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Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah with the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources and BIBD management team

Remember ALAF programme that had a big impact last year? It was initially introduced during Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam’s Charity Expedition for ALAF back in October 2012. Now it has become an official programme as part of BIBD’s programme and this is one awesome initiative created by BIBD. I believe everyone children in the world must have access to education and we all deserve it 😀

So last Saturday, BIBD officially launched their flagship Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, ALAF (Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future) Programme. The ALAF programme is aimed at providing education sponsorship, focusing on underpriviled and orphaned children in Brunei Darussalam. This is the first of its kind I believe and this is totally different from scholarship programmes.

The event was graced by Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, who officially launched the programme at a ceremony held at the Indera Samudra Grand Hall at the Empire Hotel and Country Club. The launch ceremony for this goodwill programme was attended by some 400 supporters of the initiative.

The opening remarks were delivered by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources cum BIBD Chairman. In his remarks, the Chairman shared on the success of organising the Charity Expedition held last October, the first fund-raising event for BIBD ALAF. The event, which received tremendous support from the public, collected more than B$300,000 in donations, along with the involvement of more than 6,000 participants and 800 volunteers from government and non-government agencies, as well as members of public.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah delivering her sabda

Signing ceremony between the Ministry of Education and BIBD

The exchange of documents between the Ministry of Education and BIBD

So now ALAF is officially open, you can be part of this contribution. How? You can make donations through BIBD Online, BIBD Mobile, Standing Instruction, Cash Deposit Machines, Hadiah Points or through BIBD counters. The ALAF Account is 01-001-01-818181-1 and you can give a minimum of BND 1. Even that one dollar can make a difference and imagine if everyone of us contribute a dollar, you are able to give a priceless and meaningful gift to every child that wants to learn and they are our future of Brunei and they will also play an important role by the time of Brunei Vision of 2035.

Hjh Nurul Akmar Hj Mohd Jaafar, BIBD’s Deputy Head of Consumer Banking and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, commented on her aspirations on the success of ALAF as she hopes the fund-raising initiative will gain momentum, hoping to see other corporates,NGOs and the public in general to come forward to show their support towards this noble cause in the investment of the development and future of these underprivileged and orphaned children.

You can view their website here or you can call 223 8181 for more details and you can also email csr@bibd.com.bn Once again, thank you to BIBD for making this program a reality and you definitely have my full support. So guys, let’s make a difference to our younger generation.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah with the Ministers

Choir performance from the children

Choir performance from the children

Students with their parents attending the launch of ALAF

Guess what peeps? Another instagram competition is being organised and this time it is by AITI who partnered with Brunika and it’s known as “AITI Instagram Competition”. This is also in conjunction with AITI 10 Years Anniversary. The first prize is an iPad Mini while second prize is a Sony Xperia.

The closing date is on 20th May 2013 by midnight and you will have to take photos that portray AITI. Example AITI buildings or anything ICT related or even activities or events related to AITI. Then make sure that you include their official hashtags #insta_a_i_t_i and #brunika to be eligible for the competition. Oh, do make sure your instagram is not priviatised, otherwise it will be hard for the judges to view your photos via hashtags.

So what are you waiting for? The deadline is my next Monday and you have five more days left 😀 So this is something to keep you busy as well during the weekends. I will put up my own shots too (since I don’t mind an iPad Mini :p). Anyway, Happy 10th Year AITI.

Want to win an iPad Mini?

Please take note of the following rules:

1.    The opening date of the AITI Instagram Competition is on 6 May 2013 and the closing date will be on 20 May 2013, midnight.

2.    This competition is open to local and permanent residents in Brunei Darussalam.

3.    Participants can submit as many photos as they wish to (either old or new photos) and include both hashtags #insta_a_i_t_i and #brunika. AITI employees are disqualified to enter this competition.

4.    The selected Top 10 participants will be contacted via their Instagram account. And they must attend to the AITI 10 years anniversary carnival on 26 May 2013 to collect their prize.

5.    The Top 3 participants will be announced on the day of the carnival.

6.    Images must portray on AITI (such as AITI’s office buildings, ICT technology, any activities/events related to AITI, etc).

7.    Images must NOT express any forms of profanity, sexual and/or racist elements. Image must NOT incite religious hatred and/or phrases that may be deemed inappropriate to other races.

8.    AITI and BRUNIKA reserve the right to reuse any photo that are submitted to the official hash tag of the AITI Instagram Competition #insta_a_i_t_i

9.    Upon submission, the owner of the photo will no longer have rights to use the photos upon submission and after the competition for personal or professional use, giving AITI sole rights of the photographs in an unrestricted, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, display, publicly perform, transmit and distribute such photographs.

10.    AITI and BRUNIKA shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. Decisions made by the judges are final and no forms of communications will be entertained at any time.

 

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This is another version of the LEAP grant by the Brunei Economic Development Board and it’s called Start Up Brunei. This was recently launched in March where it aimed at introducing funds to those who are in need of funds to progress especially those with innovatives ideas. LEAP is more of creating a prototype that hopefully can translate to a revenue streamline. As for SUB, it’s more on the business and innovative ideas that you want to pursue but it’s the funds that is holding you back!!

Hence, BEDB created this programme and their objective is straight forward –> To get the startups going and on their feet. This is Daniel Leong’s baby project and he is BEDB’s Senior Manager for innovation and New Initiatives. He shared that SUB applicants can get financial assistance up to BND 50,000 and there’s also an additional relocation incentive of BND 30,000 for overseas entrepreneur. So I believe this is a great programme that also acknowledges oversea entrepreneurs.

You want to know more then click here and view the details on their official website. The application has just open today and will close on the 15th June 2013.

Daniel Leong, BEDB’s Senior Manager for innovation and New Initiatives, briefed about Start Up Brunei, during the launch of the program back in March. Click image to enter website for more details.

Crafts and activities took over Mabohai Shopping Complex last weekend, as Event Solutions organised a Mothers’ Day event for families to participate in. Throughout the weekend, participants got to explore their creativity by trying their hands on decorating cookies, scrapbook frame-making, and t-shirt designing. Younger children also got to enjoy free face-painting sessions.

“We wanted to organise an event where families would actually sit down and do things together,” said Event Solutions Manager Aziemah Abdullah.

Each activity cost $1 and participants could bring their proud creations home.

“Today we saw one parent wearing a t-shirt that her child had designed for her yesterday,” added Aziemah. “We have had many families come through since Saturday, to take part in the many activities we have lined up.”

With this event, Event Solutions hope to let families know that the Mabohai Shopping Complex is a place for the whole family, with many retail stores available, including Supasave on the ground floor, as well as children’s toy centre ToysRUs. Text courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei TImes.

The committee that helped out during the weekend