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38th SSEAYP participants return

Saturday, December 17, 2011
CHEERS and tears of joy flooded the Arrival Hall of Brunei International Airport yesterday as the 38th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth (SSEAYP)Programme were reunited with their families after their 53-day cultural experience.

One of the participants of SSEAYP 2011 shedding tears of joy as she embraces her mother. Picture: BT/Yusri Adanan
Hj Md Zamri (in 'cara melayu', 2nd L), acting director of Youth and Sports congratulating the participants of SSEAYP 2011, upon their arrival from Hongkong at Brunei International Airport yesterday. Picture: BT/Yusri Adanan
The Brunei contingent of 28 participants arrived safely yesterday afternoon where Hj Md Noor Hj Abd Hamid, contingent national leader, shared their experience and hopes of organising future plans out of the trip.

The SSEAYP programme presented the opportunity for the youths to take part in a number of activities and discussions which required them to interact with one another, he said.

Through such activities, Hj Md Noor said that the youths were able to learn more about the Aseancountries and Japan as well as their culture and traditions which adds on to their personal knowledge.

In addition, he elaborated that this also allowed them to discuss more serious issues on a global scale as well as the potential developments that can be made through the exchange of ideas and perspectives.

"These youths are the hope of our future and it is from here where we can help them inherit and understand the various cultures of ASEAN," said the national leader who added that the programme was an early chance for them familiarise themselves.

When asked about the future plans for the contingent, Hj Md Noor said that they have been asked to conduct more social-related activities which are aimed towards assisting the welfare of the communities in the Sultanate as can be seen in the other countries that they visited.

This was in hopes of ensuring a more peaceful stability amongst the communities in the progress of the country's developments.

Also speaking to The Brunei Times yesterday was 19-year-old participant Aqilah Nur Ezzati Md Idrus who recalled her feelings of homesickness when she first settled with her first foster family in Japan.

"When I was first in Japan, I actually cried in front of my home foster family. They couldn't speak English but they understood how I felt because they really looked like my family back here," she said.

She both admired and was surprised at the friendliness and kind gestures expressed by the people they've encountered at each country and felt more than welcome with each visit.

"I'm just glad to be back home and get back to reality but I'm thankful to have been part of this and can't wait to represent my country again next time," she added.

In her absence, Aqilah was fortunate to win an award of Best Female Singer in the recent PelangiAwards which made her more anxious for her return home yesterday in celebrating the moment with her family.

Present to welcome the delegation was Acting Director of Youth and Sports Hj Mohd Zamri Dato PadukaHj Hamdani along with other officials.

The annual programme was launched in October earlier.
The Brunei Times
AMIR NOOR
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN