Children reading in their new mini library.
‘KAKAK, until what time will you be here so I can still read these books?” asked a five-year-old girl in Sabah’s rural northern Kota Marudu district.
The girl was among dozens of children who turned up at their new mini library that was set up by members of the Unduk Ngadau Sabah Association in Kg Tikalod, about 140km from the state capital, earlier July.
For these children, such books are hard to find as their parents cannot afford to buy them.
“These books will be here for all of you to read whenever you want, but you have to return them to these shelves after reading and take good care of them at all times,” said association treasurer Mandy Nandu.
The state Unduk Ngadau 2005 (Harvest Queen) and Miss Earth Malaysia 2009 said it warms her heart to see the children smile when they are told that the books are there to stay.
It never crossed her mind that they would be so happy and excited to read, because most children today prefer gadgets over books.
It is these little moments of joy that makes them want to do more for society and communities in the rural areas, said Mandy, a mother of three.
She sees the children getting one book after another, looking at the pictures in them, and asking association members how to read and what some words mean, just like what her own children would do at home.
“Children are actually very simple people. They are very much happy even with little things such as picture books. We just need to guide them and give them the opportunity to enjoy these little things in life,” she said.
Mandy said the programme, themed Rural Outreach Education Enrichment, was held from July 14 to July 16, was a collaboration with PG 4x4 Kota Marudu led by Johnny Mausai. Among others, it aims to foster education and community development in underserved areas.
The books were from the Sabah State Library, from association members and other sponsors while the book shelves were donated by other sponsors, she said.
“For this programme, our initiative was to create a lasting impact by establishing mini libraries in three localities – Kampung Sonsogon Magandai, Kampung Sonsogon Tikalod and Kampung Sonsogon Paliu,” Mandy said.
By building mini libraries, they aim to provide a platform where community members, particularly children, can access books and educational resources.
The mini libraries will also serve as learning spaces, encouraging reading habit and expanding knowledge horizons.
During their trip there, they visited the village’s only school, SK Magandai Sonsogon, and delivered two laptop computers from sponsors to the school’s high performance students as well as colouring books and crayons to the children there.
“Education is the future, and no one should be left behind.” Mandy said this is a motto that members of the Unduk Ngadau Sabah Association live by and try to promote when carrying out their outreach programmes.
Mandy said the association members also took time to conduct traditional beads jewellery-making activities in Kg Sonsogon.
This was to promote creativity and offer opportunities for Sonsogon and its villagers and empower women to revive their cultural heritage.
The association also took the initiative to document unique local traditional cultures and heritage, such as the Dusun women’s attire of Kg Sonsogon, Mandy said.
