More than BND$5,000 was raised in the recent 'Hope and Grow' charity auction and high-tea, which was jointly organised by Borneo Insider's Guide (BiG) and BAG Networks' eBunda.org, at the Radisson Hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan.

The funds were handed to local charities, including the Society for Community Outreach and Training (SCOT) and Annur Harapan Community Service Centre, in a bid to assist the underprivileged in Brunei.

Present as the guest of honour was the Attorney General, Datin Seri Paduka Hajah Hayati binti Pehin Orang Kaya Shahbandar Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohd Salleh.

Also present were Wan Zainal Abidin Shazali, the publisher of BiG Magazine; Dayang Haslina binti Haji Mohammad Taib, the CEO of BAG Networks Sendirian Berhad; and representatives of both charities.

A live auction, themed 'Crowd Funding Fashionably', saw guests bidding for costly second-hand items which included designer bags and shoes, accessories, paintings, tableware and home decoration pieces.

There was also a presentation of BND$1,000 by Datin Hajah Asmah binti Haji Abdul Rahman, the President of the Brunei Government Senior Officers Wives Welfare Association (BISTARI), to SCOT and Annur Harapan Community Service Centre, as well as a handover of BND$500 from the spouses of the heads of missions in Brunei.

Speaking in an interview, Wan Zainal said that the response and turnout was surprisingly good.

"People spent money for a good cause, and some paid more than they bid for."

Haslina said, "Some of the women belong to groups that have been supporting the underprivileged for a long time, and they have the funds to support local charities."

Meanwhile, the public is welcome to participate in an online auction built by BAG Networks Sendirian Berhad on www.borneoinsiderguide.com for two weeks, starting on April 22.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]