2 days ago
Daughter of plantation worker aspires to be a journalist
BEAUFORT: Nura* broke into tears as she listened to her mother, Mariam*, tell visitors that the family would do their best to change their children's future through education.
Mariam said her 15-year-old eldest child had shown unwavering determination and passion in her dream of becoming a journalist.
"Back in our hometown in Indonesia, Nura learned early that without education, life is difficult.
"Life hasn't been easy since we came to Sabah either. My husband works on a smallholder plantation estate and supports our family of five.
"He doesn't earn much, but we still make sure our children go to school even if it means I have to eat less," she said, adding that the family pays several hundred ringgit a month for the shuttle service to send their three children to a nearby community learning centre (CLC).
She added that unless Nura was severely ill, the girl would insist on attending classes at the centre, which caters to children of plantation workers.
Mariam spoke to journalists who visited her home as part of the six-month Tuai Cerita Fellowship Programme.
As the eldest child, Nura said she feels a great sense of responsibility and hopes that her examination results from the learning centre will earn her a scholarship and placement at a school in Kota Kinabalu run by the Indonesian consulate-general.
Eventually, she hopes it will also lead to a place at a university in Indonesia.
Earlier, the delegation also visited Nura's CLC here which currently provides basic education to about 100 children aged up to 15.
In Sabah, CLCs are alternative learning spaces that provide educational opportunities for children who are not enrolled in formal schools, often due to factors like poverty or lack of access.
These centres aim to ensure that every child, regardless of circumstances, has a chance to learn and develop.
Although the students only attend a few hours of classes daily, their unlimited access to online learning has helped them gain valuable skills suited to today's job market.
Nura, for instance, has become well-versed in graphic design and photography skills she developed through online platforms and which recently won her accolades in local competitions.
"I want to become a journalist who writes for newspapers, not a broadcast journalist or a social media influencer.
"Not just to tell my story, but the stories of others like me, people who are invisible, but full of dreams," she said.
Her friend, Peter*, also 15, said he aspired to become a fireman.
"There was a time when a team of firemen came to fight a fire in my village. They looked so cool.
"I want to be like them, but being a non-citizen here makes it difficult unless I complete my studies here and back in my hometown," he said.
According to the Indonesian consulate-general in Kota Kinabalu, there are 229 community learning centres in Sabah that provide education to children of Indonesian citizens.
Since 2013, it has facilitated the return of 4,036 students to Indonesia to further their studies.
In a separate statement, Unicef Malaysia deputy representative Sanja Saranovic said this year marks 30 years since Malaysia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
"It is a powerful reminder of the commitment we made to every child. As we reflect on how far we've come.
"It's also a call to action to ensure that no child is left behind – especially those in vulnerable settings like in Sabah's oil palm plantation communities.
"When children cannot attend school, whether due to cost, distance, or administrative barriers, they are more likely to be pushed into work. Normalising this practice robs children of their futures."
Tuai Cerita is a fellowship designed to amplify the voices of Sabah's most vulnerable children.
Through the power of storytelling and ethical journalism, we're shining a light on child rights deprivations contributing to child labour in and around oil palm plantations in Sabah.
The programme is driven by local partners, Anak (Advocates for Non-discrimination and Access to Knowledge) and Global Shepherds, and implemented by Project Liber8.
The programme is conducted in partnership with the European Union, International Labour Organisation, and Unicef.
