Brunei's society management for autism related issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER) will be holding an open day and charity bazaar on November 28.
The event aims to expose SMARTER's ASD centre in Sengkurong and the facilities it provides to the general public while helping to raise funds to sustain the organisation's monthly expenses.
During a press conference Smarter's vice secretary, Annisa Hj Moksin, said that this is the first time SMARTER is organising a large event.
She said that the bazaar will accommodate 30 tables and the public can set up shop for a nominal fee of $50 per table. Cakes, clothes, books, food and beverages are expected to be the mainstay of the event. Coupons worth one and five dollars will be utilised to purchase items at the bazaar. The event will also showcase the art of calligraphy, hair cutting and photography services.
Annisa went on to praise the brains behind the charity bazaar, which comprises local bloggers who immediately took action following the announcement of SMARTER's financial troubles and suggested a charity bazaar with full support to help make the event a success.
"We normally have garage sales, however with the suggestion of local bloggers, we have decided that it was a good idea to hold a bazaar," said Annisa. All proceeds from the bazaar will go towards sustaining the SMARTER Brunei. "In the future we hope to be able to build small businesses so we can sustain ourselves and not rely on charity events," she said.
According to the vice secretary, they lack financial support to acquire a new building which they need to meet the ever-growing number of individuals with autism. They hope that other agencies will come in and heed their call.
"We need to expand, we need a bigger place because there are other children on our waiting list but we are unable to accept them as we are already in dire straits and cannot accommodate any more students."
She added that SMARTER's total monthly expenditure for the upkeep of their organisation comes to about $21,000. "We are only able to raise $10,000 each month from donations and charitable institutions and that leaves a deficit of $11,000."
She said that SMARTER welcomes donations and volunteers who would like to contribute towards their cause. "SMARTER would like to extend its invitation to agencies such as the CDC (Children Development Centre), UPK (Special Education Unit), BKN (Biro Kawalan Narkotic), BARA, Red Crescent and Jasra Harrison, who have been kind and generous enough to support our cause throughout the years."
Under the stewardship of SMARTER President, Malai Hj Abdullah Hj Malai Othman, the organisation with help from executive members and stakeholders like Hj Yusuf Thani, who also have children enrolled, SMARTER has risen in stature to become a model for other centres who care for autistic individuals across the globe.
A visiting professor from the University of Makate in the Philippines, Joel A Medina praised the centre for taking a step forward in dealing with autistic children. He made the observation that the centre is more advanced and stable when compared to centres in a lot of other nations. He added that the current financial issue faced by the centre is a "great loss". Professor Joel, an expert in special education, is currently on a working visit to the Sultanate to learn about the inner workings of SMARTER.
Should interested parties or individuals wish to contact SMARTER, they can send an email to Smarterasd@gmail.com to take part in the upcoming event.
Source: Borneo Bulletin
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