Alternative learning centre founder conferred presidential award
KOTA KINABALU: Marilou S Chin, the founder of Stairway to Hope Learning Center here, which is an alternative learning centre providing educational service to stateless children in Sabah, was conferred the presidential award by Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the Malacanyang Palace in Manila on December 19.
She was among 23 distinguished and outstanding overseas Filipinos and foreignbased organisations from 11 countries during the awarding ceremonies for the 2016 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organisations Overseas (PAFIOO).
The award is for their contributions which have significantly benefited a sector or advanced the cause of overseas Filipino communities.
There are thousands of children of Filipino and Indonesia ancestries in Sabah, the majority of whom are Filipinos. Their parents are Filipinos who fled from the southern Philippines mainly to escape poverty and conflict.
These children do not have proper identification and documents that are required for enrolment in schools, thus preventing them access to education.
This has resulted in illiteracy and many were even forced to work at a very young age. These are just some of the glaring issues faced by Filipino children in Sabah but thankfully there are people like Marilou who are providing them with the much needed assistance.
To address the educational needs of the growing number of children, Marilou, together with other Filipinos in the community, spearheaded the establishment of Stairway to Hope Leaving Center in 2012.
Situated at Kampung Kalansanan Inanam, the alternative learning school caters to children who cannot go to a proper school in Sabah.
Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a parallel learning system that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction.
When one does not have or cannot access formal education in schools, ALS is an alternate or substitute. ALS includes both the non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.
Since these children are citizens of no country, they are denied access to public schools and health care. ALS allows these children to catch up on their own abilities and diligence.
The idea of setting up the center came after Marilou saw the plight and the dire situation of the undocumented children in Sabah, who really wanted to go to school like any regular children. She invited Filipino community leaders and individuals who have the heart to give migrant Filipino children a fighting chance to learn how to read write.
The primary objective of the centre is to provide basic educational services for the underprivileged children, regardless of their nationality, race, and religion. The centre also offers medical services and recreational activities such as sports and craft creation.
The funding for the centre primarily comes from her own money and donations from different individuals and organizations.
In 2014, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur together with the Department of Education, Commission on Filipinos Overseas and six alternative learning centres (including Stairway to Hope) forged a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the capacities of these centres and increase access to education for the communitybased education program in Sabah.
The project was initiated right after the Federation of Filipinos Associations in Malaysia Visioning Workshop in 2012 through the guidance of Ambassador Eduardo Malaya. The project is also backed up by Persatuan Kebajikan Anak-anak Miskin Sabah (Association for the Welfare of Underprivileged Children in Sabah) which was approved by the Registrar of Societies of Malaysia and registered in 2015.
Stairway to Hope is open five days a week, where the children are taught how to read and write in English, Filipino, and Bahasa Melayu. Math and Science subjects are also offered, as well as religious classes (both for Muslims and Christians) and extra-curricular activities such as dancing, singing, guitar lessons and computer classes.
Because of Marilou’s compassion and dedicated effort, many of these children can now at least read, write and count life skills that they can use in their everyday lives.
True to its name, the centre has indeed become a path to hope for these children who dream of a better and brighter future.
In conferring the Banaag Award to Marilou, President Duterte recognizes her dedication and commendable efforts in establishing the Stairway to Hope Learning Center, which has provided alternative learning education to stateless children in Sabah.