Table Of Contents:
- An exciting opportunity in Sabah
- Off we go to Sabah!
- Off to another town in Sabah!
- Off to a kampong in Sabah!
- First steps for a literacy center in Sabah!
- Setbacks in Sabah!
- God provides in Sabah
- Preparations for literacy center in Sabah
- Opening day at the literacy center in Sabah
- Literacy centers all over Sabah!
- New schoolhouse in Sabah
The garage in Sabah needed only a little touching up to make attractive classrooms. The community was abuzz with excitement. It would be the first time for the kids to go to school! At last they could be like other kids and go to school!
Our supervisor, Ning, was busy recruiting teachers and getting the classroom materials (eg. wall posters, books, pencils). Two young Filipinas, J and B, volunteered to be our first two teachers. They had never left the Philippines in their lives. They had never met a Muslim in their lives. They were both in their early twenties.
J had just graduated from university in the Philippines with a Bachelors degree in English. B had just graduated with a Bachelors degree in nursing. Her nursing training would come in very useful because I had noticed that many of the kids had illnesses that could be easily treated but they had never received treatment because they had no access to medical treatment. Some of these illnesses were now chronic illnesses that would be difficult to treat.
These two young ladies had many years of experience in the Philippines teaching children in their church and in outreach centers for poor kids. Though they were young they had been prepared by God for many years already.
When Ning arrived with them in Sabah, they immediately got down to work. They mobilized the kampong mothers to help prepare and beautify the school house. They identified the mothers who were literate and were potential teachers. They gave seminars to these mothers and trained them to be assistant teachers.
These mothers were eager students. Most of them had eked a living as washerwomen, firewood collectors, and doing whatever odd jobs were available. Now they were being trained to be teachers! And teachers of their own kids! It was a great boost to their self-esteem.
The entire kampong were excited. It was the first time that the Roman Catholics (who were in the minority) and the Muslims (who were the vast majority) worked together in a project. For some of them it was the first time that they were communicating with those of the other religion!
The mood in the kampong had changed from one of hopelessness to one of hope!
The shock of everything is now starting to sink in and the dust is starting to settle some.
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