COURAGEOUS COUPLE (PART 2)
By Christopher Quah
Continued from Courageous Couple part 1.
Brief info about hostels in Sabah:
Children living in the rural areas often have to travel a long way to get to school. Some live as far as three hours walk away and getting to the nearest school on a daily basis becomes a tiresome feat. Statistics show that children from rural areas are twice as likely to dropout or not attend school as children from urban areas. This leaves them without literacy or numeracy skills that is essential for their careers.
As part of Starfish Malaysia Foundation’s effort to provide education access to all, we have built and is now operating hostels in the north part of Sabah. These hostels are separate from the schools and they are located within minutes from local schools. They provide a safe, wholesome and conducive environment for students to develop and thrive in their studies. We currently have five (5) hostels in Kota Marudu, Pitas and Kudat districts.
6. When you first started what were the challenges you faced with the students staying in the hostel in Sabah?
The first challenge is gaining trust from the students. Many of them come with different baggage’s (especially the secondary school students) – and in order to walk with them for the long haul, we need to build trust and gain the privilege to speak into their lives. We also had to deal with various discipline and character issues and further to that, it about instilling a love for God and helping them see they have the potential to craft a brighter future for themselves. The challenges are an endless list, but essentially, they are people to be loved.
7. Was it easy to manage a hostel? Could you tell us a bit on how God provided the finances for you to build them?
Wardens aka houseparent’s are the bedrock of our hostels. They make or break the hostel because they are there 24/7. They are all native Sabahans who have a heart to serve. We put a lot of effort in training, building trust and developing our wardens and that has been essential in our expansion. When we first started, we had one hostel and in 2 years, we added 4 additional hostels to the mix. Financially, God brought along various supporters and donors who believed in the Foundation’s vision and decided to chip in. The Foundation’s director also knew of Christian contractors who build and renovated the hostels at cost. This faith journey is about putting things into motion, without action, miracles cannot take place.
8. Tell us some of testimonies and lives that have been changed through the years.
We have a few Cambodian girls who graduated and is now serving in local NGO’s fighting for good causes and speaking up for people who don’t have a voice. We have had students expressing their gratitude and joy because they are able to read and write now. When we hear testimonies like these, we are reminded that our life is a privilege and we need to make it count.
Our students in Sabah who use to live on packets of Maggi Mee now have 3 nutritious meals on a daily basis. We also recently sent a student to Kuala Lumpur to further her studies in baking and culinary skills because it is her dream to become a baker.
Through the book that God led Deb to write, “Live to Last”, it has impacted and inspired many to make a difference in their own circle of influence and find their purpose in life. It was a timely read for someone who was on her brink of death and it challenged another to go into full-time ministry.
Our volunteer program called Short Term Operation Relief Mission (STORM) has changed lives for the better. A number of our volunteers gave their life to Jesus as a result of their experience in the mission field and the friendships they made in the field. The testimonies are endless, of God’s faithfulness and power. One thing is true – just put yourself out there for Christ and He will show up.
9. If any of the readers would like to do such work like yours what advise would you give them? What should they prepare for? The concerns young readers might face, such as no WiFi, etc.
Before you dive deep into this seemingly ‘novel’ work, ask ourselves, what are your intentions of going and doing? Once you have your heart right, though the challenges may come, you will be able to face it. Prepare yourself spiritually because this is spiritual battleground. Be prepared for discomfort because you are stepping out of your normal and be always humble and teachable to un-learn and re-learn a lot of things.
10. What are your future plans for expansion? Will you be building hostels and education centres in other villages?
There are some plans in the near future and it will be focused on the next generation of native Sabahans in rural areas. We want to see continuity and sustainability in our work and therefore, the plan is not just to expand but to grow in depth, that means strengthening and developing our existing team and work that God has entrusted to us.
11. What would you like to say to encourage those who would want to come over and volunteer and help about ?
There are various ways to experience and be part of the work in Sabah. We have a Sponsor-A-Student program at http://www.starfishmy.com/sponsor/ where sponsors can directly impact young lives living in our hostels through this monthly sponsorship program. Our STORM volunteering program is specifically designed for youth and young adults where they learn about missions and lend their time and expertise to helping our students. Volunteers spend a minimum of 10 days fully immersed in a new environment.
Get in touch with us at terence@starfishmy.com or deborah@starfishmy.com to explore possible partnerships or know more about the work in Sabah. You can also get a copy of Deb’s book, “Live to Last” at www.livetolastbook.com
