NST story on Asrama Donni Official Opening

[url=http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20100419143303/Article/index_html]NST Online Better environment with new dorm[/url]

Better environment with new Donni dorm

2010/04/19

By Edmund Samunting
newsnst [dot] com [dot] my

KIULU: Eighteen-year-old Juanson Moidin was a happy boy yesterday. He had been looking forward to this day for 14 months.

“This is a nice dormitory. It is very beautiful,” he said as he stepped into his new bedroom.

He and 72 other schoolmates will be able to sleep comfortably, thanks to the completion of Asrama Donni, located about 60km from Kota Kinabalu.

Juanson of Kampung Pahung here, said he and a few friends used to walk six hours from their homes to school at least once a week.

“On Sundays, I and a group of friends would meet up and start our 60km walk through gravel roads to the school.” At least we won’t feel bored during the 60km walk.”

But living in the school dormitory is not a bed of roses as he has to share a room with at least 16 others who also come from far-flung villages.

“Some of us would also be carrying a week-long food ration, or sometimes food items that would last for a month.”

But Asrama Donni, which can accommodate up to 100 students, has changed all that.

Juanson said he would now be able to enjoy a more comfortable environment to study, especially with the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination a few months away.

His classmate, Hezron Jikin, said that since shifting to Asrama Donni, their former dormitory now housed female students.

“Our dorm used to be just next to the girl’s dormitory. But with the completion of Asrama Donni, more students from far-flung villages can enjoy the facility,” he said.

The two said it was an honour to stay in Asrama Donni, which was named in honour of Donni John Duin, an 11-year-old boy from Kinarut who took his life to relieve the predicament that his family was in.

“We were told about his story by the school’s Parent-Teacher Association chairman, Joinsin Romut.

“It is a tragedy. But we are determined to relive his dream, to help others and we can do that by playing brothers to the younger students in this school,” said Hezron.

Asrama Donni is the brainchild of Killerbatch, the third intake of Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Kulim in Kedah, with the collaboration of the Sabah Credit Corporation and supported by the Yayasan Tun Ahmadshah (YTA).

Dubbed “Kulim to Kiulu”, the project is aimed at lessening the burden of students from the district who have difficulty travelling to and fro school daily.

Killerbatch representative, Hasnan Jamaluddin, said the dormitory was built to remind everyone that the tragedy that struck Donni’s family should never have happen.

“The students staying at Asrama Donni do not have to walk for hours anymore.
“It lessens the concern that the rural students here need to face, and is a stronger foothold that they can stand on to face the challenges of their lives tomorrow,” he said during the official handing over of the dormitory to the school.”

Former MRSM Kulim teacher, Teh Sarifuddin, represented the Killerbatch to hand over the mock key to Joinsin during a ceremony yesterday.

Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah, who is also the YTA patron, was present.

According to Hasnan, when the project was mooted by Killerbatch chairman Raja Ali Raja Othman about 14 months back, they thought it was impossible to make their wish a reality.

“We learned about what happened to Donni. We were very touched by his story and thought that something can be done to help the less fortunate children here.

“It is clear that poverty is an enemy we must eradicate.”

Hasnan thanked their sponsors and those who came forward to make this project
possible.

“In total, we raised RM344,855 to construct and furnish the dormitory,” said Hasnan.

“Our endeavour in helping fellow Malaysians from as far as Sabah is testimony that acts of humanity transcend racial, religious and geographical boundaries.
It goes to show that the spirit of 1Malaysia is well and alive in all of us.”