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Education
R E AD I NG CORN E RS
There are children in Malaysia who face difficulties in
accessing all the tools necessary to learn and develop
academically, often caused by geographical distance
and poverty. GAB Foundation has long focused on
Reading Corners as a means to give children access
to books and learning. Starting with the Tamil school
children, we found that this was an effective means of
supporting children in disadvantaged communities.
In FY2010, the GAB Foundation expanded the project
to East Malaysia in collaboration with the Association
of Research and Development Movement of Singai
Sarawak (REDEEMS), a non-profit organisation that
oversees the development affairs of the Bidayuh
community and Borneo Child Aid Society, a Sabah-
based NGO. The reading corners provide English
reading materials include textbooks, encyclopaedias,
dictionaries, storybooks and general knowledge
books to facilitate sharing of knowledge among the
children. In FY2010, six Reading Corners were set up
in Sarawak and in FY2011, another 12 were added
in three locations in Sabah. In Sabah, the Reading
Corners are all located within the Learning Centres
run by Borneo Child Aid Society.
GAB Foundation has invested approximately
RM490,000 to date in setting up Reading Corners in
Malaysia, and will continue to explore opportunities
to widen the reach.
PART I A L S CHO L ARSH I P S CH EME
The GAB Foundation Partial Scholarship Scheme
provides deserving Malaysian students pursuing
higher studies at certificate, diploma or undergraduate
levels with a chance to achieve their ambitions.
In FY2011, the Foundation did not open its partial
scholarship scheme to new applications. However, the
Foundation continues to support 31 undergraduate
students who are pursuing their education in local
and foreign institutions under its currect scheme.
To-date, the GAB Foundation has awarded
scholarships to 38 students with a total value of more
than RM740,000.
As part of the scholarship scheme, the GAB Foundation
also organises workshops for the recipients to equip
themwith the skills and etiquette they need to venture
successfully into the workforce. Recipients of the
Foundation’s 2009 scholarship participated in an all
expense paid two-day life skills workshop where they
were taught communication skills, interview skills,
personal grooming tips, how to manage their personal
finances and how to write an effective resume.
E NG L I SH PROGRAMME
In our immediate community, our most well-
established initiative is our English Programme, which
assists Tamil school children improve their English
skills. This year, we strengthened the programme by
offering school children extra English classes outside
of their school hours to help them improve their
English language proficiency. We are supporting 200
school children from 5 primary schools.
More details on the background of the GAB Foundation
and its activities can be found at our website
www.gabfoundation.org
Enriching Communities
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G U I N N E S S A N C H O R B E R H A D
( 5 3 5 0 - X )