By Syahir Luqman
Student Facilitator Club (STEADFAST) was established in August 1991 by the Leadership and Training Unit of Student Affairs Division and Discipline (STADD), IIUM with a good sense of purpose. To create a team of ‘elite’ students capable of assisting the young generation outside the campus to achieve excellence in life, both duniawi and ukhrawi. To uphold the mission and vision of the university in serving the ummah.
Formerly known as Gerakan Pembina Generasi Abad 21 (GPG 21), STEADFAST has been the leading human training based society for more than a decade. Â STEADFAST was earlier known as STADDFAST. This is because, STEADFAST was once not a society but was a special unit under STADD. This special unit was to train a facilitating group which initially was composed only of 45 selected students from among all students in IIUM.
Since the beginning and until the year 2000, members never exceeded 100 students. In 1997, STEADFAST was converted into a society to be organised by the students but remained under the management of STADD. In 2001, SENDI which was previously under CENSERVE became one of the bureaus in STEADFAST. Also in 2001, STEADFAST launched its alumni during the celebration of its 10th anniversary.
STEADFAST then as a society first held its training in 1998. It was known as STORM. Now, STEADFAST has more than 100 members from various Kulliyyahs. It is now ready to be the ‘factory’ to produce quality leaders for the future in line with and within the ambit of Islam and also to train them to face the reality of this world.
There are many programmes and training sessions that must be carried out by the new members before going to the school project. Following the fresh recruitment, new members of STEADFAST must go through three programmes before they are accepted, which are Basic Facilitator Training (BFAST), Steadfast Creative and Invention Training (SCIT) and family night.
The first programme that new members must join is Basic Facilitator Training (BFAST). BFAST is the first programme to train new members to become facilitators by enhancing their skills in communication.
The next programme is Steadfast Creative and Invention Training (SCIT) where new members where they will be observed for the creativity in making modules for the school project and judged on the teamwork as facilitators. The SCIT is also to expose them to the usage of the module that would depend on the nature of the programme.
The last step the new members have to go through is family night where the programme will announce that they have succeeded in becoming full members of STEADFAST.
There are also in-house programmes which are McLeague, module competition day, happy hour, family night and futsal competition. McLeague is a debate competition between the bureaus. Happy hour is the charity programme at the hospital which is also known as the hospital volunteer. The in-house programme is to strengthen relationship and bonding between members in the STEADFAST.
STEADFAST’s nature focuses on early guidance for young people outside the campus so that they can achieve success in life, in the world and the hereafter based on the mission and vision that upholds the philosophy of “Aslih Nafsak Wad’u Ghairak” (purify ourselves and invite others).
The main vision is to form STEADFASTs Dai’e groups or missionaries among the students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Therefore, through the vision of the STEADFAST, it is hoped to guide the youth towards a good way of life.
In addition, the club is also responsible for providing human training. One Arab proverb states: “Knowledge without deeds is like a tree without fruit.” Such is the case that applied in each member club to practise all the knowledge obtained from STEADFASTs training.
In order to realise an effective programme, the club management of STEADFAST has provided training and consultation prior to the implementation of each work for the volunteers. Training and consultation are important for students to acquire knowledge, particularly those related to the duties of the facilitator.
I see a bright future for STEADFAST because it provides a chance for university students to gain knowledge and experience. It also gives opportunity for students to improve communication skills, to make new friends and to enhance their self-esteem.***