Young engineers raising funds to compete in Petrosains RBTX

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Members of SK Long Sepiling N.E.D (Sepiling) –  (from left) Eunice, Dyesebel and Nora.

MIRI: The ‘Sepiling Young Engineers Project’ of SK Long Sepiling aims to make a name for rural Sarawak schools, especially in Baram, by winning the ‘Innovation’ category of this year’s ‘Junior Petrosains RBTX’ scheduled to take place in Shah Alam next month.

The school is represented by the primary school’s innovation group, the N.E.D. (Sepiling). The group’s name represents the names of its three members Nora Nyamun and Eunice Ulau Will, both in Year 6, and Dyesebel Dau from Year 3.

According to the teacher in-charge and project head Muhammad Saffuan Jaffar, his charges would go to Shah Alam to present their innovation this Aug 24 and 25.

Adding on, he says the project is under SK Long Sepiling’s Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (STEM) Club.

“The idea to participate in the competition came up after seeing a lot of robotics competitions being held. I hope this project could provide exposure on robotics to our pupils, so that they would not be left behind, and also for them to be on par with those from other schools.

“Competitions such as Petrosains RBTX can provide the space and opportunity for our pupils to highlight their talents,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Muhammad Saffuan regarded the Petrosains RBTX competition as one of the three innovation and robotics competitions where the school made it to the final rounds.

The two other competitions were the ‘Petrosains RBTX Challenge’ and ‘Junior Innovate’.

According to him, the Sepiling Young Engineers Project involves four teachers and eight pupils – with Dyesebel being the youngest participant.

“The Sepiling Young Engineers Project is currently raising money to fund these pupils for all the three competitions,” he said, adding that the money raised would also be used to fund the pupils’ participation in ‘Petrosains RBTX Robotracer Competition’ on July 14, and ‘Junior Innovate’ this Aug 2-4, as well as ‘Petrosains Open and Junior Innovations’.

The money would cover their expenditures such as meals, accommodations and their transportations, he said.

It is learnt that so far, the ‘Young Engineers Project’ has raised RM3,444.

Those wishing to send in their donations can go to Facebook page https://web.facebook.com/sklgsepiling for obtain further details.

“We are thankful to all parties including the people’s representatives, non-government organisations (NGO) and members of the public who have contributed in one way or another.

“We are not hoping to emerge as champion, but we will do our best and we will be proud to see their innovation being presented at the national level,” said Muhammad Saffuan.

It would take about a two-hour drive, on-board a pick-up truck, to reach SK Long Sepiling from Miri.

The rural primary school houses 10 pupils, the majority of whom are Kayans.