Borneo Child Aid Society

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Education Project for over 3000 underprivileged Children in remote Areas of Sabah, Malaysia.

 

 

What we do:

Numerous children in the Malaysian state Sabah on Borneo live in plantations and other remote areas far away from government schools. Most of these children are without access to basic education during their entire childhood because of distance, poverty or legal status.

We aim to give these children a good chance in life, and now almost 3000 of these children now get their basic education in our learning centres.

We are presently running over 50 Learning Centres for more than 3000 children of plantation workers and other underprivileged children.

These children would otherwise be deprived of education.

We provide daily education and care for the children.

We train them in English, Malay, Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science. Also Music, Dance, Sports and Culture are important parts of our programs. 

We give the children hope for a better life.

We need your Support!
 

 Latest Updates:

 

Plantation kids on their way to the learning centre

Borneo Child Aid Society  is presently opening and operating these Children's Houses approved and under permits from the Ministry of Education in Kuala Lumpur as Guidance Centres or “Pusat Bimbingan”, providing education and care for primarily children of  plantation workers.

Malaysia is a fast progressing nation with big improvements of living conditions and better education for its people. But the children of Indonesian or  Philippine immigrant plantation workers in Sabah do often not have access to schools, because of distance, poverty and legal status, and often they will be working as child labourers picking fruit in the plantations. These are the children, who we try to reach with our program, even if this means that we have to run our centres in remote areas far away from the nearest town, and accessed only by 4 wheel drive vehicles. The UN's convention on “The Rights of the Child” in which all children have a right to a basic education.We are happy to help these underprivileged children and also proud of serving Sabah and the country of Malaysia in caring for and educating these children.

 

  

Latest opened Learning Centre in Pintasan 8

Asiatic Mewah 2 Learning Centre

 

 

 

Borneo Child Aid Society, locally known as "Humana Child Aid Society Sabah", was formed in 1991 with an initial sponsorship of a Holland based NGO, Humana Holland, but is now operating as a local Malaysian NGO, without ties to Humana Holland or other international organisations.

We are depending solely on sponsorships from socially responsible companies and other donors, who want to take part in providing a better future for these children.

 

Teacher Suriani Samsuddin teaching the children in Baturong 3, IOI.

Graduation day November 2005 Tabanak

The first 3 Children's Houses were started on three plantations by Peter Mathisen, Birgit Simonsen, Nestor Francisco, Pepe Retes, Torben Venning, and others with teacher's backgrounds in 1991 in Sabah after finding that the children on the plantations mostly did not go to school, and that there were many health problems such as malaria, measles and other diseases, which frequently lead to the death of children. We have employed dedicated Malaysian, Philippine and Indonesian voluntary teachers, whose most important qualification is the willingness to stay often far from families, educating and caring for all the children of the plantation to which they are assigned. These teachers have over the years helped to develop our programs.

Children from Tabanak performing during Sports Festival 2005

 

 

 

 

Teachers at Danum Valley, Taliwas Waterfall December 2005

 

We need your support:

We are still in need of further funding, which will make it possible for us to reach more of the thousands of underprivileged children in Sabah with education.

We are also interested in book donations and 2. hand or new computers and printers, which are used by the teachers to produce education material in the plantations.

 

In this comparison of expenses of child education/year in US$, you can calculate how many children we educate for the price of one child in any of the mentioned OECD Countries. The cost of one child in USA, Norway or Denmark equals the price of a 100 children at our project!

(Thanks Journalist Michael K. Dalhoff, http://www.expatnet.dk/ ,

member ExeCom, Malaysian Danish Association, Denmark)

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

    

 

      Donations and Sponsorships:

We need your support!

We have for the past years been in need of additional funding to secure

the continuation of a far reaching and unique child education program.

 

Ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, where YAB Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah, wife of the Deputy Prime Minister and patron of Yayasan Harapan Kanak Kanak Malaysia hands over a token symbilising 3000 uniforms donated to the children in our Learning Centres.

 

Visit by Department of Education officers in Balung River Estate. Among others Mr. Torben Venning, Project Manager                                             Mr. Encik Mohd.Azman, Dep. of Education K.K., Mr. Pepe Retes BCAS District Coordinator, Mr. Zainal Abidin, Ministry of Education KL,                     Mr. Riduan Haji Donald, BCAS Principal. Teachers Siti Faridah and Aida

 

Visit to Borneo Child Aid Society by His Excellency The Danish Ambassador Mr.Børge Petersen and wife Jytte (sitting to first from the right). Second from right Mrs Venning. Teachers Siti Faridah and Aida Madi Kala

 

 Cost Effective Education Program for underprivileged children:

The total cost of running a Centre with average 60 children is approximately 1500 M$ per month or 18000 M$ (4500 US $) per year. Less than what it costs to send just one single child to school per year in USA or some Western European countries.

