Speak Up! in Curtin University

The Story

Sabah and Sarawak are two of the more underdeveloped states in Malaysia, as such, the people here do not have much opportunities in terms of education compared to Peninsular Malaysia. And as we all know, education plays an important role in deciding a person's future. The reality is that even though a person may possess a degree or higher, if they lack English speaking skills, their chances of getting hired decreases drastically. Because of these, this project, which is Speak Up! in Curtin University aims to encourage the youth of Sabah and Sarawak to speak more English, and speak it more confidently. How? We do this by bringing in foreign volunteers to teach and interact with the students in the school for 6 weeks, teaching each other about their respective countries and cultures, conversing with the students in English, and letting the young people know that the world is full of opportunities waiting for them to explore. I witnessed with my own eyes how the students here light up with happiness and excitement when the volunteers arrived at the school compound, and how eager and sporting all the parties that are involved in this project, determined to bring change to the school and to the students. I sincerely believe that developing the youth of Malaysia is vital in making our home country one that we can be proud of. But for this to happen, we at Speak Up! in Curtin University as well as students of Sabah and Sarawak needs your help to make this happen. We all truly thank you for your contribution and hope that the collective effort of all the Speak Up! projects in Malaysia can be witnessed by you.

Thank you!