Introducing; The Kayans and Penans

I have been working for people in Malaysia irrespective of race, religion or creed. Or at least that is how I believe things should have been except for continual racist remarks that comes out more often than late. Anyway, just want to introduce you to Malaysians who are most 'asli' to the land but are poor and kinda neglected. These are bread and butter issues, not about supremacy. Its about educating their children and doing better than the previous generations. The Kayans and Penans of Sarawak.

Miri

5 hours on bone breaker 4 wheel drive where logging roads are better than "Satu lagi project Barisan National " roads. The driver said that the roads are still not done since he was 14 years old. And the new electricity lines were put up but no 'karen/current' just before the general election. Here we are, at the only toilet place.

Tell me, are these pribumis rich, or adequate?

Am doing the Backstreet boys thingie in walking slowly. Going down to the village to say hi.

Start of with the games! I can give instruction in English, means that the kids are educated well .. or they are trying their best in limited resources.
100 over kids attended the camp.

It is amazing that the kids went back to take their lunch and proceeded to finish up their homework with gusto. So much dedication ( kiasuness.. hahah ) but showed their discipline. Very impressed.

And we taught the teachers how to be creative in attracting their students in the classes.
She is 4 years old. Another crooner in the future. She only spoke Kayan language.

Steve is only 4, and doing solo to a song.. in front of 200 people. Wow!

After another solid lunch, we were sent off by a percentage of the villagers. I do miss them.

At another village, we were treated to 'on-the-spot' coconut juice.

Could have done with a better focus. Anyway, I was adopted with the name of Agan Yusop. Agan is a Kelabit name for 'sound of prayer". Mrs Yusop in the middle, and Caroline, Cecilia and Clinton.

These people have tough life surviving the hike of cost of living. We are going to donate some monies for one kampung to buy a grass cutter. And have donated monies to a Penan settlement which was razed by fire. If the Dams are build, i guess scenes like this will be things of past.