Job well done: (From left) Jescyleo, Iris Sofea, Nur Qamariah, Siti Nur Hanisah, Rosselina and Jason showing their certificates.
KOTA KINABALU: Iris Sofea Irfin’s heart aches whenever she sees the sea slowly suffocate from pollution.
While walking along the beach, the teenager often sees discarded items and trash drifting on the surface like haunting reminders of human neglect.
Pained by what she saw, the girl expressed her sadness and thoughts in an article titled “Our Ocean in Agony”, which emerged tops in a regional online publication.
“The ocean has always been a treasure trove I hold dear and near my heart. That particular rhythm, the diverse underwater ocean world, and the fish swimming freely through the water. It is a one-of-a-kind place in nature.
“However, something unimaginable happened in the last few years – the oceans, which are my greatest loves, are suffocating slowly. It has become a common sight that every time I go to the beach, I can see plastic bottles, straws, and wrappers floating on the surface like ghosts,” the 17-year-old wrote.
Her submission to E-Magz, a publication by the Indonesian Teachers Association of Pacitan Teachers Training and Education College, struck a chord with the editors, who adjudged it the Best Article for the February 2025 edition.
Though her article paints a stark picture of the ocean’s pain, Iris Sofea remains hopeful.
She believes that with greater awareness and a shift in mindset, the damage to the ocean can still be reversed.
“The changes that every person can make, no matter how small they might be, like using less, reusing items, or just spreading knowledge, can still contribute greatly to the cause. The time to act is now before every ocean becomes part of environmental disasters that will be too late to prevent,” she concluded.
Iris Sofea was one of six students from Keningau Vocational College (KVC), who made an impressive impact on environmental advocacy by publishing their articles in the regional English-language magazine.
The February edition of E-Magz was dedicated to Waste Awareness Day.
The students, from various vocational programmes such as early childhood education, cosmetology, construction technology, and electrical technology, used their platforms to raise awareness of the harmful effects of waste on the planet, particularly oceans and natural landscapes.
Their articles advocate for collective action to reduce single-use plastics, use repurposed materials, and adopt sustainable waste-processing practices.
The other contributing students were 17-year-old Rosselina Senora Ungkak, Jescyleo Jesimon and Jason Robert Sopining, both 18, Nur Qamariah Hasmeddy, 19, and Siti Nur Hanisah Omar Hashim, 20.
KVC director Lumang Lang called the students’ achievement a testament to the power of education and youth engagement in addressing global environmental challenges.
“With the guidance and editing support of their dedicated teachers, these students were able to craft their articles in English and submit them to E-Magz, where only six selected articles are featured per edition,” he said.
