd which gave away RM7,000 and Maggi knapsacks.
Co-sponsors were Kimberly-Clark
Trading (M) Sdn Bhd, A. Clouet & Co (KL) Sdn Bhd, Gardenia Bakeries
(KL) Sdn Bhd, Campbell Soup South-East Asia Sdn Bhd and Pandan Metro
Sdn Bhd.
