CHARMAINE TEW BRATs Malacca 2009 brats@thestar.com.my

The writer taught English to Standard Three to Six students during her two-week stint in Kampung Teringai Darat, Sabah.

“YOU’RE using such an outdated phone!” said the eight-year-old boy with a laugh when he saw my friend using an old mobile phone.

The boy’s name is Windy, one of the many kids I met during my two-week volunteering stint at Kampung Teringai Darat, Sabah under the UKECharisma programme, which is supported by the United Kingdom and Eire Council of Malaysian Students (UKEC).

But Windy’s not your typical kampung boy. He’s witty, street-smart and he laughs at you for owning an old Nokia 3310.

Despite his sense of humour, it’s hard to imagine how the school children actually live there until you see it with your own eyes.

Throughout the two weeks the 11 of us were there, we took over the Standard Three to Six English lessons at the local school, and organised after-school sessions at the Rotary learning centre and school hostel.

While paying a visit to a traditional long house, I realised that the kids there do not even have a proper study area.

On the wall was a piece of paper with the words “I hope to give my family a better life and I will study hard to be successful” written on it.

Some students have to walk under the scorching sun for up to an hour every day just to get to school.

What saddened me most was meeting a 10-year-old boy who still couldn’t write proper alphabets. Yet, I could see that they were all very eager to learn, and I wish I could have stayed back to give them more.

On the first day of school, we asked all the students to write down their ambitions on a piece of paper. Many of them have big dreams – scientists, pilots, teachers, football players, etc. Education is the key for them to achieve those dreams but sadly, most of them have to worry more about the vicious cycle of poverty they’re stuck in.

They don’t see the importance of education. The villagers are comfortable with being farmers, factory workers and rubber tappers. That was one of our toughest challenges – how to we bring about a paradigm shift?

Ironically, one of the kids’ favourite songs is Anak Kampung, which they would sing while sitting outside our wooden house. The lyrics, “Aku anak kampung, tiada pelajaran, kuli-kuli sahaja (I am a village boy, I am not educated, I’m just a labourer)” seemed to reflect their own mindsets.

I felt a surge of bitterness as I realised how little I could do in such a short span of time. All I wished for was that the impact created within those two weeks would last in the long run.

Many budding teachers would immediately request for a transfer if they heard that they were being posted to rural schools. But the truth is, teaching in these places is not as bad as you think. In fact, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In fact, I was amazed to find that almost every house in the village had Astro TV! The children even told us about how they watched Datuk Lee Chong Wei play Lin Dan in the London Olympics men’s singles badminton final.

Teaching is a passion, and to inspire is an honour. It was heart-warming when I received letters and cards from the children telling me they want to study hard to enter university. I realised that they had inspired me just as much.

Living with the indigenous kids has taught me the simple meaning of happiness. They might be poor and less educated, but they are always content with what they have. The children make their own toy guns out of banana leaves, and skipping ropes from rubber bands. They taught me their local Rungus language and how to use a slingshot made from scratch.

The best part was when a bunch of kids brought us fresh coconuts which they plucked from trees as tall as five metres! Such is the kindness of the children.

Every now and then, I still look back at our photos, and I realise how much I’ve missed the place. I don’t know whether I will have the chance to go back again, but if I do, I hope I will see all the children growing up to be somebody great.

* UKECharisma is an organisation created to encourage student volunteerism in Malaysia. For more information, log on to facebook.com/ukecharisma.