| Hakim Hayat |
A YOUNG Bruneian’s exemplary initiative in mobilising aid to Rohingyan refugees fleeing from the Rakhine State of Myanmar to Bangladesh has earned him an esteemed recognition from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the 19th Commonwealth Point of Light.
The first Bruneian recipient of the Commonwealth Point of Light, Haji Muhammad Iqbal Fakhri bin Haji Damit is the founder of ‘Hand4handbn’, a Brunei-based charity organisation that has been actively involved in volunteer projects since its inception in 2009.
Between 2014 until 2017, he handled some 11 projects including youth volunteering initiatives in Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia.
In a press conference held at the British High Commission in the capital yesterday, Haji Muhammad Iqbal was presented with a personalised certificate signed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth. Richard Lindsay, the British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam handed over the certificate.
During his latest project for Rohingyan refugees, he travelled to Balukhali refugee camp and led the distribution of over 1,000 food packs, donations and other essentials that were raised from different individuals and charity organisations in the country.
On receiving the recognition, Haji Muhammad Iqbal, whose work was also recognised locally when he was named recipient of an award at the National Youth Day last year, said that he is deeply honoured and extremely humbled to be accepting the award. “To be honest, I never saw this coming. What started off as something that I like to do, that is to travel and to help people, to then be given an award and recognition by the selection team and Her Majesty The Queen for something that I really enjoy doing gives me great honour,” he said yesterday during the press conference.
His passion is driven by his eagerness to help the community – it not only brought satisfaction to him but also to others. He shared that the charity organisation he founded with a small group of friends started on social media about eight years ago and began with helping underprivileged individuals and families in the country. Driven with his passion, it has ever since expanded to regional projects that have helped mobilise and distribute aid to those who need help.
Asked about the challenges he endured during his journey to Bangladesh to distribute the aid recently, he mentioned that the emotional experience was one of them. “Being there to experience and witness first-hand the plight of these refugees was emotionally hard,” he said, while highlighting that it has raised their awareness on the need to help others who are in need.
He also thanked and dedicated the award to the people that he has given assistance to. “This is because they are the ones who have helped me instead. They have helped me to appreciate what I have. Until today, the assistance and aid that I have delivered in all my projects and charity works have taught me and reminded me daily to appreciate life better and to see beyond my own shoes and learn to walk in others,” he added.
Looking forward following the recognition, Haji Muhammad Iqbal shared that it has inspired him to do more and said that he already has a number of projects in the pipeline in the coming years.
As part of his latest project, this Sunday, he will be travelling to the camp in Bangladesh for the third time, this time for a two-day charity event that aims to raise awareness and funds to the Rohingyan refugees.
Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner said that through his work, Haji Muhammad Iqbal has demonstrated great compassion for fellow Muslims, and is a great role model for other young people across the Commonwealth. “On behalf of the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I am delighted to present Iqbal Damit with a Commonwealth Point of Light Award, in recognition of his service in providing humanitarian relief for Rohingya refugees. Iqbal is already an inspiration to others in Brunei, and will now inspire others across the whole of the Commonwealth,” he said.
The Point of Light awards recognise outstanding volunteers every day of the week – people whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose story can inspire others to find creative innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.
A total of 52 Commonwealth Points of Light are being awarded – one from each nation in the Commonwealth, in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London which will be held from April 19-20.
Through the award, Her Majesty The Queen – as Head of the Commonwealth – is thanking inspirational volunteers across the 52 Commonwealth nations for the difference they are making in their communities and beyond.
By sharing these stories of service, the heads of government meeting will celebrate inspirational acts of volunteering across the Commonwealth and help inspire others to make their own contribution to tackling some of the greatest social challenges of our time.
The Commonwealth is a diverse community of 52 nations that work together to promote prosperity, democracy and peace. The heads of government meeting will bring together leaders from all the 52 member countries to reaffirm common values, address shared global challenges and agree how to work to create a better future for all citizens, especially young people. Voluntary service is a vital part of this agenda, which is why Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to recognise outstanding volunteers across the Commonwealth in this special way.