Nyalau (third left) presents the incentive to one of the 111 eligible students from Engkilili. Also seen is Rayong (second left).
ENGKILILI: Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa hopes his 1Engkilili Education Fund Foundation will continue to be the catalyst for producing more excellent students in his area.
According to him, the foundation was his brainchild and he had a very important reason to set up the foundation four years ago in 2011.
He said many parents from his constituency had come to him to ask for assistance, especially financial, for their children’s education, which prompted him to step in to help in any way he could, considering that most of them were from the low-income group.
“For me, there is no compromise in education. I want everyone in Engkilili to have access to the best of the country’s education system,” he added.
Coming from a family of low income himself, he said he understood how hard it was for the parents to send their children to institutions of higher learning.
Rayong was speaking during an incentive presentation ceremony at Lubok Antu District Council hall here yesterday.
A total of 111 outstanding students from Engkilili received incentives in the form of cash from Rayong and Lubok Antu
MP Datuk William Nyalau Badak, who both officiated at the event organised by the foundation.
For the record, both Rayong and Nyalau are joint patrons of the 1Engkilili Education Fund Foundation.
Meanwhile, community leaders in Engkilili have nothing but words of praise for the foundation, saying it had helped the people in the area a lot.
Lim Siat Ming, who is a kapitan in the area, commented that the foundation had motivated many youngsters in the area while Gerang Ancheh who is a penghulu in the area said the foundation had enabled many students in the constituency to attend institutions of higher learning.
“It (the foundation) gives us hope that our children can further their studies without thinking too much of the financial burden after they leave school.
“We hope this foundation is here to stay,” said Lim, one of the few community leaders who spoke to The Borneo Post after the event.
Committee members of the 1Engkilili Education Fund Foundation hope to hold fund-raising events for the foundation soon.