Kuala Monsok, Monsok Tengah, Monsok Ulu, Monsokito, Monsorulung

British Students - Monsok cultural experience
Isnin, 10 Ogos 2009

TAMBUNAN: To raise £2,000 to £3,000 (about RM16,000) within 18 months may not sound that difficult but what if those raising it are not working adults but primary school pupils?

Well that was what some 100 students from Britain had to go through — 18 months of

fund-raising and community work to raise enough money before they could make the

once-in-a-life-time trip to Sabah as part of their study programme.

From June 29 to July 28, about 100 students and their teachers from England, Scotland and Wales were in Sabah as part of their four-week outward-bound activities to gain knowledge and experience the life and culture of the local people.

The programme offered the students a vast range of experiences including the teaching of English to some villagers in Kampung Kuala Monsok, Kampung Bondulu and Kampung Sukong.

“The programme, offered by some of the schools in Europe such as Wakefield Grammar School Foundation, from the United Kingdom, and Douglas Academy, from Scotland, had given students an opportunity to gain self-confidence and experience in a new country, such as Sabah,” said Sabah Homestay Programme Associate cum Tambunan Village Homestay Coordinator Joanna Kitingan recently.

After four weeks in Tambunan, the students finally bid farewell to their host family, friends and villagers as they prepared to head back home.

Maxwell, MacShessery, Hughes and their fellow

students Ghram Reie, Alice Mekay and Ghram Reay all said they would come back to Sabah, especially to Tambunan to visit their host families who had been kind and generous in welcoming them into their homes for 29 days.

Upon arrival, the students were divided into nine groups and stayed with some local families at Kg Kuala Monsok, Kg Bondulu and Kg Sukong for one to two weeks.

Expedition leader, Jo Solomon, 26, from the Outlook Expedition, United Kingdom (UK) said the programme would enhance the students’ practical skills, knowledge and experience, which would help them when they enter the working environment after school is over.

“The programme also allows the students to study for a vocational qualification,” she said.

Solomon said while in Sabah, the students should do community work such as teaching English to local children, decorating and painting classrooms and community halls.

“They come to experience the life of the locals and the knowledge and experience will be meaningful for when they return home,” she said.

Rebecca Jennings, 16, a student from Wakefield Grammar School Foundation, said her best experience during the programme was making new friends and learning the culture and way of life of Sabahans.

“Everybody was so friendly and we instantly felt welcome. We had a great time and everybody was involved in helping the community and our host family.

“There was not much language barrier as almost everybody we met spoke English,” she said.

The best experience for Saumya Singh, 16, was learning how to survive in the jungle.

Also from the UK, Singh said she first thought Borneo was merely a jungle with not much development.

“But I was wrong. Sabah has so many high buildings, tourists attractions, resorts as well as beautiful rivers.

“I really like this country and would come back to visit Sabah again in the future,” she said.

Meanwhile, Greg Maxwell, 16, a student from Douglas Academy, Scotland said the experience had taught him to appreciate other peoples’ cultures and beliefs.

As the cultures and ways of life of Scotland and Malaysia were different, Maxwell said it had broadened his thinking and defined new things that he had never experienced before.

“The culture here is so much different than back home. For example, here in Sabah we were required to take off our shoes before entering someone’s house.

“But back home, we just walk in with our shoes, so that is something different,” he said.

Rebbeca MacShessery, 18, also agreed with Maxwell that the culture between both countries were very different.

“The people in Sabah do not seem to be in any hurry at all. They take things easy. In Scotland people are always in a hurry to get to their destination,” she said.

For Caiflin Hughes, 17, she instantly felt welcome when she first arrived at Tambunan where the children came running up to greet them.

She said some children even helped to carry their bags while others were walking beside their new visitors.

After four weeks in Tambunan, the students finally bid farewell to their host family, friends and villagers as they prepared to head back home.

Maxwell, MacShessery, Hughes and their fellow students, Ghram Reie, Alice Mekay and Ghram Reay, all said that they would come back to Sabah, especially to Tambunan to visit their host families who had been kind and generous in welcoming them into their homes for 29 days.

source:mysarawak.org

Posted bykmonsok at 11:07 PTG  

Labels: berita monsok, British Tourist, monsok di mata dunia, tourism

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