2026 Visit Report: Meeting with EIJAU Environmental NGO
Date: 23 October 2026
Location: Near Seremban, Malaysia
Organisation visited: EIJAU (name and full expansion to be verified)
Purpose: To explore collaboration opportunities between JOBA’s THINAI project and an environmental NGO working with schools and communities.
1. Introduction and Overview
On 23 October 2026, our team travelled from Seremban to visit EIJAU, an NGO engaged in environmental education and community development. The organisation reportedly works with 67 communities, supports 37 Eco-Schools, and conducts programmes in an additional 57 schools. Its primary focus is environmental protection and the promotion of sustainable practices through school and community engagement.
The visit provided an opportunity to introduce JOBA’s THINAI initiative, discuss its distinctive approach to sustainable living, and explore potential areas of collaboration in Malaysia.
2. The Uniqueness of the THINAI Project
During the journey, we discussed the uniqueness of THINAI and how it differs from conventional sustainability programmes.
The central principle of THINAI is to identify and adopt the beneficial aspects of both traditional and modern ways of life while rejecting practices from either that are harmful to human well-being, other species, or the planet. Rather than idealising tradition or accepting every aspect of modernity, THINAI promotes a thoughtful, critical approach to sustainable living.
This approach seeks to combine cultural wisdom, contemporary knowledge, environmental responsibility, and practical life skills. It also recognises that sustainable practices must be relevant to the cultural and environmental contexts in which people live.
3. Meeting with the NGO Leadership
At the venue, which had the character of a park or farm, we met the NGO leader and another director whose work focuses on water. They listened to our introduction to THINAI and expressed interest in its educational and environmental dimensions.
The NGO explained that its strategy involves working with schoolchildren and using their participation as a pathway to reach families and the wider community. The leader emphasised that their approach goes beyond providing books, themes, or educational materials to schools. Instead, they groom and guide teachers and students in understanding how to plan and implement community development activities.
The leader also shared that the organisation collaborates with the John Woodbury Environmental School in Albany, Australia. He referred to the seven-step methodology and nine themes used in the Eco-School programme and appreciated the breadth of themes available under the different domains of THINAI.
He further mentioned collaborations with eight universities and participation in training programmes under Malaysia’s Human Resources Development framework (HRDF). He encouraged us to extend our engagement beyond government schools to international schools as well.
The discussion highlighted the potential for combining the NGO’s practical experience in environmental education and community development with THINAI’s culturally grounded, multidisciplinary approach.
4. Telephone Conversation with Tan Sri Professor Zul
During the visit, I received a telephone call from Tan Sri Professor Zul of Penang, facilitated by Mr. Subbarow of the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP).
Tan Sri Professor Zul informed us that he would be in Kuala Lumpur on 27 October 2026 and that we would meet during his visit. The NGO leader expressed interest in inviting him to become part of one of the committees associated with the initiative.
This development may provide an opportunity to strengthen the project through experienced leadership, wider networks, and strategic guidance.
5. Proposed Collaboration Framework: CAT-I
To clarify our expectations for collaboration, we introduced the acronym CAT-I, representing four areas of support:
C – Content: Developing and refining the THINAI learning content.
A – Administration: Establishing effective organisational and administrative systems.
T – Trainers: Identifying, preparing, and supporting trainers who can deliver THINAI programmes.
I – Impact Study: Evaluating programme outcomes and documenting their impact on individuals, schools, families, and communities.
We explained that JOBA would welcome the NGO’s support in shaping the content already developed, as well as future content for the THINAI app and programme. A key priority is ensuring that the materials are culturally specific and relevant to Malaysia’s diverse communities, including Malay, Chinese, and Indian populations.
The Importance of Culturally Specific Content
To illustrate this need, we shared an earlier experience involving Mr. Muhammad Idris of the Consumers Association of Penang, who had taken me, John Britto, to meet the Minister of Education in Putrajaya.
During the meeting, a catalogue or workbook was presented that contained illustrations that did not adequately represent Malaysia’s diverse cultural communities. The images appeared to have been selected from the internet without sufficient attention to local cultural identities.
This example reinforced our view that educational resources must reflect the people for whom they are designed. Children, parents, and young people should be able to recognise their own cultural contexts, family practices, environments, and communities in the learning materials.
Therefore, cultural relevance must be an integral part of THINAI content development, rather than an afterthought.
6. Creating Motivation Rather Than Blaming Teachers
An important discussion centred on the gap between educational plans and their implementation.
One officer used the analogy of taking a donkey to a pond: although people can take the animal to the water, the animal must drink for itself. The officer suggested that teachers and people at the implementation level sometimes fail to carry out the plans provided to them.
In response, I explained that the responsibility of an educational programme is not merely to take people to the pond. It is to create thirst.
When people develop a genuine thirst for knowledge, a passion for learning, and an internal motivation to change, they will seek the water themselves.
This principle has significant implications for THINAI. Instead of blaming teachers, trainers, or community members when programmes fail to achieve their intended results, we should critically examine the methods used to engage and motivate them.
The focus should be on creating interest, ownership, understanding, and a genuine desire to practise sustainable living. Effective methodology should inspire people to act rather than simply instruct them to follow a plan.