(Thanks Michael K. Dalhoff, Malaysian Danish Association, Denmark)

This is a cost of 25 M$ per child per month for providing these children with a basic education. We are still in need of sponsorships for 600 children, and with more funds we will be able to open more schools and to give more of these forgotten children a chance for an education.

Sponsoring one child costs M$ 300 per year = 75 US$ = 64 Euro

Sponsoring one Children's Learning Centre for 60 Children = M$ 18,000

=  4500 US $ = 3840 Euro

If you or your company or association would like to sponsor a child/a number of children or one or more schools, please contact us. 

A donation by  Cheque should be written to: Humana Child Aid Society Sabah

Bank: Standard Chartered Bank, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia.

Humana Child Aid Society Sabah     Acc.#   496   1-5400101-3

Swift Code: SCBLMYKX  SCB MALAYSIA

Any donation or contribution is welcome and will be used in order to include more children under our programme and to improve the quality of the existing schools.

 

 

List of Sponsors 2005-2006

Plantation Companies

The Plantation Companies below contribute 70 % of our funds, based on the number of centres in their plantations. We highly appreciate these companies concern for the children of the workers.

IOI Corporation

Fordeco/Kwantas Plantations

Asiatic Group of Plantations (Genting Group)

Pontian United

Hap Seng Plantations

Teck Guan Plantations

Melangking Oil Palm Plantations

Nam Hing Sdn Bhd (start 2006)

Borneo Samudera S/B

 

Donations and Sponsorships:

Dato' Chua Lai Huat  (Donation)

Embassy of Finland, Kuala Lumpur (funding equivalent to 330 children's education)     

Fonden af 8/7 1983,Denmark (funding equivalent to a hundred children's education)

YTL Corporation (funding equivalent to one learning centre)

Maersk Malaysia (sponsorship of one learning centre)  

Amnesty International, Denmark (funding equivalent to 30 children's Education)                 

FranklinCovey Nordic Approach, Denmark (Donation for new building in Kg. Tandoan)  

John and Marianne Madsen, Kuala Lumpur (Advisor and long time Contributor. Funding equivalent to 240 Childrens education)

Yayasan Harapan Kanak-Kanak Malaysia by YAB Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah, wife of Malaysias Deputy Prime Minister. 3000 Sets of Uniforms.

HSBC (2006) (sponsorship of two learning centres. Sebatik under Teck Guan and Asiatic Mewah 1 under Asiatic Development)

Anders and Silvia Møller, Kota Kinabalu (2006) (sponsorship of one learning centre: Balung River Estate)

Mr MH Wong and John Madsen (funding equivalent to 50 children's Education)

Carlsberg Malaysia (2006) (sponsorship of one learning centre)

Novo Nordisk, Malaysia (2006) Donation

The EAC Foundation (2006)  (funding equivalent to 100 children's education)

Ronald Macdonald Childrens Charities Fund (2006) Donation of Books

DT Group A/S (2006) Donation

 

A Warm Thanks to All on behalf of our 3000 Children!

 

 

Contact:

Borneo Child Aid (Humana Child Aid Society Sabah)

Att: Torben Venning  (Project Manager)  H/P:  (+60) 013-8884402

P.O. Box 61850,  91127 Lahad Datu,   Sabah,  Malaysia    

Tel: (+60) 089-866857, Fax: (+60) 03-21784113,              

Email: info@borneochildaid.org    

 

The Society's Honorary Advisor and long time contributor is Mr. John Madsen, Kuala Lumpur. 

Formerly Managing Director of East Asiatic Company, Malaysia and Malaysian Mosaics (Hap Seng).  Malaysia's Executive of the Year 1996.

Presently CEO Micro and Macro Approach Sdn Bhd and Danish Consul for Selangor.

 

 

Chairman: Mr. Peter Mathisen

DK- Address: Hammelstrupvej 13 st.,  2450 Kbh SV,   Denmark     

Email:  peterma@borneochildaid.org 

www.borneochildaid.org

 

 

 

 

 

Borneo Child Aid Society is run independently by a local comittee, headed by the director Mr. Peter Mathisen from Denmark. The society is an independent humanitarian society without any specific political or religious aims, and without formal ties to other organisational or political interests. It is approved by the Registrar of Societies, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Reg.No. 123/96) and officers from the Education Department for Private Schools from KK as well as from the Ministry of Education in Kuala Lumpur have been inspecting all our centres and licensing our them as “Pusat Bimbingan”(Guidance Centres). We have also been working together with the social ministry of the state of Sabah, as well as the local Red Crescent and of the local chapters of Rotary Club. Humana Child Aid Society is registered with Malaysian NGO Website  www.hati.org.my , and with Yayasan Harapan Kanak-Kanak as an organisation seeking funds for children’s welfare causes. The latter has arranged a sponsorship for uniforms for our almost 3000 children by Optiman Capital Management, Kuala Lumpur.

