Barefoot Mercy

A new photo from our paddy-planting friends in Long Semadoh. Wishing all a Happy New Year like these fields of gold, ripe with promise and potential - a fresh start for all good things in the new year. ☀️

It takes almost a full day to reach the Penan jungle preschool of Long Lamam. A journey that winds through rivers, mud tracks and silence - to a place that does not even exist on Google Maps. But it exists. For the Penan children, it exists as their first glimpse of education. Their first encounter with structure, routine and possibility. Long before classrooms, there were only forests. Yet in 2017, hope took root - a proper school was built in the heart of the jungle, offering these children not just lessons, but a foretaste of a different future. By 2020, this vision grew into a complete learning sanctuary - with a boarding facility, dining hall, kitchen and proper toilets. A space where children could sleep safely, eat and learn. This is not just a school. This is a bridge between isolation and opportunity. A quiet declaration that every child, no matter how remote, matters. Long Lamam may not appear on the world’s digital maps, but it is deeply etched in the lives of the Penan children who now dare to dream. This is where, one of WOI’s speakers, Lim Siok Hong has poured herself into - education for the Penan children. This was not achieved alone. It was born from alignment, collaboration and shared belief between passionate individuals and another NGO who understood one simple truth. That is - to truly uplift communities, we must learn to walk, build and grow together. We do better together than alone. #woi #speakers #bettertogether #upliftothers #jungleschool #penans #preschool

Wonderful to see our partner in , Mdm Lim Siok Hong get her moment in the limelight, sharing how she started PPP Orang Pribumi and Tadika Pawah. The stories of all the other gentle but steadfast souls in the Women of Impact Sarawak conference last Saturday were equally powerful and inspiring. What a wonderful celebration of our everyday heroines!

Penan preschoolers in Tadika Pawah(our collaboration educator) learning structure and ropes of some of the 5 Living Skills modules specially crafted by BFM in preparation to ease them into urban life from a young age.

In our design thinking stage, we also introduced practical amenities to support urban habits: a specially designed long sink with rows of taps to facilitate and inculcate habitual brushing teeth, handwashing etc as well as low child-friendly sitting toilets and shower cubicles.

These simple but important facilities help the children learn hygiene and independence in ways that are both safe and age-appropriate in preparation for urban living.

Here’s a glimpse of our Kindy Project. It comprises of a community school hall cm classroom; a dining hall, colourful panel doors opening into the open and - a row of shower cubicles and low toilets for kids and a boarding house which we will share in due course.

To say we are thankful and proud of the completed preschool is an understatement. We are grateful to all those involved in the making, namely, DNA Architects under the guiding hand of Boo Chuan William Khoo
and the interns, headed by Francis Poh,
our man on the ground we send from Kuching to oversee the works, Felix Ah Goo, Lim Siok Hong, founder of Tadika Pawah, who first approached us to build a preschool for the Penan community at Long Lamam, local Penan teacher Elia who is a big help to us in monitoring the workers during construction; Gabriel and Jalong who had to ferry us on several trips overland from Miri airport to Long Segah to shoot the rapids across to our destination Long Lamam.

And last but not least to Star Foundation for awarding us the honour of Star Golden Awards Hearts in 2017 🙏🏼🌟

To each and everyone - a huge Thank you❤️🌝🏡

BFM began as a civil society response to the needs of our rural communities in Sarawak in 2011. We’ve spent the time since providing practical assistance to communities in need, mainly in the form of infrastructure and education support. Along the way, we’ve even racked up some awards - the trophies aren’t that important but we’re grateful for the validation that we’re doing the right thing.

It’s only however in the past year that we’ve officially registered with the Registrar of Societies of Malaysia (we were previously registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia). Our first AGM, and we’re looking forward to a new chapter ahead. 🙏

What’s happened in Long Lamam since our last visit a few years ago?

Arriving at the village in June to find … development! 👏👏👏 No more us fighting for electricity to charge our phones so that they could function only mostly as cameras. 🤣 Gone are the days as when we were building , when we used to have to communicate by message or by the villagers having to travel to spots to catch phone signals.

And wasn’t the so beautiful? Happy Sarawak Day to all Sarawakians! ❤️💛🖤

Crossing the mighty Baram river (water level was on the low side when we were there in June) on the Long San bridge is a marker point of our journeys to and from Long Lamam.

We note that a high-level government delegation visited the bridge as part of a tour to assess existing road conditions shortly after our visit. Looking forward to swift improvements to be made for the well-being of our rural communities.