After much talk among friends on volunteering, I am glad that I finally
managed to find a cause that gave me enough push to register myself. Having read about the Impian Sarawak projects
before and its positive impact, I decided to volunteer for its education camp
in Bawang Assan from 1-3 December 2015.
Bawang Assan is about half
an hour’s drive from Sibu town. With a
homestay project ongoing at the village, the Bawang Assan longhouse community
is used to seeing foreigners as the homestays have regular, yearly overseas
tourists. Though not really isolated,
and with electricity and limited internet connections, the community and the
children’s mindset towards education is nonetheless still very backward and the
literacy level pretty low.
For all its education camps, Impian has rightly chosen English, Maths
and Science to be the triggers of interest for learning among the children and
in advocating that learning can be fun.
From experiments like the volcano eruption (to demonstrate neutralization) to the blowing up the balloons with the same concept and the chicken egg challenge, all were planned to provoke the students to think and analyse, and to trigger their curiousity to ask and learn.
The happy children’s faces and level of engagement from them showed their delight for this rare opportunity to have outsiders come and teach them. The fact that there are strangers who cared enough to pay their own way to ‘teach’ them, as highlighted by the tuai rumah during his closing speech with them, would hopefully make them appreciate what was taught in the 3-day camp and take something of value back home with them.
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| The most modern and well-maintained longhouse in the village which is part of the homestay project. |
From experiments like the volcano eruption (to demonstrate neutralization) to the blowing up the balloons with the same concept and the chicken egg challenge, all were planned to provoke the students to think and analyse, and to trigger their curiousity to ask and learn.
The happy children’s faces and level of engagement from them showed their delight for this rare opportunity to have outsiders come and teach them. The fact that there are strangers who cared enough to pay their own way to ‘teach’ them, as highlighted by the tuai rumah during his closing speech with them, would hopefully make them appreciate what was taught in the 3-day camp and take something of value back home with them.
While a number of the younger ones are there basically for the fun, majority, and especially many of the older ones, were in serious concentration when classes were being conducted.
The most heartening of all is when a student who could barely write a proper sentence in English at the start of the camp making great effort to write a paragraph to describe what he found most useful for him in the learning process during the 3 days and try to express his appreciation.
The dedication of the organisers and the commitment of the volunteer teachers were indeed exemplary. Despite the improvised conditions (basic sleeping arrangements and hot humid weather), the volunteers were not deterred from their primary aim, i.e. to inculcate the interest of learning into these kids.
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| The unit that we stayed in was the one with blue zinc top. |
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| Me and my students - not much taller and looked more like the 'tukang masak' ;p |
The cultural night and performance, which capped these 3-day camp, managed to showcase how talented these Iban kids were in their singing and dancing, and if the same passion in learning to sing and dance in them could be transferred to their learning, then it would be great indeed!
The education camp was over much too soon, and it was time to leave. I left the place with a happy feeling that I have done a small part in bringing some cheer and focus in these kids’ lives while making friends of the fellow volunteers along the way.
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| In our traditional outfits for Cultural Night. :D |
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| With my fellow volunteers and organisers |
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