With initial funding from a Holland based NGO, we cooperated with several plantation companies in opening schools for their worker's children. This cooperation has continued and it has been strengthened through the years with companies such as IOI, Kwantas, Asiatic (The Genting Group), Melangking Oil Palm, Teck Guan Plantations, Hap Seng Plantations,  Pontian Plantations and Borneo Samudra S/B. These companies today contribute to the education of children in our centres in their plantations. The Malaysian company Hap Seng sponsored Borneo Child Aid Society’s activities for four years through its former CEO, mr. John Madsen, who has since privately continued an unwavering support of our efforts to reach the thousands of children without access to education.

For the past 3 years Borneo Child Aid Society has been depending solely on donations from the plantation companies, where we are operating the schools and we have been in big need of additional funding in order to survive. In 2004 and 2005 the Embassy of Finland in Kuala Lumpur has donated to the society a grant for the education of the children of poor plantation workers, which has helped us to continue the work. The Malaysia operation of the shipping company Maersk is sponsoring one school 2005, and also the Malaysian YTL Cooperation has given us a generous donation this year. Quite recently Amnesty International Denmark has also contributed an important donation, as has FranklinCovey Nordic Approach.

 

Donations Click here

 

Starting a Children's House.

How to go about it:

It may seem like a big accomplishment to run 49 centres and to provide 3000 children with education, but with a risk of understating our efforts:It is really quite simple.

1. We find a plantation company, which is willing to open a school for their children.

2. After this the company will prepare the building as well as tables and chairs.

3. We train the teacher and apply for the permit. We have training of teachers going on at some of the Children's Houses all the time.

4. After that the school will officially open and the parents and teachers form a Parents-Teacher Association, which will take care of daily running of the Children's House. The children then start to go to school every day learning reading, writing, Bahasa Malaysia, English, science and other subjects.

5. We have monthly meetings at the plantations, where the progress of the education  is measured. The Humana Principal Mr. Riduan Donald, who is also a brilliant educator is providing training at monthly seminars for all our teachers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Building a new Children's House on Timbun Mata Island                                                       Opening of Children's House in Maywin 5-6, Gamore Plantation

 

 

 50 Children's Houses in Sabah

The 50 Children's Houses are situated in an area stretching from the Indonesian border on Sebatik Island near Tawau to Gamore near Telupid in the North. Majority of the Centres are situated far inside vast plantation areas.

1

H36

Pontian Plantation (Pontian)

2

H45

FICO Plantation (Pontian)

3

H57

Hilco Plantation (Pontian)

4

H46

Tankulab 1 Plantation (IOI)

5

H62

Tangkulab 2 Plantation (IOI)

6

H40

Maywin 2 Plantation (IOI)

7

H39

Morisem III Plantation (IOI)

8

H41

Syarimo 2 (IOI)

9

H43

Syarimo 5 (IOI)

10

H23

Baturong 1 (IOI)

11

H37

Baturong 2 (IOI)

12

H76

Baturong 3 (IOI)

13

H17

TAS Plantation (IOI)

14

H63

Syarimo 7(IOI)

15

H67

Sakilan(IOI)

16

H50

Limbar II (IOI)

17

H71

Moynod(IOI)

18

H77

Terusan Baru(IOI)

19

H77

Lungmanis(IOI)

20

H9

Sebatik Plantation (TG)

21

H11

Taliwas Plantation (TG)

22

H28

Andum Plantation (TG)

23

H47

Melangking 1 Plantation

24

H49

Melangking 2

25

H65

Melangking 3

26

H72

Melangking 4

27

H42

Asiatic Development (Asiatic)

28

H48

Tenegang Plantation (Asiatic)

29

H60

Bahagian Estate (Asiatic)

30

H44

Asiatic Mewah 1 (Asiatic)

31

H54

Asiatic Mewah 2 (Asiatic)

32

H61

Pegagau 1 (Borneo Samudera)

33

H62

Pegagau 2 (Borneo Samudera)

34

H73

Balung River (Borneo Samudera)

35

H70

Madai Plantation (Borneo Samudera)

36

H56

Pintasan 2 Plantation (Kwantas Plantations)

37

H68

Fordeco Timber 1 (Fordeco)

38

H69

Haranky Plantation (Kwantas Plantations)

