As we appreciate all the teachers that have made a difference this May 16th, we also remember the children who might not have the same opportunities and access to education, as ours do. You too could make a difference by volunteering your time and commitment. This Teacher’s Day, we have listed the following 8 places where you can volunteer to teach:
1. Rumah Ilham or Yayasan Anak-Anak Yatim Pinggir TTDI
Rumah Ilham or Yayasan Anak-Anak Yatim Pinggir TTDI takes in young, underprivileged boys, and tries to provide the best care possible; from ferrying all the boys to the nearby local schools, hiring a nutritionist to help them provide daily nutritious meals, and providing additional tutoring when needed. For the past 4 years, a group of volunteers have been running weekly English tutoring program, every Tuesday and Friday evenings.
Website: https://www.anakyatimttdi.com.my
2. SUKA Society
Photo Credit: SUKA Society
Only 6 in 100 Orang Asli children entering Standard 1 will graduate 11 years later. To change this, Persatuan Kebajikan Suara Kanak-Kanak Malaysia or SUKA Society‘s initiative, Empowered2Teach, provides English training and equipment for Orang Asli teachers to teach their own. As a volunteer, you will be assisting in training the teachers. They currently support 6 pre-schools located across Perak and Kelantan. Besides helping the indigenous community, you could also teach at refugee community-based learning centres.
Website:Â http://www.sukasociety.org
3. Yayasan Generasi Gemilang (GG)
Yayasan Generasi Gemilang aims to help families break out of the poverty cycle by improving access to quality education, providing support to families, and helping kids stay in school. You could try volunteering under the many different programs they run, on weekdays or weekends. The Yayasan is not only providing tutoring in English and Maths. They also provide life skills, such as financial and computer literacy, and run mentoring programs for older kids. Volunteers must be 13 and above (those below 18 would need to get parent/guardian consent before volunteering).
Website: https://www.gengemilang.org
4. Chin Student Organization (CSO)
Photo Credit: Chin Student Organisation
Refugees do not have access to Malaysian public schools. Formed in 2005 by students from Myanmar, Chin Student Organization (CSO) aims to provide the Chin community access to education, while promoting their own culture and keeping children off the streets. They are currently educating 500 children, aged between 4-17 years, in 5 learning centres. You could volunteer to teach English, Maths and Science, with each lesson typically running for an hour. You do not need previous training to teach, just commitment and willingness to help.
Website: http://www.csomalaysia.org/
5. MY Readers
Photo Credit: Â MY Readers
More than 50% of Malaysian students are not proficient enough in reading. Founded in 2016, MY Readers provide literacy toolkits that aim to help children develop their reading skills within a year. They currently host literacy programs for children within the community of Kerinchi and Pekan Batu PPR flats. Classes run for an hour or two and on every other Saturday. You could sign up here.
Website: Â http://www.myreaders.org.my
6. Buku Jalanan Chow Kit (BJCK)
Photo Credit: Buku Jalanan Chow Kit
Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Buku Jalanan Chow Kit (BJCK) started with lessons for the local children behind shop lots, and on the street. BJCK now operates inside a shop lot along Lorong Haji Taib 1. This is where they provide free education for stateless children and the urban poor. Volunteering with BJCK involves tutoring and assisting children with their school work. Their program runs every Friday and Sunday nights from 8.30PM to 10:30 PM.
Website: www.bukujalananchowkit.org
7. Mitra Enrichment Organization
With a goal to equip the urban poor with skills and vocational studies, Mitra Enrichment Organization runs weekly tutoring at Sekolah Kebangsaan (2) in Petaling Jaya. Volunteers teach Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics and Science every other Saturday for 3 hours. Besides tutoring, they also run, in partnership with Malaysian Medics International and Teddy Mobile Clinic, programs on basic healthcare, such as first aid and dental hygiene.
Website: https://mitraenrichmentorganization.org
8. SHELTER
SHELTER provides a safe environment for abused, abandoned, neglected or at-risk children. They currently operate in 3 shelters, located around Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. Children in these homes either attend the national school, or learn through a homeschooling program. Their ‘Need List’ provides an overview of all volunteering opportunities. Core subjects, third languages, vocational skills, and sports are some of the areas that volunteers could help teach.
Website: http://shelterhome.org
Happy Teacher’s Day 2019 and #terimakasihcikgu !
