Aaduka Fairuz Muhammad is a known environmentalist who has dedicated years of his life to cleaning beaches and beyond with his band of Sahabat Johor DT volunteers. Collectively, he has led many in cleaning tonnes of garbage along our coastlines from the shores of Pontian to beaches in Mersing. From one organisation, Aaduka managed to diversify their efforts and cultivate several more focused groups to tackle specific issues with branches like the Amal Pantai Bistari Squad and Sahabat Hiking Group.
“Sahabat Johor DT started way back in 2009 from just a simple Facebook page. We didn’t even have a logo then and it took people a while to understand what we were all about. We had likes and followers but we needed people on the ground to start doing good. We’ve come a long way from a group of fewer than ten volunteers to what we are today,” said Aaduka.
He explained that initially what started as a simple social group began to evolve when its activities slowly moved on to conservation efforts as the movement attracted more like-minded individuals, promoting a healthier and more positive lifestyle for its members.
“I realised that there’s a difference between volunteers and activists. A volunteer or group can organise and participate in charity events, sometimes involved with big funding or tied to a campaign. We are a bit different. We have members who dedicate their time and resources to ensure our efforts and activities are organised and executed every month. We do have volunteers who join us but the main driving force is the activists who put their heart and soul to organise these community outreach programmes,” said Aaduka.
Aaduka strongly believes that those able in body and mind should do good on their own accord, adding that one doesn’t need an external reason to do so. Aaduka hopes that more Johoreans change their mindset and open up to conservation efforts and be more conscious of how precious our ecosystem is so future generations can experience it, too.