7. Expanding CAT-I to CAT-IF: Financial Sustainability
Following our discussion, the NGO leader proposed adding a fifth element, Finance, to the CAT-I framework. This would expand the collaboration framework to CAT-IF:
C – Content
A – Administration
T – Trainers
I – Impact Study
F – Finance
He emphasised the importance of developing a sustainable financial system to support the programme over the long term.
He recommended establishing appropriate governance and management structures, including:
A Board of Trustees.
A Managing Committee.
A Working Committee.
A sustainable financial mechanism.
These structures would help clarify responsibilities, guide strategic decisions, coordinate implementation, and ensure that the programme is not dependent solely on external organisations or government-funded initiatives.
The NGO leader strongly advised us to become self-reliant and avoid depending entirely on other organisations or government programmes. His central message was that THINAI should develop the capacity to operate independently and sustainably.
He also shared his experience of serving as a director associated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Malaysia for two years. He further mentioned environmental collaborations involving the Ministry of Defence, illustrating the potential for partnerships across different sectors.
The importance of recognising and appreciating the contributions of people involved in the initiative was also highlighted.
8. Understanding the THINAI Concept and Logo
During the discussion, the NGO leader asked about the meaning of THINAI and its logo.
We explained that the THINAI logo represents five fingers, symbolising the five traditional ecological landscapes described in Tamil cultural thought:
Kurinji: Mountainous regions.
Mullai: Forests and pastoral landscapes.
Marutham: Agricultural and fertile lands.
Neythal: Coastal regions.
Paalai: Arid or desert-like landscapes.
These five landscapes represent the close relationship between land, water, biodiversity, livelihoods, and human culture.
The geographical and ecological characteristics of each region influence the lives of the people and other species inhabiting it. The availability of water, the nature of the land, local resources, and climatic conditions shape livelihoods, food practices, occupations, social relationships, and cultural traditions.
THINAI draws upon this ecological and cultural understanding to promote sustainable living that is rooted in the relationship between people and their environments.
The five landscapes also offer a useful framework for developing learning materials that connect environmental knowledge with local culture, everyday practices, and community life.
9. Key Outcomes and Future Directions
The visit generated several important insights and potential areas for collaboration:
Content development: Work together to make THINAI learning materials culturally specific and relevant to Malaysia’s diverse communities.
Educational partnerships: Explore opportunities to introduce THINAI in government schools, international schools, and other educational institutions.
Trainer development: Learn from the NGO’s approach of grooming teachers and students for community development rather than simply supplying learning materials.
Community engagement: Use school-based activities as a pathway to engage families and communities in sustainable living.
Impact assessment: Develop appropriate approaches to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, and community practices.
Governance: Consider establishing a Board of Trustees, Managing Committee, and Working Committee with clearly defined responsibilities.
Financial sustainability: Develop a self-reliant financial model that can sustain THINAI beyond individual grants or external programmes.
Strategic networking: Follow up on the proposed meeting with Tan Sri Professor Zul in Kuala Lumpur on 27 October 2026 and explore his possible involvement.
Recognition and collaboration: Ensure that individuals and partner organisations contributing to the initiative are appropriately acknowledged.
10. Visit to the Training Infrastructure and Future Collaboration
Following the meeting, the NGO leader took us on a tour of the organisation’s infrastructure. He showed us a well-equipped training centre with a capacity to accommodate approximately 500 people. He also showed us the accommodation facilities and restaurant available on the premises.
These facilities could provide valuable opportunities for conducting THINAI training programmes, workshops, residential training sessions, and other capacity-building activities in the future.
The NGO leader expressed his appreciation for the THINAI programme and indicated his willingness to collaborate with JOBA in implementing and expanding the initiative. He also offered to facilitate our engagement with the Malay community, which could help us develop culturally relevant learning materials and introduce THINAI to a wider range of communities in Malaysia.
This offer represents a promising opportunity to strengthen THINAI through community partnerships, trainer development, and practical environmental education.
The visit concluded on a positive note, with a shared interest in exploring collaboration between the NGO and JOBA. The organisation’s training infrastructure, community networks, and willingness to support THINAI could become important assets in the programme’s future development.
Suggested overall outcome: The visit established a promising foundation for collaboration, combining the NGO’s training facilities and community connections with JOBA’s THINAI educational framework to promote culturally relevant, nature-centric sustainable living in Malaysia.
11. Conclusion
The visit to EIJAU was a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas on environmental education, school-based learning, community development, and sustainable living.
The discussion reinforced the importance of THINAI’s distinctive approach: integrating the positive elements of traditional wisdom and modern knowledge while critically rejecting practices that undermine the well-being of humanity and other species.
The introduction of CAT-IF provides a potential framework for collaboration across content, administration, trainers, impact assessment, and finance. The discussions also highlighted the importance of cultural relevance, effective motivation, institutional governance, and financial self-reliance.
A particularly significant insight was that successful education must go beyond providing resources and instructions. It must create the internal motivation that encourages people to learn, change, and act.
With appropriate partnerships and a sustainable organisational structure, THINAI has the potential to connect environmental education with cultural identity, individual transformation, and community-led sustainable living in Malaysia.
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