Learning Centers – Page 13 – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2011-07-262011-07-26

Sabah Centers start livelihood projects

There are now 17 Goducate Literacy Centers in Sabah, serving about 2000 poor children who do not have the opportunity to attend school.

Children at these centers learn phonics (literacy) and numeracy. The unique feature of Goducate’s centers is that most of the teachers are mothers from their own communities, or former Goducate students who are now serving as teachers. Another unique feature is that most of the school buildings are built by the community.

The literacy and numeracy program has been very successful and most of our students are able to read phonetically – in English and Malay – after a few months. Goducate is now focusing on how to help our students to earn a livelihood.

As a start a few sewing machines were bought and young girls are taught how to sew. Their first project was to sew simple satchels (school bags) to carry their school books. These budding entrepreneurs bought cloth and sewed bags, which were then sold for 2 Malaysian Ringgit each – earning a healthy 1.5 Ringgit profit per bag!

photo(47) — 7-year-old Goducate student who sews her own clothes

The recent visit by the ieatishootipost blogging community resulted in the donation of another sewing machine and a hemming-machine. These have come in time to sew dresses for the coming Muslim festival.

2011-06-292011-06-29

How Goducate expands in Sabah

Goducate plans to have 100 learning centers in Sabah by the end of the first quarter of 2012. We now have 17 centers and some 2000 students. How do we decide where to start our next center? Generally we don’t have to go looking. It’s the villagers who seek us out. Jestoni’s story is one example of how keen villagers are to have a Goducate learning center and how Goducate expands in Sabah.

Jestoni used to look with longing and envy at children in school uniforms on their way to school each morning. But like so many others in his village, his family does not have the proper documents that entitle him to a place in the local state school.

One day he heard that a “school” had opened nearby. This Goducate learning center was across the river, 40 minutes away on foot. He begged his mother to enrol him there, but the teacher did not accept him because the class was too full. It took his mother’s friend to let our area coordinator know of Jestoni’s story. Our area coordinator then persuaded the teacher to take him in. However, one afternoon, while walking home, Jestoni was offered Rm50 (USD 16) by a man to enter his van. Jestoni ran home as fast as he could and told his mother what had happened. That was the end of his going to this school.

Then another learning center was opened, again on the other side of the river, but this time Jestoni would have to get there by boat. Really wanting to learn, he went without telling his mother. He and some other boys rowed a “sampan” (a small rowing boat) to look for the school. They found it and were very happy to be able to attend classes that day. But on the way back, the sampan capsized.

His mother was very alarmed. Seeing her son’s determination to attend school, she asked that we start a learning center in her house. Now Jestoni and his younger siblings and other children in their community have a learning center right in the midst of their simple dwellings.

2011-06-102012-01-06

ieatishootipost, Hokkaido Sushi, and MHC Asia raise support for Goducate

Last month, Dr Leslie Tay, Singapore’s popular food blogger organized another dinner in support of our kids in Sabah.

Dr Tay and his community of foodies have already visited Goducate’s literary centers in Sabah on two different occasions – and at the same time enjoyed Sandakan’s delicious seafood.

The ieatishootipost community “eats with purpose”. That community has organized
many eating sessions to raise support for needy people – and Goducate’s poor kids in Sabah are fortunate to be their “favorites”!

Dr Tay is a genuine foodie and often organises dinners that combine enjoyment of the finest food with support for a good cause. Last month, he chose Hokkaido Sushi (at M Hotel, Anson Road, Singapore) to educate, with the help of Chef Thomas Kok, his community on the fine points of sushi eating.

Hokkaido Sushi very generously contributed 30% of the night’s takings to Goducate (Sing $2040), and our faithful and generous supporter, MHC Asia, matched that contribution dollar for dollar – thus raising Sing $4080 for Goducate’s Literacy Centers in Sabah.

Next month, another group of ieatishootipost foodies will visit Sabah and see first-hand how their “makan with a mission” helps thousands of poor kids get an education.