Pinoy community sets up learning center in Sabah
MANILA, Philippines - Over a hundred children of Filipinos who are living in Sabah, Malaysia are benefiting from an alternative learning center that teaches them basic reading, writing, arithmetic and other life skills.
The Stairway to Hope Learning Center was established due to the efforts of the Filipino community in Sabah.
"We hope that through this community-based initiative, we can encourage these children to pursue further education for a chance of a better life," said Ambassador Eduardo Malaya in a press statement.
Formally opened on June 6, the center provides free informal basic education for school-age children of Filipino parentage in Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas.
It now caters to providing primary education to around 160 students, varying from ages six to 16. The students are divided into six groups and classes are conducted in three two-hour sessions every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
The learning center is currently located in a compound owned a local benefactor, who offered the use of the area for free.
Two Filipino volunteer teachers man the center and receive a minimum allowance. They teach English, Bahasa Melayu, Arithmetic and Filipino, along with basic reading, writing, counting and good conduct.
The center is currently funded by donations from members of the Filipino community in Sabah. Embassy officers and staff also undertook a “pass the hat” to provide additional funding assistance.
“Once again, our Filipino community has displayed the spirit of bayanihan in heeding the Embassy’s call in assisting our nationals’ children who need education for a better life. We hope and pray that the center will prosper further and live up to its name in providing a ‘stairway to hope’ for children in Sabah,” Malaya added.