Fundraising for Graduate Study in the USA

I never thought that I will finally decide to set up a crowdfunding page to raise funds for my graduate study. It was mixed feelings because I never did something like this before. In the beginning, it felt wrong because I know and am aware there are a lot less fortunate people out there that need cash to survive the day. As the deadlines for enrollment get closer, I start to feel anxious that I will not make it. After a few months of searching for potential scholarships available in Malaysia and the USA, I get to a dead end. Most of these scholarships are closed for applications or I am not eligible because of certain criteria that I could not meet. This is the ultimatum that makes me decide to finally do this. Besides, I get strong backup and support from Dr Alison that I should do this. Although in the beginning, it was my best friend, Najjah that came out with this idea which I did not even think of.

Here is the link to my crowdfunding page: Fundraising for Graduate Study in the USA.   

Please help to spread the word and your generosity will make this dream possible. Thank you so much for your kindness.   

Let's Talk Something #1 - Environmental Education

Okay, i am too much on my not stable emotions this past two weeks. Maybe it is because too many things happen at the same time and i am physically tired too (that's why i get sick..huhuhu).

So, today i want to share a few photos i captured during EE Race 9 organized by EPD end of June this year. Last year we have the same programme too but this year is more FUN!!! Yai!! I love the fact thats all the teachers were very excited and the spirit to learn something new is inspiring me. Here we go...

Ice breaking session - solve the puzzle



Short brief by the Village Head at Kg. Cenderamata II on Micro Enterprise

Explanation on the process of preparing good seedlings for plantation.

Hands on experience yai!! (jadi general worker kijap)

In front of the eyes.. cable yarding harvesting...hmm.. something new perhaps!

R & D incubation space.. cuttings.. cuttings... cuttings... trees...

The kampong people ready to do handicraft demo... get ready to learn it!

Leisure Time!!!! Spend some time at the refreshing clean river.

Now is the time to share all the knowledge and experienced they gained!!!

Can you see all the teachers are all very hardworking? Taking notes, listens carefully to the explanation, some very eager to do practical parts and even enjoy the moments!! They did learn a lots from this four days programme. Thank God i am one of the fasilitator and i love these teachers.... (^___^)

Till then!

---

Inspired Liitle Rose



On Education ~ This Happen in Sarawak?

Last week i did write a few posts about Kisah Si Ongol and also a little bit on the school building made from bamboo on Malaysia Day. A friend of mine ask me about the case of the trio student left out of exam (UPSR) last week in FB. I did saw a few of my friends talk about it too in their FB status. However, I did not get the clear scenario of this case so i search through the net and i found an article written in Borneo Post Online on the 17th September 2011. Here is the article and you may consider to read it through too:

BINTANGOR: Three pupils of SK Bandar Bintangor were not allowed to sit for the UPSR (Primary School Achievement Test) because the school considered them academically poor and might pull down its overall performance.

The three boys were said to have been locked in a remedial room while their classmates sat for the examination on Sept 13 and 14.

When their parents complained, they were allowed to sit for the examination on Sept 15 – the final day of the examination.

The boys are Idie Ganyol, Edward Ujoh Augustine and Richmend Mangi.

Meradong assemblywoman Ting Tze Fui told The Borneo Post yesterday that the three boys were locked in a room from 8am until noon on the first two days of the three-day examination.

She said their parents lodged a police report when the incident came to light.

“Police went to the school to check on Sept 15, and found the boys locked in a room,” Ting recalled, adding that the trio were later sent to the examination hall.

“But they could only sit for English Paper I and II and one other subject,” she lamented.

Urging the Education Department to investigate, Ting said the school had been unfair to the pupils.

She was concerned because UPSR was such an important examination.

“Without sitting for it, they can’t proceed to secondary school,” she said.

She chided the school for denying the pupils their right to sit for the examination, and said the school’s concern for its overall performance could not justify its act.

“Not everyone is born smart, but they can learn. That’s why we need education.