39

H78

Mewah Estate (Kwantas Plantations)

40

H79

Pintasan 4 Estate (Kwantas Plantations)

41

H81

Pintasan 7 Estate (Kwantas Plantations)

42

H51

Tomanggong I (River Estates)

43

H53

Tomanggong II (River Estates)

44

H55

Tabin (River Estates)

45

H58

Litang (River Estates)

46

H59

Tagas (River Estates)

47

H74

Tabanac 2 (Lahad Datu)

48

 H65

 Bagahak 1(Borneo Samudera S/B)

49

H82

Maywin 5-6 (IOI)

50

 H83

 Timbun Mata (Soon to open)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20/11 2005

"Regional Conference on stateless/undocumented Children in Sabah"

Dear All,

We have just been part of a big 3 day conference trying to find answers to the pressing questions about what should be done for the more than 10,000 stateless/undocumented children in Sabah, of which we have 3,000 in our Children's Houses.

 

1) The conference participants were besides from the active ladies of Tenaganita, a number of local and regional NGOs and Church organisation as well as most of the relevant government agencies, such as the immigration department, the Federal Special Task Force, the Health Department, The National Registration Department, The Sabah Commisioner for SUHAKAM, Malaysias Human Rights Commision was there and furthermore representatives from the Philippine Embassy and from the Indonesian General Consulate and also the UNHCR and UNICEF.

 

2) Of all organisations Humana Child Aid Society was the only organisation with "hands on" the problem of caring for these children. We were also the only organisation, which actually brought 2 children to the conference.

We were as such the only organisation presenting a part solution to the problem of the thousands of stateless/undocumented children.

At the fine start of the conference, where our two child participants initiated by lighting a candle for each member and giving their story, and further after our presentation on thursday, we were almost overwhelmed with the positive response from the other participants in the conference for our work .

Our presentation was also a stark contrast to the academic discussions, which probably is a necessary part of such a conference. It cut right to the bone in our pictural demonstration of how education for these children can be achieved with very few means and at very low cost. Our comparison of the price of having one child in school in Denmark to the price of running an entire small school for 50 or more of these children (RM 1250), showing that the first is considerably costlier, hit home.

Also the pictures of our children performing and in their uniforms took away the tendency to look at the undocumented children as a menace. Suddenly even a few local anti-immigrant representatives' voices started talking with some degree of respect about the children.

3) Results from the conference:

The conference recommended that a task force, comprising government and NGO representatives should be formed, and that the children should be given a legal status, which they do not have now (since plantation labourers are not supposed to marry and have children). This will depend on the local government taking up the invitation.

The conference decided to form a "Undocumented Children Network for Sabah", which means that we will maintain an unoffical contact between all parties. This was taken up very positively by the members, and can eventually result in the forming of a Children's Right Organisation in Sabah, which there is none of now (except for us). This we will of course participate actively in.

 

All the three major newspapers in Sabah carried articles about the conference in which our work was highlighted and the two children's stories were told. Humana Child Aid Society Sabah been exposed as never before.

 I am planning to take advantage of the strong support expressed to us, and approach all participants of the conference in order to offer them that for every RM 250, which they will collect for us, we will not only garantee to have one child more in school for a year, but we will also aim to put two children to school for the amount, since we should be able to finance the second child with more plantation houses.

 

It has been a good experience also to see that we, besides from you, have other allies in wanting to do something for these children.

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Torben Venning         info@borneochildaid.org

Project Manager                Borneo Child Aid/Humana Child Aid Society Sabah

 

 

16/9 2005

New School at Timbun Mata for Children of Tandoan Fishing Village off Semporna

 

 

Dear All,

 

Here are some pictures from our newest undertaking: Building a small school for the local islanders in Kampung Tandoan on Timbun Mata outside Semporna in cooperation with the local assembly man YB Datuk Mohd. Lan Allani and the Department of Education Semporna.

I just came back from a visit yesterday, bringing along 5 year old Mark, who is staying with me.

A beautiful fishing village with 120 children without access to school, and for once these children are not children of  foreigners but all local malaysians. In bad weather they have about two hours travel to the nearest government school, which means they are not going to school.

Ismael, my wifes smaller brother is there to build the school, but the villagers have asked him to start teaching their children first. In return they are carrying the heavy stones and gravel for the foundation, while we are waiting for donations of sawn timber to arrive. This will minimize expenses as all transport by boat is extremely costly. Roof sheets will be delivered by YB Datuk Mohd. Lan Allani.

(As usual when you meet Bajaus in Semporna, it seems that most of the people there are related to my wife's family somehow.)

 

Best Regards

 

Torben Venning                  info@borneochildaid.org