Learn more about our contribution that result in increased knowledge and awareness to the issues of HIV & AIDS
The Penyinar Club is the youth division of Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council. It was set up during the Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council’s first Annual General Meeting in 2001.
The meaning of “Penyinar” is taken from the Malay word "sinar" which means to brighten, make clear or to shine and glow until it is visible. The threat of HIV and AIDS is often misunderstood. The Penyinar Club carries forward this message in order to disseminate information as widely and clearly thus eliminating stigma and discrimination while bringing hope to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
Its objective are:
To spread awareness on HIV and AIDS as well as related issues especially amongst youths in Brunei
The members or "Penyinar" as they are affectionately known meet frequently and manage or organise their own programmes and activities which can range from simple outings to events on a national level such as The World AIDS Day. They come from various institutions all over the country and are considered BDAIDSCOUNCIL’s backbone.
HIV Awareness Programme for Peers & Youth (HAPPY) is a youth-led project that spreads HIV awareness including knowledge on teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections throughout the four districts in Brunei Darussalam.
It is a 2 - 3 hour programme that combines videos, audio, visuals, games, songs, jokes, debates and even comic strips to pass the message on to young people.
The programme has been shared in various regional conferences - namely the 2nd UNESCO Asian Youth Forum in Gwangju, Korea and the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Bali, Indonesia.
Up until March 2015, HAPPY has officially been conducted more than 80 times. BDAIDSCOUNCIL has lost track on how many young people we have reached out to but based on the average of 50 participants for each session, we have shared and educated knowledge within these related issues with more than 4,000 young people in Brunei.
Up until March 2015, HAPPY has officially been conducted more than 80 times. BDAIDSCOUNCIL has lost track on how many young people we have reached out to but based on the average of 50 participants for each session, we have shared and educated knowledge within these related issues with more than 4,000 young people in Brunei.
The programme is physically, mentally and emotionally challenging but the outcomes hope to benefit participants through teaching and conveying useful aspects of life in the hopes that participants carry on these experiences when they face ahead of their future life.
Some of the skills that we teach during the programme include and are not limited to are decision making skills, basic course on HIV and AIDS and related issues, time management skills and values, self-confidence skills, skills to manage working under pressure, team building skills, the ability to empathise, and more.
Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st December each year. It is an important date to marks the beginning of another year of raising awareness on aspects of HIV/AIDS. It is a date for people all over the world to come together and fight against HIV & AIDS, to show support for People Living with HIV, and to remember those who have died from HIV & AIDS related illness.
BDAIDSCOUNCIL members and committee will distribute HIV awareness red ribbon on World's AIDS Day. You can wear the red ribbon to show solidarity with the millions of people living with HIV worldwide. By wearing them you are helping your community raise awareness on HIV & AIDS related illness.
Also, show your support by participating in the many activities organized for World's AIDS Day by BDAIDSCOUNCIL. Get updated by following us on Instagram and Facebook.
In educating the society on the prevention and intervention of HIV and AIDS, we at BDAIDSCOUNCIL have conducted or initiated various short course trainings.
These include and are not limited to
To strengthen the Islamic faith, we have also organised various religious programmes with the likes of Berdikir Maulud Nabi, Terawih Prayers and Tedarus / Khatam Al-Qur’an.
Work hard, play hard. We also conduct sports programmes ranging from various activities like futsal, badminton, runs and netball as a way for our members to bond and forge better team building skills.
BDAIDSCouncil acknowledges that it is important to be in the forefront of the new wave of digital transformation and seeks to further ultilise mass media to achieve our objectives. To reach out via mass media, we have various social media outlets - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (BDAIDSCouncil) as well as more traditional avenues via Brunei’s own local newspaper, television and radio stations.
