Atika Fazila Wallpan, 23, never attended kindergarten during her childhood. There was no kindergarten in her village, Long Jenalong, until 2020. This Penan settlement, nestled deep in the mystical Borneo rainforest, was virtually isolated from the outside world.
Recently, basic infrastructure and amenities such as water and electricity supply were connected to the village. The only route to the outside world is through a logging road to Long Lama bazaar, located at the confluence of the Baram River, approximately a two-hour drive from the village.
Atika said, “I never had the opportunity to study in preschool. When I entered primary school, which was located in another village far away from here, I experienced difficulties in learning and adjusting because I didn’t have the foundation of early childhood education.”
Therefore, when she was recruited by the Sarawak Government to teach at the newly established kindergarten in her village about three years ago, Atika seized the opportunity to serve her community.
Since then, she has dedicated all her time and energy to educating children below the age of six, as well as adults who are illiterate in her village.
s village chief
She emphasised, “Preschool education provides a strong foundation for children to continue their studies at primary school.”
Before the completion of the kindergarten, the children in this village spent their early years playing with each other in the longhouse compound. Some of them also accompanied their parents for hunting in the jungle or resided in the farms for extended periods.
Atika said, “Now, our preschoolers learn to manage themselves independently and are taught to read, recognize alphabets, and explore their surroundings.
“I truly want to help them progress in their studies and life. I’m delighted that the parents of the students are also very receptive to their children attending school, and this is why I’m still teaching here.”
Currently, Tadika Sedidik Long Jenalong has seven pupils: Adeline Saran (4 years old), Elizabeth Budi (6 years old), Janet (4 years old), Maxtyson Dungau (5 years old), Bryan Garvin (6 years old), and Dannyfius Sem (4 years old).
Starting this year, Atika also conducts adult classes every Monday afternoon at the kindergarten for illiterate adults in the village, as part of the “Kelas Dewasa Ibu Bapa Orang Asli Dan Penan” (KEDAP) programme.
She optimistically stated, “The participation of parents in KEDAP is amazing, and their attendance is consistently high. This situation will certainly help reduce illiteracy in my village.”
Despite the challenges, Atika remains resolute in her mission to educate her community of about 200 people. Equipped only with a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate and informal training as a kindergarten teacher, Atika has taken significant steps to enhance her teaching skills and qualifications.
With a scholarship from her employer, Sedidik Sdn Bhd, the organization that operates the kindergarten, Atika is currently pursuing her Diploma in Early Childhood Education at Open University Malaysia (OUM).
Atika, who is currently in the fourth semester of her studies, expressed her gratitude that broadband internet connection is now available in their village, making online learning very convenient and possible for her.
She added, “I only studied up to Form Five at SMK Marudi in Baram. I stopped schooling in 2017 and returned to my village to assist my parents with farming. Then, I got married in 2018. I never dreamt of becoming a teacher, teaching students in my village,” said Atika, who is the granddaughter of Long Jenalong village chief, Ugat Kong, 67.
Another Penan kindergarten teacher, Suraya Suleman, 29, is also working tirelessly to provide early childhood education and adult classes to her community in Long Kerangan, approximately 50 km from Long Jenalong.
She is also pursuing her Diploma in Childhood Education at OUM under Sedidik’s sponsorship. To date, 17 children have benefited from the preschool education program in her village.
Suraya said, “Ten of them have left and continued their primary education, while seven are still studying here.”
Atika and Suraya were both overjoyed when the Sarawak Government took the initiative to build kindergartens in their villages with funding from the global energy company, Petronas.
In 2016, Petronas, in collaboration with Sarawak’s Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family, and Childhood Development (KWKPK), established five new preschools in the Penan settlement area of the Apoh-Tutoh region in the Baram District.
The other three preschools were built in Long Kawa, Long Leng, and Ba Selulong, all within a 100 km radius of Long Jenalong. The construction of the preschools was completed in 2020 for RM2.75 million.
The schools are now operated by Sedidik Sdn Bhd, an agency under the Sarawak Ministry of Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development.
With the establishment of the five new kindergartens, Penan children in the Apoh-Tutoh region can now stay in their respective villages with their families.
“We no longer need to send our children to boarding schools far from our homes to receive early childhood education,” said Long Karangan village chief, Ajang Pen.
