Category: Learning Centers

What is a gold coated medal worth to you? It depends on the event where you earned it, others will say. The athletes who gave their time, talents and life to train to compete in the sport they excel in know the elation that a medal brings.

To others who compete in academic challenges, the feelings would be somehow the same.

To a kid who never once dreamed that she could really go to school and learn to read and write, earning a certificate as proof that she passed was truly awesome. But to top it all, getting a medal for belonging to the top 10 of around 200 kids is really something. After all for these kids in Sabah, their parents thought it was impossible for their kids to learn. Not that they did not want to, but because they are undocumented kids.

This boy is Badawi. Ten months ago, he cannot read nor write until the learning center opened at his kampong. For most of the boys his age, they would shy away from the center because they feel that they are too big already to learn. Not Badawi. He goes to work in the morning and attends the afternoon class. Last time when we had dentists friends visiting, he was a very much reliable dental assistant. We knew that time that another world aside from his kampong opened in his mind. That he could be someone other than the boy who gets paid lifting heavy things or washing pots and pans.

It was another milestone when his efforts paid off. He passed the Basic Literacy Program and was one of those on top of his class. His teacher was very proud, and of course his parents too. But I think no one was happier than Badawi that day. He knew this was just a beginning of another road ahead.

Last night when I went to bed, I couldn’t shake off from my mind the pictures of those mothers with their kids. We just finished the last round of evaluation tests to determine whether who among the children attending our learning centers have passed the Basic Literacy Program. Last May, we had 60 passers.
We had a team of volunteer-evaluators composed of two primary teachers from the Philippines who designed the tests and one who used to be a school principal for seven years in the Philippines before she taught in an International school in Thailand for the last five years.

They stayed with us for 3-4 weeks, visiting the centers in the kampongs, observing the students and our teachers.

We were all waiting for the big day, when the tests will be given. And indeed the big day came.

Plus another bigger day, when the results yielded 256 passers for our second batch.

After 10 months, two hundred fifty six were certified readers who can be accepted to our Primary Program this coming January 2011. Should they pursue it. Should their circumstances allow them. Or should they rise above their circumstances.

As I am writing this, one kampong is being demolished. We don’t know where the kids will be. But one thing we are sure, once they can locate the learning center, they will find their way.

Just like the kids who were awarded their certificates after passing the program.

I looked at the pictures again. I looked at the face of the proud Moms, what was inside their hearts were written all over their faces. Their kids will not be like them. They will have a chance.

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I usually travel light. To save time and unnecessary hassle, I avoid checked-in bags. However, this trip to Sabah, as we were leaving our house to the airport, my neighbour who met me at the lift lobby asked if we were migrating! Well, my travel partners and I had altogether four huge bags plus 2 boxes to check in, not forgetting our backpacks and cabin bags. This was the plan : we stuffed all our personal belongings in the cabin bags/backpacks – each with a limited quota! And managed to squeeze in more gifts where there is room in the cabin bags. U may ask, what went in the checked in bags and boxes?

Well, some kind Goducate supporters from the ieatishootipost.sg food-blog community who visited Sabah previously (see earlier blog post “Food-blogging community visits poor children in Sabah, Malaysia”) saw the needs, and donated clothing, bags, purses, books and stationery for the needy in the kampungs. One lady even decided to contribute brand new children’s clothing bought from her recent shopping trip in Hong Kong! We were delighted to receive all these goodies, had a great time packing them into the bags (huge bags!!!!) ensuring that the weight limit was kept to; and brought them all to Sabah. (It was amazing that we managed to take them all on a small transit plane …the flight attendant marvelled at one of us who carried 3 bags – “satu orang tiga bags”! Oh yes, one of the checked-in bags didn’t make on the transit flight and we had to lug in with us on the plane.)

Of course, the efforts paid off as we saw the happy faces who received the gifts! The recipients were overwhelmed with “mountains” of goodies brought all the way from Singapore to Sabah, especially for them! Most of all, they knew the items came with love and warm thoughts of them from a distance! They had so much fun going through each item (sorting and organising), one of them was flipping & reading the colourful children’s books all night! Christmas arrived early for them!

Goducate is thankful to our supporters who generously contribute to provide for the needy. These gifts are precious indeed. B’cos they came with love!