Beacon of hope for stateless children in Sabah

EDUCATOR Marilou Chin felt compelled to take action after seeing countless stateless Filipino children in Sabah without access to education.

She established Stairway to Hope in 2012, a learning centre dedicated to providing these children with the opportunity to study.

Located in Inanam, Kota Kinabalu, Stairway to Hope serves as an alternative school for Filipino children who are unable to attend school in Sabah as they are not citizens, even though some of them were born in Sabah.

“Regardless of their status, they should not be denied the right to an education. That’s why I set up Stairway to Hope, to ensure they at least receive some basic education,” said the 66-year-old Chin, who is married to a retired engineer from Sabah.

Sabah has about 30,000 undocumented Filipino children without access to education.

At the learning centre, young Filipinos aged seven to 16, some of whom are illiterate, learn to read and write, English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Mathematics.

Chin recalled the numerous challenges she faced in establishing the centre. Her permit was rejected several times by the state Education Department, and she was threatened with hefty fines and closure. In 2019, Chin was accused of running an illicit learning centre.

“I questioned one of the officers at the time whether educating children was a crime,” she said.

Despite these obstacles, Chin’s perseverance paid off. Her learning centre was eventually granted a tuition centre licence, allowing her teachers to continue conducting lessons to this day.

Stairway to Hope has 280 students, 18 teachers, and a principal, operating on a monthly budget of RM26,000. The centre has six classrooms, a computer laboratory, a science laboratory, and a canteen. Initially, the learning centre operated out of the private home of a village chief near Inanam in June 2012, catering to about 20 pupils.

Many parents are struggling to afford the RM130 fee simply because they do not have jobs. "They do not have work passes or are unable to renew their IMM13 document, which was discontinued in 2013," Chin said.

Chin was disturbed to see many of these children grow up without adult supervision, becoming involved in crime, drugs, or taking on menial jobs to survive.

“This makes our centre even more crucial. These children can receive basic education and avoid becoming societal nuisances,” she said.

In addition to basic education, Chin ensures the children learn soft skills such as basket weaving, cooking, and baking. They are also taught computer skills to aid in future employment.

She shared that a few students from the first batch of graduates have returned to the Philippines to further their studies. One of them, Normawati Kasim, is now in her fourth year of obtaining a nursing degree at the University De Zamboanga.

“We are giving these children the chance to live better lives through education. There is no better way,” said Chin.

Part of the funding for Stairway to Hope comes from the Philippines Education Department under a five-year contract to run the centre. They also welcome donations as they are dealing with underprivileged children from poor families who are struggling to send their children to the centre.

Chin received the Banaag Award in 2016 from Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte for her efforts to establish the Stairway to Hope Alternative Learning Centre. – June 29, 2024.