KUCHING: WWF-Malaysia's Community Engagement and Education Senior Officer Alicia Ng has become the first Malaysian to receive the 2019 Professional Fellows Program Alumni Impact Award (AIA) with her contributions in sustainable rice farming in Ba’kelalan.
The 36-year-old, who is based in Kuching office here, received the award from Deputy Assistant State Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges at U.S. Department of State Susan Crystal at the Fall 2019 Professional Congress held in Washington on Nov 22.
The other two recipients are from Tunisia and Myanmar.
In 2017, she completed her four-week fellowship in Arkansas, focusing on organic and sustainable agriculture and conservation activities which are related to her work in WWF-Malaysia.
The attachments gave Ng new knowledge and confidence especially on best management practices in agricultural activities.
“When I applied for the programme, I wanted to look into methods used in organic farming as the American organic certification is recognised by many countries,” she said in a statement.
Her interest was in rice since one of the projects that she is actively involved in WWF-Malaysia is sustainable rice farming in Ba’ Kelalan. Thus, she was placed in Arkansas, known as the natural state and the rice country of America.
“It was definitely the most suitable place for me but unfortunately organic rice farmers are planting on thousands of hectares and not suitable for small scale farmers in Ba' Kelalan.
“However, the new knowledge on vegetable farming has truly opened-up a whole new opportunity which I could apply professionally and personally,” she said.
“Planting chemical-free vegetables has been much easier for me at my backyard. It helps me at work too because WWF-Malaysia works with more indigenous communities in Sarawak now, and all are looking into sustainable and organic vegetable and pepper cultivation.”
WWF-Malaysia’s sustainable rice farming has seen success stories since July 2017.
That year, the organisation took on a new direction to extend the Department of Agriculture (DoA) Sarawak’s efforts in System of Rice Intensification (SRI) farming method.
SRI is proven to increase yields, reduce the usage of water and is chemical free.
The project also constantly seeks advice from SRI expert Captain (R) Zakaria Kamatansha who founded SRI Lovely Organic Valley in Kedah.
Last year, the project started off with 12 farmers from Long Langai in Ba' Kelalan but has now expanded to the neighbouring village, Long Lemutut, with the number of farmers now increased to 27.
Long Langai farmers have experienced increase in rice yield, spurring other farmers to also adopt the SRI farming method.
Ng said more than 10 farmers from Long Langai have submitted their MyOrganic applications and are currently going through audit and assessment by DoA.
Apart from that, she has been a volunteer for many years, with a local animal rescue organisation, Save Our Strays Kuching (SOS). Her love for animals has seen her dedicating efforts with her close friends to rescue strays from the streets and putting them in temporary shelter under the Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Rescue (TNVR) programme.
Ng and her animal lover friends also started the "Artinsia for Paws" to raise funds for SOS Kuching by selling handmade products made by women throughout Sarawak.
The AIA recognises exceptional contributions made by Professional Fellows Programme (PFP) alumni to their communities.
Ng is also an alumna of Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) PFP for Economic Empowerment cohort under American Councils for International Education.