Najibah Eradah (born 20 May 1983), also known as Brunei’s Polar Girl, is a
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
and
environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
, who is the first
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
an to have reached the
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...
.
South Pole expedition
Era and seven other woman, each from a different
Commonwealth country
The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
, were selected from among over 800 candidates to take part in the
Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition The Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition was a Commonwealth of Nations expedition in which seven women from six Commonwealth member countries skied to the South Pole in 2009 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwea ...
, which reached the South Pole on 29 December 2009. Explaining her participation in the expedition, she said: "I am passionate about environmental issues and hope to use my involvement in the expedition to raise awareness in Brunei of
global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
and
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
".
Bruneian media described her achievement as "a historic day for Brunei and a momentous day for the Sultanate's women". Saiful Ibrahim, Vice president of the Brunei Adventure Recreation Association, described her as "an icon for all Bruneians, especially for women and our youths". She has become known in Brunei as "the Polar Girl". Bruneian businesswoman
Halina Taib stepped in to fund the trip, after there were financial difficulties.
Personal life
Formerly a
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
teacher in secondary school, Era became a government officer at the
Bruneian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Recognitions and awards
* Youth Outstanding Merit (2010)
See also
*
Antarctic ice sheet
The Antarctic ice sheet is one of the two polar ice caps of Earth. It covers about 98% of the Antarctic continent and is the largest single mass of ice on Earth, with an average thickness of over 2 kilometers. It covers an area of almost and ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sufri, Era
1983 births
Bruneian explorers
Bruneian women
Living people
Female polar explorers