UPM Students Foster Volunteerism, Experience Rural Life Through Kampung Angkat MADANI

SHAH ALAM, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Fifty Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) students ventured beyond campus life to engage with rural communities and foster the spirit of volunteerism through the Kampung Angkat MADANI @ Jiwa Putra Programme held in Kampung Sawah Sempadan, Tanjong Karang, near here.

Organised by UPM’s Co-Curriculum and Student Development Centre (PKPP), the three-day programme involved 25 foster families and featured a variety of community-based activities, including agricultural knowledge sharing, entrepreneurship, tree planting, and local product exhibitions.

PKPP director Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Mursyid Arshad said the university’s active engagement with rural communities reflected the role of higher education institutions in supporting community development.

“This programme reinforces the university’s role as an institution that stands with the people and remains relevant to current needs,” he said in a statement here today.

In its efforts to expand the university’s outreach to the community, the UPM PKPP also organised PUTRA MADANI: Longest Live Community Podcast, a 30-hour non-stop audio broadcast featuring discussions on agriculture, community issues and the Malaysia MADANI concept.

Mohd Mursyid said the initiative provided a space for informal yet effective communication in conveying the government’s aspirations to the public.

“We want the community to understand and embrace the spirit of Malaysia MADANI, particularly in the context of unity, progress and the pursuit of new opportunities.

“Being a university that focuses on agriculture, this platform allows us to share our innovations and expertise directly with the community,” he said.

Amira Farhana Sallehuddin, a Bachelor of Science in Human Development with Honours student at the Faculty of Human Ecology, said she joined the programme during the semester break, drawn by the adopted village concept.

She said the programme gave her the opportunity to gain new insights, attend motivational sessions and take part in gotong-royong activities, while helping to strengthen ties among students from different faculties.

Meanwhile, Block AGH Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) chairman Zam Zaidi said that UPM’s presence in the village had brought great significance and left a meaningful impact on the local community.

He said the podcast, held as part of the programme, played a positive role in introducing new technologies and digital platforms to the villagers.

“Communities today are increasingly IT savvy and understand how podcasts can be used to promote products and highlight our village’s unique attractions, which also have potential for eco-tourism,” he said.

The Kampung Angkat MADANI @ Jiwa Putra programme is a joint effort by the University Community Transformation Centre and the Strategic and Corporate Relations Centre, with support from the Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Educational Studies, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Hospital (HSAAS), and the Alumni Relations Centre (ARCUPM).

--BERNAMA