Delighted to step for the first time on the thriving city in Sabah, known as the gateway for ecotourism destinations in Sabah. Together with the team, we are delighted to experience the bounty seafood in one of the famous restaurant.
As we are traveling to the first Goducate teaching center, I noticed the great economic potential of the city. Housing and malls constructions are on the rise. The highways are constructed accordingly, wide, clean and with few cars.
At the first teaching center, we were thrilled to see the kids are all lined and are ready for the games. It was difficult at first to give directions for we don’t speak their language but with simple English and demonstrations the children were able to pick up the instructions and played the games with happiness.
This girl with all delight and might jumps to finish her course. The games that we had prepared are simple yet we noticed that the children has to adopt to play with their teams.
In a kampung, the fruits of the literacy course is very obvious. The children were able to comprehend instructions and were able to converse with us in English. Am thankful to see the confidence and respect on how this children are treating the visitors.
This girl seems so thankful for the gift she received. The present is very simple, a plastic bag with pencil, notebook, ribena and bread but it seems that this is the first gift she ever received. Some kids received their first book in life.
In one center, a young girl around 6 years of age finds her way to the front and talk to one of the teachers. She was requesting that the T-shirt she received be changed to a bigger size. We found out that she was appealing a bigger size so she could give it to her mother.
I was broken hearted in one training center when 3 kids came and asked for book. We run out of books and the remaining that we had is for their library. I had to explain that they can borrow the books that we donated to their library.
The teachers and parents in the different teaching centers were cheerful to know that we are Filipinos who come to visit them. It seems that we are relatives visiting them in the way they welcome us.
The teachers were invited to celebrate the Hari Raya in the Hotel. I was told that this is their first time to step in a hotel, and to be served with respect. The teachers came with their borrowed dress.
At one point, most of the teachers were crying when someone renders the song “One Moment In Time”, where the song ends with…”i will be free!”
I believed that the time spent in the hotel was one of the best event they ever had in their life.