Tens of thousands of children in Sabah do not have the opportunity to go to school because they are “undocumented aliens” – the children of illegal immigrants from southern Philippines. However, the best possible team of volunteer teachers are now teaching some of these children in simple learning centers. This “dream team” of teachers are the very mothers of these children.
Many of the mothers of these children had the opportunity of going to schools in the Philippines. Many of them have finished high school. However, three decades of fighting in southern Philippines between Muslim secessionists and government troops has devastated that part of the Philippines. To flee the fighting and the poverty, many Filipinos sneaked illegally into Sabah on little boats, where there is peace and jobs. However, as undocumented aliens in Sabah their children have no opportunities to go to school.
As a mother said “In Philippines we can go to school but we have no food. In Sabah we have food but no school.” It is a tough choice but food is a more basic need than education. However, Goducate believes that we can help Asians to help themselves. So we said to these mothers “If your kids can’t go to school, then why don’t you teach them. We will help you to help yourselves!”
Today, after a year and a half, about 40 teachers (mostly mothers) have been trained to teach phonics and arithmetic. It is hard to get a more enthusiastic and motivated group of teachers than mothers who want to teach their own children! They don’t miss a day of training, they don’t come late to their classes, they never miss a day, they stay back to help the slow learners. They are a DREAM team of teachers.
Though they are willing to work for nothing because they want to see their sons, daughters, nephews, nieces and neighbours learn to read and write, Goducate raises support for them because they have to give up other means of livelihood (eg. house-maids, doing laundry, selling lottery tickets) to focus on their students.
It’s so easy to help poor Asians help themselves in Sabah.
All that’s needed is a little organizing, a little encouragement, a little training, some basic school supplies and plenty of LOVE!
Being a Filipino as I am, I sympathize the plight of the resource poor Filipinos in that part of Malaysia, particularly the children who have been deprived from their right for education. I hope in the days ahead I can share a part of me in this worthwhile initiative and can make a difference.
In a place where education is an elusive dream, the opportunity to learn to read and write is making a big stride towards transforming that dream into a reality. I commend the work of Goducate for serving as an educational platform for these disadvantaged children. I hope that the readers will support Goducate\’s advocacy and lend their hands to help poor Asians help themselves.