BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN — A group of university students distributed food and clothing donations to about 200 migrant construction workers as part of efforts to raise awareness on racial discrimination.
The Brunei Religious Officers Student Association (BruROSA) organised a food and clothing drive in its sixth instalment of Unsung Heroes programme.
Launched in 2015, the project aims to reduce discrimination towards migrant workers and encourage the public to empathise with them.
Speaking on the sidelines of the donation drive on Wednesday, BruROSA President Muhammad Fikri Hj Ali said the programme focused on foreign construction workers as most charity projects were for underprivileged families.
He said the project acknowledges the migrant construction workers’ hard work in Brunei.
“Our event can’t really change anything overnight, but we hope that this can be a stepping stone towards a more inclusive and open-minded Brunei in the future, free of discrimination and racial tensions,” the president added.
Muhammad Fikri said BruROSA is run by Bruneian students in the UK and the Unsung Heroes project was held during their summer break.
The student association had limited opportunities to conduct similar activities in the UK due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“Now that we’re back in Brunei, we try to make the most of the situation and try to host many beneficial activities like this for the community,” Mohd Fikri said.
Twelve members of the BruROSA executive committee were involved in the two-day donation drive.
Some 25 volunteers from Brunei Students Union and local higher education institutions also helped with the distribution of food and clothing items to construction workers in Brunei-Muara.