One Small Step, a Whole Lot of Possibilities

One small step, a whole lot of possibilities

In May 2022, we kick-started the 4th group of the e-English Enrichment class amongst a small group of Rohingya children in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur. During the previous year’s MCO period, a small group of us tested a block of the e-English Enrichment course online with a group of students in Kapit, Sarawak. The pilot project was very well received and produced encouraging results.

Although online learning itself is nothing new, the real key lies in getting to the ground and reaching out to marginalised student groups who need assistance in improving their English language competency.

The programme focuses on three key areas:

• Ability to read

• Ability to comprehend

• Ability to speak

As these three concentric circles begin to integrate at the centre, the students’ level of language competency improves significantly.

Since that initial pilot project, we have expanded to four different groups in the programme, involving more than 30 students altogether:

• 2 groups in Kapit, Sarawak

• 1 group in Kudat, Sabah

• 1 group in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur

In the pipeline, there are already a number of interested groups waiting for us to roll out the programme in other parts of the country

What makes this programme possible is that it only requires three simple and easily available infrastructures:

• Internet service

• Electronic tablets (or even smartphones)

• Earphones

For us, it is simply about daring to do it — and getting onto the ground to meet the needs of these communities.

Classes can be conducted in all sorts of environments: private homes, community centres, or even open-air spaces. The programme is also not age-specific, as students are grouped according to their competency level in the language.

As I quietly observed online how the Gombak class began one hot and humid Friday afternoon, I was amazed to see these children sitting together on the floor outside the verandah of a kampung house. Yet within that short one-and-a-half-hour lesson, it was encouraging to see how quickly they adapted to the electronic gadgets and interactive apps used in the programme.

Dare to dream… perhaps some of these children may one day become successful individuals in the public and private sectors across different parts of the world — all because someone cared enough to do something positive for them when they were unable to help themselves.

The reach and possibilities of online learning are endless, and we are excited about what lies ahead. There are already more ideas in the pipeline as we continue exploring ways to help bridge marginalised communities and people groups into the fast-changing realities of the 21st century.

And I remain excited about the possibilities!!!

(Originally written by the late Mr Ho Cheng Leong, founding member of Compassi Berhad, whose passion for community development and unity continues to inspire our work today.)