By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 11: DayakDaily’s D’Drift 2024 mission to Ulu Baram this Ramadan is set to unveil the natural wonders and exotic culinary delights nestled within this romantic wilderness of Sarawak.
From inspiring scenery to adventurous jungle expeditions, the three-person team is excited to go on this 10-day escapade to uncover the hidden treasures of Ulu Baram as well as the other enchanting locations across Sarawak.
The journey commenced today (March 11), with the team scheduled to return to Kuching on March 20.
D’Drift 2024 marks DayakDaily’s fifth annual trip for on-the-ground coverage and travel-writing covering various districts, sub-districts, towns and settlements across Sarawak.
The D’Drift 2024 flag-off ceremony held at DayakDaily office today was again officiated by Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who has been its patron for the past consecutive years.
DayakDaily expresses utmost gratitude to both the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) for their trust and support for DayakDaily’s D’Drift event.
In conjunction with D’Drift 2024, the team is also transporting 1,340 secondhand books and three boxes of soft toys and toys to the community library known as ‘Reading Corner’ at Long Latei Penan Service Centre in Ulu Baram under Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak)’s Books Build Legacy initiative and DayakDaily’s “Bless Rural Children with Your Books and Soft Toys” project, which is also supported by Pertubuhan Wartawan Bebas Kuching (Pewarta).
“Not everybody is fortunate. Those who stay in urban and suburban areas have access to libraries and bookstores but the kids that are staying in the interiors lack all these facilities.
“That is why this effort is something very noble whereby they have been making efforts to get books from the public and bring them deep into the interior to give the young kids access to these books and inculcate reading habits,” Abdul Karim said.
The books and soft toys will be handed over to Telang Usan assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau at the community library on the third day of D’Drift 2024, on March 13.
In January this year, DayakDaily set up a collection booth at La Promenade Mall to gather secondhand books and soft toys from the general public.
The campaign was scheduled to be held first at La Promenade Mall from Jan 9 to 31 and then at Plaza Merdeka from Feb 1 to 29. Due to the overwhelming response from the public, the campaign was concluded a month earlier, on Jan 31, 2024.
DayakDaily thanks La Promenade Mall and Plaza Merdeka for their generosity and full support in setting up booths for free on their premises.
For the record, in 2022, DayakDaily launched its inaugural secondhand book collection campaign and successfully delivered over 1,000 books to SK Lusong Laku for Penan children.
In August 2023, DayakDaily handed over 1,000 storybooks and two big bags of soft toys to the Orang Ulu community in Ulu Belaga.
DayakDaily, alongside BESarawak as well as Pewarta, remain steadfast in their commitment to continue this initiative, aiming at bringing smiles and empowering young minds in rural Sarawak through the provision of secondhand books. — DayakDaily