“No discrimination should exist in our education system,” said the Meradong assemblywoman.

My point of view:
Unbelievable!!! The teachers are so dedicated to the education and dare to do things like this. But are they humane enough? A'ah... I still believe everyone have the rights for their own future. I agree with the comments given by the assemblywomen above, she got it right. NO DISCRIMINATION! I am glad that our teachers at my primary school did not do things like this to my fellow classmates because when we already at Primary 6 some of them still can not read. I am proud of my teacher, Cikgu Siti Bohari because she spend more times with them in the intervention class 3 months before the UPSR. Much appreciation to my dearest teachers at SK Kg. Kebuaw from 1988 - 1993. Proud being your student!!!! God bless. 

With Love,
Little Rose

Life Lesson from a Daddy ~ On Education

This is a story shared by Mr. Angilik, one of the Murut elders at Kg. Alutok, Ulu Tomani during my visits last Monday to Wednesday. This is a Malay version (Sabah Dialect). Only will be translated to English by request. Thanks for reading.

Ongol baru ja terima keputusan SPM dia. Dia dapat SAP dan tia dapat kasi sambung study dia lagi. Angilik, bapak dia mau dia ulang semula supaya dia ada peluang mau kasi sambung belajar. Jadi, dia akan berpeluang untuk dapat kerja yang bagus nanti.

"Ongol, kau tia mau ulang peperiksaan kau lagi ka? Kau tia mau sambung sekula ka?" tanya bapa Ongol.

"Tia mau la apak. Sya mau jadi orang kampung saja. Sya tia mau sambung sekula sya," jawab Ongol pada bapak dia.

Bapanya rasa keciwa tapi dia kasi biar ja keputusan si Ongol. Dia tia mau paksa si Ongol kalau dia tia mau. Nanti bikin susah juga kalau dia tia buat betul-betul. Jadi bapa dia pun kasi peluang si Ongol untuk hidup seperti orang kampung macam yang dia mau.

Suatu hari, "Ongol, mari kau ikut sya pi kabun gatah. Ko tolong sya tabas sana kabun. Ko bilang ko mau jadi dan hidup macam orang kampung kan?" bapak Ongol bawa si Ongol menabas di sana kabun getah durang. Tia menolak permintaan apak dia, si Ongol pun ikut bapak dia pi kabun. Tebas punya tebas, selapas setangah jam, si Ongol kepanatan suda. Dia berenti menabas.

"Napa kau beranti Ongol? Ko panat suda?" tanya bapak si Ongol.

"Ya apak. Panat pula ni jadi urang kampung. Tangan sya luka suda lama nda pigang parang ba ini," jawab si Ongol.

Bapak si Ongol cuma senyum. "Ini kali la kau tau," bapa si Ongol bercakap sendiri.

Selepas beberapa ari, si Ongol bawa apak dia pigi memburu. "Apak, mari kita pigi memburu."

"Bah, marilah. Kita mau bermalam ka balik ari?"

"Nda payah la bermalam. Kita balik ari ja."

Dorang pun bawa bekalan masing-masing dan sikutan masing-masing. Tiga biji nasi bungkus satu urang dan air. Senjata pun durang bawa masing-masing. Awal-awal lagi bapak si Ongol suda pasan sama mama dia supaya jangan larang apa saja yang dia mau buat sama si Ongol sebab dia mau kasi belajar si Ongol. Mau kasi rasa dia macam mana jadi urang kampung. Dalam perjalanan naik turun bukit, si Ongol kasitau bapa dia.

"Apak, kalau kita dapat dua ekur, kita sikut masing-masing am. Ko sikut yang ko dapat, sya sikut yang saya dapat". 

"Bah, mana kau saja. Tapi, kalau kau dapat yang basar, ko sikutla sendiri am. Kita sikut yang kita sendiri dapat saja."

Si Ongol pun akun taruhan bapak dia.

