Noah Immanuel Tommy has always been a conscientious pupil who did well in his studies – until the COVID-19 pandemic forced several lockdowns and his school’s closure.
Noah lives in a remote village in the East Malaysian state of Sabah where poverty stands out, and internet connectivity is virtually non-existent. Unfortunately, the inadequacies also meant that the 12-year-old – and hundreds of school-going children like him – did not have the luxury of online learning to continue their studies.
For more than two years, especially at the height of the lockdowns, the only option for many rural Sabah families was to travel a considerable distance to schools to collect learning materials and worksheets for their children.
Noah struggled to keep up with his lessons because of the prolonged disruptions – until NGO Good Shepherd Services (GSS) initiated an academic support programme for children in the isolated Kiulu sub-district.
RYTHM Foundation, the social impact arm of the QI Group, has partnered with GSS to support the after-school classes for 10- to 12-year-olds – as well as youth and women’s entrepreneurial endeavours – through the Foundation’s first Community Adoption Programme (CAP) in the state.
The three-year collaboration focuses on improving the lives of folks in three villages – Kampung Lokub, Kampung Ratau, and Kampung Talantang.
Also read: Community Adoption Programme In Sabah Leads Off With Academic, Youth Empowerment Facets
Noah said, “I love attending the tuition classes because they are helping me understand certain subjects better and get better results in my exams. In addition, I have learnt many new things since attending the additional classes.”
The Sekolah Kebangsaan Lokub pupil said he better understood science variables and math prime numbers since participating in the extra classes. “Although I am learning about these in school, the approach by the tuition teachers is different. So, with the tuition classes, I have a new way of learning the subjects,” Noah added.
Noah listed Science, Mathematics and Bahasa Malaysia as his favourite subjects. “I love these subjects because they are fascinating.
“I am thankful to RYTHM Foundation and Good Shepherd Services for the extra lessons because the classes have helped me quickly understand them,” the tween, who dreams of joining the police force after he completes his education, added.
