Well-deserved honour: Kurup presenting Sister Dorothy her award. With them are (from left) Macrokiosk co-founder and chief operating officer Henry Goh and Kenny.
Nun dedicates her life to early childhood education to break the cycle of poverty
KOTA KINABALU: She has dedicated her life to nurturing the youngest shoots, and now Sister Dorothy Amalia Laudi, dubbed the “petite nun with a big heart”, has been recognised for tirelessly educating underprivileged children in rural Sabah.
Her dedication to running 12 kindergartens in Paitan and Pensiangan earned her the National Press Club (NPC) - Macrokiosk Muhibbah Award for October.
She was the unanimous choice of the seven media editors on the judging panel.
The Order of Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC) nun received the award from Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup earlier this week.Kurup said Sister Dorothy’s mission in Sabah is a powerful reminder of how education can transform lives and uplift communities.
“As the MP for Pensiangan, I fully understand the challenges faced by the rakyat in remote areas. Her efforts to provide preschool education in under-served areas are truly admirable.
“By recognising her with this award, NPC and Macrokiosk are highlighting the importance of supporting initiatives that break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to families in need,” he added.
Sister Dorothy said she was deeply touched by the recognition and vouched to continue her mission to help educate the poorest of Sabahans in the deep interior of the state.
“This is what the muhibbah spirit is to me,” she said, adding that the 12 kindergartens now have a total enrolment of 156 children aged four to six.
The native of Tambunan graduated from Edith Cowan University in Perth with a degree in early childhood education in 2005. She was posted to remote Paitan to run mission kindergartens.
She was instrumental in establishing eight mission kindergartens in one of the remotest parts of the state and today, she has 12 kindergartens – eight in Paitan and one each in Kota Marudu, Tambunan, Keningau and Pensiangan.
“The kindergartens would not have been a reality if not for the generosity of individuals and civil society groups,” she said, adding that funds for teachers’ salaries, school equipment, and petrol for boats that ferry pupils daily are raised through donations.
“Half my teaching staff are sent to college to become qualified kindergarten teachers. They also train the other teachers.”
All the teachers, she added, are registered with the Education Department.
Sister Dorothy said many of the children there are from very poor families.
“Their parents can’t even afford to send them to school. As a result, many are trapped and married off at a young age to reduce the financial burden on their families,” she said.
“If they can get a good early education, they will have no problem going through primary and secondary school.
“Hopefully, we can give them a shot at life and break the cycle of poverty.”
Last year, NPC, together with enterprise solutions platform provider Macrokiosk, launched the Muhibbah Awards to recognise any individual, group or organisation that best exemplifies the true spirit of muhibbah in Malaysia.
NPC president Datuk Ahirudin Attan said Sister Dorothy was the most deserving nominee for October as she has consistently displayed the spirit of muhibbah, believing that all children have a right to education regardless of economic status or however remote their homes are.
“We hope that the Muhibbah Award will draw more attention to her noble cause as she obviously needs a lot more help than what she has been receiving,” he said.
Macrokiosk co-founder and chief executive officer Datuk Kenny Goh described Sister Dorothy’s mission to bring love, joy and hope to the poverty-stricken children as “an extraordinary act of compassion” that has been ongoing for over 19 years.
“Her selfless acts of kindness exemplify the muhibbah spirit that we, as Malaysians, hold dear.
“Her unwavering passion for education and commitment to uplifting these poverty-stricken children’s lives is commendable,” he said.
The NPC-Macrokiosk Muhibbah Award carries a cash prize of RM2,000 and a certificate.
Those who wish to contribute to the FSIC Needy Children Education Fund may donate via Maybank (account number 510143082167) or text her at +6016-803 0237 for further details.
She may be able to accept phone calls wherever there is cellphone service in the interior.
