Posted on

Sabah new literacy center opens – floor cracks under weight of 240 students!!

Last week Goducate opened another literacy center in a swamp in Sabah for poor kids who cannot go to school. Because of the dampness of the swampy soil, the school-house had to be built on stilits.

Goducate provided 500 Malaysian Ringgit (about US$150) for some building material and the community chipped in to build their very own school-house.

The pride of the village
The pride of the village

On the opening day, 240 students and their parents filled the school house patiently waiting for the Opening Program to begin.

Full house
Full house

Suddenly there was a loud cracking sound! There was panic as students scrambled to flee from the cracking floor planks. Thankfully no one was hurt and no one fell into the swampy soil below!

Cracked floor boards
Cracked floor boards

When all the kids were safely out of the building, one of the village elders said in the native language “The show must go on! We must persevere!”

The opening program continues on safer ground
The opening program continues on safer ground
Posted on

I’m afraid they won’t enrol me; I want to go to school

In the village there was a story of this young fellow. The trained parents and teachers were collecting a contribution for the school house to be built in that particular place.

They went to the house of this 8 year old child and asked “where are your parents?” The kid told them “work” They told the kid about the contribution for their school house and for him to tell his parents about it.

Five minutes later this kid went to them running with one ringgit on his hand saying “teacher this is my contribution” so the teachers wrote the name that the family gave this amount. A man came and saw the list of names. He went to the parents because he knew them and they work on the same fast food store.

He asked the mother of this child “ how come you gave only 1 RM?” The mother went home angrily and ashamed, asking herself who gave this little amount. She talked to her son angrily, the son was crying saying “Mom, I gave my last ringgit that I kept for so long.. They teachers came here to ask for contribution and you were not here. I was afraid if I don’t give they won’t enroll me.. I want to go to school.” The mother and the teachers were touched to the willingness of this child to go to school. And this really blesses my heart.

Well, from the other side of the khampung I went back, of course in my little boat. It was 5:00 pm that I went out the Khampung because Auntie is calling me to go home. I will never forget this adventure.

Previous post:
The poor children in Sabah

Posted on

Jean’s diary – a new village

I was in a bit of fear. I don’t know this man, I am alone, I need to ride in a boat to reach their khampung and the water is so black in all sense of the color wherein it was the drainage of all the waste of the factories around the area.. It was totally a mess what if I fall from the boat what will I do? Yet I go, with 2 trained parents; while I was in the middle of the river I screamed within myself.. Screaming without a voice because of fear that I will fall.

A good visit actually, It was another community of 20 to 25 houses.. and children who are willing to study. I saw some children I asked them “what is your name?”( in there native dialect) they just answered me the name that they are normally called. Then I ask “ how old are you?” every children has the same answer “ I don’t know”. It really crushed my heart..

But the man that brought me there was a blessing.. God uses this man – he was bitter that he had education because of what had happened to him for me to see that there are so many children who need help. It ended with him willingly enrolling his daughter and son into the new literacy center.