Kota Kinabalu: The Kinabalu Internation School (KIS) donated RM20,200 to Sr Dorothy Amalia Laudi of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, to aid the repairs and recovery of the kindergartens damaged during the recent Paitan floods.
Tadika Harmoni, located in Kg Sulit, is the central kindergarten for all seven private institutions under Sr Dorothy’s care, and among the ones devastated by the floods.
“The flood occurred during the one-week school holiday, so I was all alone. I tried my best to save what I could before the water rose,” Sr Dorothy said during the Flood Relief Donation Presentation on Tuesday.
She said this was the first time in her 22 years of service to have experienced a flood where the water reached chest height, as previous floods only affected the surrounding areas.
“Furniture like desks, chairs, cupboards and bookshelves were completely destroyed. The water damage rendered most items unusable, turning them into waste,” she said.
Food supplies stored in the kindergarten were also destroyed, including food meant for distribution across kindergartens.
Despite the losses, Sr Dorothy said classes are still ongoing and students and teachers are relying on very limited resources, as they have lost access to reference materials or books which severely impacts their learning.
“Our most urgent needs are books, bookshelves, tables, stationery and other teaching aids,” she stressed, adding that monetary donations are preferred in order to ensure the appropriate material is purchased.
Sr Dorothy had been serving in Paitan since 2005, after completing her studies at the Edith Cowen University in Perth.
From there, she went on to found seven kindergartens located in seven villages as well as hostels for older students.
Each kindergarten serves an average of 20 to 30 students, with two teachers looking after them mostly recruited from local communities.
The kindergartens not only provide education for children but also employment opportunities for local women.
Meanwhile, KIS Principal Sam Gipson emphasised that the school’s approach to charity is not about one-time donations, but long-term, sustainable involvement with the communities they support.
“A core part of what we do as a school is service learning, where the primary goal is to provide meaningful assistance, but equally important is ensuring that students learn valuable life skills and develop a sense of social responsibility,” he said.
He explained that the school came together to raise the funds presented earlier, with charity donations from the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the student council, who encouraged the students to donate through implemented school activities.
Through this initiative, he hopes that the school and the kindergarten network will continue to develop its relationship, aiming to become a long-lasting partnership between both parties.
