“I want to be a good example for the younger Orang Asli generation,” said Izam, a young recipient of pre-school education in Kampung Sungai Bil, Perak that was made possible by SUKA Society, or Persatuan Kebajikan Suara Kanak-kanak Malaysia (SUKA).

Thanks to SUKA, Izam and his four-year-old brother have come a long way with their education and overall self development. The pair are among many Orang Asli children who have benefitted from the NGO’s Empowered 2 Teach programme.

It is, however, an uphill battle for SUKA.

According to the 2020 journal, ‘The Struggle of Orang Asli In Education’, the main factors behind illiteracy of Orang Asli children are the lack of education among their parents and the lack of access to schools.

In fact, 2007’s statistics from Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) reported that 7,029 indigenous children in Peninsular Malaysia have never been to school.

Furthermore, factors such as discrimination, social exclusion and poverty also fuel the illiteracy rate among the community, leading to a lack of resources and opportunities.

But SUKA is determined to persevere against all odds, according to Sarah Teo, the senior manager of the society.

“It is very important to us that the children grow up feeling proud of their unique culture and heritage. We hope that our efforts will help preserve their unique culture, heritage and language for many generations to come,” said Teo.

As such, a key feature of the programme is the preservation of the community’s various ‘Bahasa Ibunda’ (mother tongues) such as Semai, Temiar and Jakun.

Ultimately, through programmes such as Empowered 2 Teach, SUKA aims to provide training, support and resources for indigenous communities to start their own pre-school education classes within their rural villages.

In addition to uplifting the quality of life of Orang Asli children, SUKA also offers assistance to refugee children and survivors of human trafficking such as 15-year-old Raj (not his real name).

“My father told me that if we had left the house five minutes later, we would’ve been murdered, just like my grandmother. All the houses in our community were also burned down during the massacre”, said Raj as he recalled the tragedy he faced back in his Asian homeland.

Today, thanks to SUKA’s efforts, he has access to basic healthcare and education as well.

In these situations, SUKA implements case management and community placement by assessing the needs of refugee children before placing them under the care of refugee foster families.

SUKA also adopts a similar approach with victims of human trafficking.

“I was forced to wake up daily at 5am and I had to clean the entire house. If anything was amiss, Khatijah would hit me”, said 18-year-old Intan (not her real name).

Intan used to live with her grandfather in Sabah but was misled by a relative of hers to move to Johor, all on the pretence of securing a new job that would improve the life of Intan’s family.

With the help of SUKA, victims such as Intan are rescued and given therapy at government protection shelters. Through SUKA’s involvement, kids like Intan soon find their feet once again.

However, like any other organisation, SUKA is also reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and as such, their profound work to help less fortunate kids has been affected.

“We are not able to access the shelters during the lockdown period and are unable to run therapy programmes to help survivors deal with their trauma and stress. At the moment, we are working on moving these programmes online.”

SUKA usually raises funds through individual donors, corporate sponsorship programmes and grants.

“People who understand our work also believe in the cause behind our programmes and are very supportive. Donors and supporters are the real reason why we are able to continue protecting and preserving the best interests of children for the past decade”, Teo told FMT.

As the current movement control order continues to stunt SUKA’s efforts, regular donations have also come to a dismal halt, as some benefactors face financial strain.

SUKA is currently sourcing for food and supplies to aid refugee children. The NGO is also looking to continue sponsoring Orang Asli students so they can receive continuous education even during the pandemic.

If you wish to help SUKA, do reach out to them at [email protected]. You can also send in your donations directly here, or use your Touch ‘n Go e-wallet to contribute by scanning the QR code below.

Do visit their website and FB page to learn more about their excellent work.