08DISCOVER FEATUREStudent Volunteers To Keep COVID-19 at BayNurarlyiana Haji Saidin from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) began voluntarily sanitising and disinfecting different areas of UBD, particularly the UBD Library since early February in an effort to help the university curb the COVID-19 outbreak.Taking the lead from Brunei Darussalam’s own healthcare workforce and their diligence and commitment in dealing with the current situation, the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Environmental Studies student decided to show some love and support to the frontliners by deciding to join the fight against COVID-19. In her own way and with her own funds, she has helped to prevent the spread of the virus and supported control measures to reduce the risk of infections in UBD and the community. A one-woman job, she intended to ensure minimal contact with other individuals but would be glad and grateful if there are other students who would also like to participate in the volunteer work.Armed with disinfectants, Nurarlyiana spends a couple of hours up to twice a week disinfecting the floor and carpet of the Ground Floor to the Third Floor with a knapsack sprayer. Then she focuses on frequently touched items such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, PC keyboards and tables among others. She also provided alcohol swabs and steriliser boxes for library staff and visitors to clean smaller personal items such as keys and phones which are often handled.As more students might use the library with Examination Week drawing closer, she shared that her efforts would “ensure a safe environment not only for students but also to UBD staff, lecturers and visitors.”Nurarlyiana points out that she also actively volunteers outside of UBD as part of her contribution, focusing on low-risk tasks. In order to ensure that these outdoor activities do not interfere with her studies, she scheduled her activities two weeks in advance.“My main objective is to ‘give something back’ to the community,” she adds. “In general, this activity keeps me mentally stimulated and provides me a sense of purpose. Beyond the good deeds that can be done by volunteering, becoming a volunteer can be valuable for my personal growth and well-being. Therefore, I would like to set a good example for the young generation and I hope more youth will come forward to volunteer themselves and serve the community.”In addition to the start of temperature screening in various entrances to the UBD campus, the UBD Library also enforced a strict 30-minute limit for visitors. Meanwhile, a number of UBD students also lent their strength and time volunteering with frontliners, assisting government agencies such as the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Health. Taking on more menial tasks such as registering patients for testing and isolation, they allowed frontliners to focus on urgent duties.A Final Year student gave her time and energy to volunteer, keeping the UBD campus safe and clean.Nurarlyiana Haji Saidin volunteered to sanitise and disinfect different areas including the library to make it a safer place for fellow students and staff. Photo: Courtesy of UBD Library
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