The Story of Sahabat Petrosains at Endau-Rompin National Park, 19th - 22nd April 2019

It was nowhere near luxury for Sahabat Petrosains at SK Peta Endau that happened on the 19th to 22nd April !!. Almost every day, in the wee morning hours, one can hear the calls of the elephants in their trails searching for food. According to Cik Ahad, the guard, at times, Maybank (terms of endearment for tigers) pass the bushy trails near the school. One can’t help thinking man and animal does seem to live side by side at the National Endau Rompin Park. 

The tribe that lives here is the Jakun.

Our accommodation is the classroom space of the school – where Sahabat team slept on the cement floor.  Creepy crawlies of the jungle? Ahah …we are armed with Sulphur and salt where we sprinkled it on the floor surrounding the area that we sleep. It seems to work though.

The school

Well…flying insects are beyond our control. Most windows in the classroom can’t be closed. It's like you can see the trees outside -- and the trees can see you too. Imagine if you woke up at 3 am… and see the trees in the moonlight. Its better you shut your eyes back.

4 days and 3 nights Sahabat program run with an intermittent power outage from the ageing school generator. But we proceed with the workshops and activities, when the power went off at nights, and made possible by handphones light, torch lights and portable solar lights from the concerned teachers of SK Peta, who are well prepared, and is used to being ‘in the dark’ situation – many times. About 60 students from SK Peta and SK Punan attended the Sahabat Petrosains Camp. Example of activities done during the power outage is Pak Cik Kayo – math like activity and the wayang kulit where we stress on the principles of light. 

Our CEO, Puan Fedora and KK came on the second day of the camp, to our surprise and glee, and get to witness some of the science activities and workshops. The journey itself is 2 hours plus from the trunk road of small-town Kahang, through red gravelled road through the oil palm estates, and a tarred road in the middle of the jungle. Puan Fedora and KK stayed until the closing day on Monday… an effort by our CEO to experience and understand better – the event of Sahabat Petrosains with the orang Asli kids.

Awarding the winners

As early as 6.50 am, the guardians sent their kids to attend camp. Of course, we have to wake up earlier than that. The camp finishes at 10.30 pm each day.

With challenges like power outage and low water pressure, our Petrosains team trod on - to make the Sahabat camp goes smooth as planned – and delivering science unlike the classroom experience- to the orang Asli kids at SK Peta.

The farewell bid and advises 'rajin belajar ye'

On the last day bidding farewell was met with tears from the kids. We too felt the sadness. 

Although the 2 hours and a half journey -- going out - in the JAKOA lorry -- was rough and tough - we know Petrosains have yet deliver – what we have been assigned – a bit of our science education skills and knowledge- this time for the benefit of the Jakun’s children of the Endau Rompin community. 

Time to leave Endau-Rompin

Shared by Fozi Wazir