Many of the students at the Goducate Literacy Centers in Sabah joined as illiterate teenagers. Up to then they had spent their lives hanging around with nothing to do and with no prospects for the future because, as undocumented aliens (people with no identity papers), they were not entitled to state schooling. But after a year or two at the center learning literacy and numeracy, they have been able to find jobs. Some stay on at the centers as assistant teachers. Some then go on to find work outside. One returned as an assistant teacher because she found teaching more meaningful. Others went straight out to look for work.
Two boys (J and H ) who started as assistant teachers found work as waiters in October last year. But on their own initiative they learnt to cook some of the restaurant’s delicacies. When we revisited the restaurant recently, we were bit anxious to find only J there, but he assured us, “H is here, but he was assigned now inside [in the kitchen]. He was promoted as our assistant chef. He’s cooking your orders right now—a serving of bangus [milkfish]”.
Another day, I went for lunch at the market with one of our teachers from a center up in the hills. She told me that many of her pupils are working in that area as waiters and waitresses, or in grocery stores as salespeople. On their days off, they often visit their alma mater centers, sometimes to perform special numbers for the children.
On another occasion, I was approached after badminton by a teen from another center. I could not recognize her because she was looking so well groomed. G is the daughter of one of the teachers (M) at that center, and is now a salesgirl at a grocery store. Her boss asked her, “Where did you go for schooling?” She replied, “I didn’t attend any formal school. I just learned from my mother”. Now her boss wants to her to be a cashier.
Goducate is pleased to know that the women, mostly mothers, whom we have trained to be teachers at our literacy centers are producing “graduates” able to join the workforce outside.