Uniten : CENTRO

CENTRO is an eight years continuous effort by Enactus Uniten Muadzam Shah since 2005 with the Orang Asli community. This year the team successfully built a formal education centre for the community. In order to maximize utilization of the building, it is also used as a mini library, a centre for community gathering, a centre for waste disposal collection, and a centre to optimize the craftsmanship of the Orang Asli community.

The chosen people in need are the Orang Asli community stricken by hard-core poverty, earning below RM 400 per month that has low social interaction and integration between the community members. The project also targets to correct the nonexistence of proper formal education for pre-school children, which leads to a high rate of dropouts, and the improper garbage disposal which leads to various health problems.

Enactus Uniten Muadzam Shah turned the centre into an economic hub for the Orang Asli to utilize their craftsmanship to develop profitable business. The building of the centre had encouraged the Orang Asli community to venture into business such as "The Lamp Idea" which is made from coconut waste. The women are also producing mengkuang mats to generate income for their families.

The students were able to shift the economic landscape of the Orang Asli community, creating new income sources. They also educated the community with simple basic bookkeeping, courses on products' marketability and simple business cycles. The centre also acts as a platform for the community council to interact, gather and discuss about the community's direction.

Another function of the centre is as a formal institution of education by collaborating with KEMAS to run the CENTRO as a kindergarden.

Enactus Uniten Muadzam Shah has successfully enrol 15 children aged 4 to 6 the CENTRO-KEMAS kindergarden. Apart from that, the centre acts as a one stop centre for waste disposal to collection, equipped with recycle bins to promote recycling.

The Waste-2-Wealth Program was held to encourage the community to recycle waste material into a source of income.

The community was able to generate income of RM 700 from the sales of products while creating a healthier and cleaner environment, as well as reducing health problems. A proper domestic and recyclable waste collection system was established and created a better social framework to catalyze the community's social interaction and integration.

(Source: Enactus Malaysia Magazine 2013)