Sampai di satu bukit, bapak si Ongol nampak anak babi. Dia suruh si Ongol diam-diam tunggu dia di belakang sebab bapak dia mau timbak anak babi tu. Tapi si Ongol ni, nda mau kalah, tanpa pengetahuan bapak dia, dia pigi sebalik tu bukit pusing dari jalan belakang. Bapak si Ongol dapat la tu anak babi. Tiba-tiba dia dingar bunyi timbak dari sebalik bukit. Dia teriak panggil si Ongol, dia dapat ka tidak. Rupa-rupanya di sebalik bukit tu ada indung tu babi. Jadi si Ongol dapat la pula tu indung babi. Nah, basar gia dia dapat tu. Masa durang mau sikut tu babi, si Ongol bingung suda.

"Apak, kita tukar la am. Kau sikut ni indung babi, sya sikut ni anak babi."

"Aih, mana bulih, kau suda akun kan tadi yang kita sikut yang kita sendiri dapat."

"Mmmm... kalau begitu, kita putung saja la kepala ni babi am. Tulang saja juga ni."

"Bah, ya la. Kita buang isi perut tu babi juga tapi jangan buang tu perut. Nda juga ada tulang perut dia ni. Sayang kalau kita buang."

Jadi, durang pun sikutla babi yang masing-masing durang dapat. Dalam perjalanan, turun pulang rumah si Ongol keberatan suda bawa tu indung babi, tapi dia tahan saja sebab dia suda akun sama baba dia. Tiba-tiba,

"Apak, ada lagi air kau ka?"

"Mana ada suda ni. Habis suda air sya."

Si Ongol yang kepanatan dan haus nda tahan suda. Dia pun pigi ambil air di atas daun tarap yang di siring-siring jalan dan minum tu air.

"Ongol, nda kutur ka itu air?"

"Ahhh.... kutur ka inda, paduli la apak. Sya haus betul suda ni."

Durang pun teruskan perjalanan. Bahagian pinggang si Ongol mulai sakit dan bengkak. Dia nda tahan suda tapi mau juga tunjuk hero sama bapak dia. Dekat jam 10 malam baru durang sampai rumah. Sampai-sampai saja di rumah, si Ongol kasi ampai saja sikutan dia. Lepas tu dia terus ja baring di dapur rumah durang. Dia tia pun pi mandi atau kasi bersih badan dia yang penuh dengan darah babi. Minum air pun dia nda suda. Terus mengampai dan tidur sampai pagi. Mama si Ongol risau juga tinguk keadaan si Ongol.

"Teruk juga kau kasi biar si Ongol sikut indung babi ni."

"Biar saja dia tu. Biar dia terbelajar. Bukan senang mau jadi urang kampung ni. Kasi biar ja dia tu. Bangun besuk, dia mandi dan makan la tu."

Besuk dia, baru si Ongol mandi dan makan. Masa makan, dia macam khayal-khayal saja. Mengkali dia pikir, mana bagus, belajar ka idup macam urang kampung. Macam bapak dia. Beberapa hari kemudian dia pi kasitau mama dia yang dia mau pi mengulang tingkatan 5.

"Si Ongol kasitau sya dia mau belajar lagi," mama si Ongol kasitau bapak dia.

"Nah, baru dia tau, bukan senang mau jadi urang kampung. Nanti la sya pi jumpa pengetua dan kasi daftar dia," jawab bapak si Ongol.

Bapak dia pi hantar dia di sekula lama dia, pihak sekolah pun terima dia semula. Jadi dia pun meneruskan persekolahan dia dan dia lulus peperiksaan SPM.

Sekarang si Ongol bekerja di Jabatan Kastam Tawau dan dia suda kawin dan ada sorang anak. Kadang-kadang bapak dia ada juga imbas balik cerita ini sama dia, si Ongol hanya mampu senyum dan syukur sebab kalau bapak dia nda bikin begitu mesti dia masi lagi di kampung.

Demikianlah cerita si Ongol!

With Love,
Little Rose