Book Donation to Local Library in Sarawak is a ‘Gift of Love’ Project Led by 59th ICCA Congress in Kuching

Press Room > 2020

BESarawak’s viral book donation campaign, #9DAYS500BOOKS, was a hit among Malaysians as the nine-day flash book drive received 5,000 books of various titles and genres for the Batang Ai’s first community library at Nanga Ukom longhouse.

Batang Ai’s community library is a pilot project by BESarawak to understand the legacies of conventions. Rural areas such as Nanga Ukom, often lack access to educational support and with the library, it will help rural children and teens remain in school. The project will also populate the community library that serves at least seven longhouse communities in the area.

Currently 90 percent of the library is completed with add-ons to be installed are solar panels to provide Nanga Ukom longhouse with sufficient power supply.

Organised under the corporate social responsibility project of the 59th ICCA Congress, the project is known as ‘Gift of Love’. Sarawak’s CSR stated the Amelia Roziman, acting chief executive officer of BESarawak, is a continuation of the legacy of the 55th ICCA Congress in 2016.

She added:  “We aspire to transform the library into a preschool and weekend learning centre involving local education authorities to help both children and young adults gain confidence in today’s essential skills such as literacy and numeracy.”

The 59th International Congress and Convention Association concluded with the signing of the Kaohsiung Protocol, a framework of macro and micro trends in the meetings industry and strategies for meetings.

It was a  hybrid event which began from September 22 to November 3 that included four days of live broadcasts with regional hub collaboration in Sarawak, Cape Town, Luxembourg, Malaga, Costa del Sol, Andalusia and Riyadh.